2015 Italian History Month Celebrations Plus

New York City, October 2015 -

October is Italian History Month and this year is no exception. With all the activities going on in the area, this blog post will be a compilation that will be updated in addition to making individual posts.

Here's the summary:

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 - 
The New York City Council's Italian Caucus held their annual event that featured Joe Piscopo live in the City Council's chambers. as part of his speech, Piscopo let on that he had a very friendly relationship with Frank Sinatra and that Joe earned the nick name 'Vice Chairman of the Board'. Before he left, a stirring rendition of Ol' Blue Eyes often sung hit New York, New York.

Thursday, October 8, 2015 - 
The opening Columbus Citizens Foundation event in recent years has been held at Gracie Mansion. This year, the event location was changed to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on 5th Avenue's 'Museum Mile'.

Friday, October 9, 2015 -

Joseph Sciame, Vice President for Community Relations at St. John's University, President of the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee, and Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, presented a framed poster entitled “ITALIAN CREATIVITY: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF ITALIAN CREATIVITY AND TECHNOLOGY  - NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR 1965- EXPO MILANO 2015" to the Italian Consulate.

Saturday, October 10, 2015 - 
The annual Columbus Citizens Foundation gala at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel with all kinds of luminaries in attendance. Closed to the public with a high admission price tag, many never seem to get to see the vintage cars on display. Also, due to a media blackout because of Lady Gaga's wishes, I could not attend the event but a couple of photos from previous years are being shown.

Sunday, October 11, 2015 - 
The annual wreath laying at the statue of Christopher Columbus at Columbus Circle at confluence of 59th Street, Broadway and 7th Avenue (across the street from the southwest corner of Central Park).

Monday, October 12, 2015 - 
The annual Italian-American Political Action Committee (IAMPAC) breakfast where awards/proclamations are given to Italian and Italian American honorees. This year, Columbus Day is being celebrated on the actual day which coincides with the second Monday of October.

The event everyone gets to see, the parade up 5th Avenue that's broadcast live on local ABC-TV in the New York tri-state from Noon to 3pm. The parade carries on until about 4 pm.

NOTE:
There are a host of local events in the New York tri-state area.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 - 
I give a presentation of rail transportation in Italy on Long Island this evening. My highly acclaimed Powerpoint presentation is not to be missed. If you're interested in seeing this event, visit my transportation page by copying this link into your browser at: http://railientrails.blogspot.com/2015/10/an-invitation-to-experience-my.html
.

Procession Of The Patroness of Mola di Bari, Italy – The Maria SS Addolorata

Brooklyn, NY, September 13, 2015 - 

Italian immigrants to this country not only settled, but established their traditions here as well. Those that emigrated from Mola di Bari in Italy are no exception.

This congregation of Maria SS Addolorata, Our Lady of Sorrows was established in 1948 in Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn, New York. 

The Molesi chose the Parish of Sacred Hearts - St. Stephen’s Church in Carroll Gardens. They commissioned an exact replica in the 1940s and it came to Brooklyn by ship from Italy.

The processions occur twice a year - Good Friday and the Feast of the Madonna Addolorata which happens on the second Sunday in September. Immigrants and their descendants march with the statue (which is carried on men’s shoulders) in the hope that their faith and the request for intersession by the Blessed Mother under the title of Addolorata, is successful.

The practice of honoring patron saints was an alien and frowned upon practice by immigrants already

established in this country – to the point where existing Catholic churches viewed it as paganism. However, the opposite is now thought to be true. Devotions are made to those patron saints by those hoping for miracles or a desired outcome of a particular situation.

In years past, it was part of a carnival that was on a smaller scale of today’s San Gennaro feast in Manhattan. Rides and vendors were plentiful and the entire event was coordinated by the organizing group.

In 2008, the Mola Club on 4th Place and Court Street decided to revive the practice to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the annual procession and the 125th anniversary of Sacred Hearts Parish, Brooklyn’s first Italian Parish.

This year’s event was held on September 13th, complete with a marching band, men and women dressed in black and little girls dressed with the Madonna Addolorata as a model. The procession made stops at the 76th Police Precinct, where the National Anthems of Italy and the US are played, Scotto Funeral Home, Frank’s on Smith Street and finally the Mola Club with the conclusion at the Sacred Hearts and St. Stephen Church at 7pm. After a fireworks display upon arrival, a mass in Italian closes the entire event.

Tony Danza Is Grand Marshall For Little Italy's 89th San Gennaro Feast And Other Goodies

Little Italy, Manhattan, September 12, 2015 -
The Grand Procession of the feast of San Gennaro, just like the feast itself, is normally a colorful parade with food kiosks, games, floats, marching bands, musical entertainers and the statue of San Gennaro through the streets of Little Italy from September 10 thru the 20th.




This year's event is even more colorful than usual as the Grand Marshall

is Brooklyn-born boxer and actor Tony Danza. Standing on an authentic gondola mounted on a float from Italy with the Italian American Museum in the background, Tony ‘hammed’ it up by using the paddle as a prop for the crowd and their photos.

Tony Danza and the parade was only one event of the series of daily events on Mulberry Street in Lower Manhattan this year.

The Italian American Museum was well represented as Dr. Scelsa, founder of the museum, manned the cart on Mulberry Street with souvenirs for sale to passers by.

'Tre Bella' was one of the many musical acts to appear at the bandstand at the San Gennaro at the Feast in Manhattan's Little Italy. This trio can really belt out some tunes!

As usual, a good time was had by all as everyone got to sample a small part of Italian and Italian American culture.

Photos and text by Joseph M. Calisi (c)2015 All Rights Reserved

Photo captions:
Grand Marshall Tony Danza and his gondola lead the parade. The Italian American Museum is in the background in the top photo

Dr. Scelsa, founder of the Italian American Museum mans the souvenir cart on Mulberry Street

Tre Bella sings their little hearts out to entertain the crowd.

A Ferrara pastry shop employee dips strawberries at the San Gennaro feast in New York's Little Italy.

380th Anniversary Of First Italian Immigrant in NYC Celebrated At IAM

Italian American Museum, Little Italy, Manhattan, June 3, 2015 –

Tony De Nonno, an award-winning TV producer-writer-director, historian and speaker in the Humanities gave a stirring but enlightening journey into the life and times of Pietro Cesare Alberti, the first individual of Italian descent to arrive in New York City. Alberti arrived in old Dutch New York on June 2, 1635. The Italian American Museum (IAM) and Italian Historical Society of America celebrated the installation of the granite headstone commemorating Alberti’s arrival in front of the Museum.

From the beginning to the end of this talk, Tony De Nonno engaged everyone into being active participants, sharing their knowledge, thoughts, insights and ideas about the era, life and of times of Pietro Alberti - the first Italian to live in our beloved city, New York. In fact, Mr. De Nonno said he had been contacted by descendants of Alberti and the family’s name was changed to Bertis.

The marker that is now mounted outside the IAM, once stood in Bowling Green Park in Lower Manhattan after being placed there on June 2, 1958. It was created by the renowned stone carver A. Ottavino, under the guidance, commitment and determination of the Italian Historical Society of America and its visionary founder, John N. La Corte.

"We are pleased to accept this donation of great historical significance,” said Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa, president of the Italian American Museum. “It will ensure that more of our visitors are informed of Peter Alberti’s legacy.”

A new marker has been placed on the northern edge of Battery Park in Manhattan. The name on both markers shows an Anglicized version of his name: Peter Cesar Alberti. It is thought that when the new marker was designed, this version of his name was carried over.

A special highlight of Mr. De Nonno’s presentation was the screening of his acclaimed nationally-broadcast documentary film - John N. La Corte: A Monument to History. The film showed several of his efforts, including how the Verrazano Bridge that links Brooklyn and Staten Island, got its name. (Note: the correct spelling of the bridge should be Verrazzano).

Tony De Nonno’s website [http://www.DeNonnoProductions.com] contains much information about his film and video efforts.

NAPLES, NOT A COMMONPLACE - A Discussion With The Mayor of Naples, Luigi De Magistris

Manhattan, NY - Friday, June 5 2015 -

The former Italian magistrate, known for his anti-corruption investigations, then Member of the European Parliament, that is now the current Mayor the third largest city in Italy, appeared at NYU’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at 24 W 12th Street in Manhattan. The House of Italian hosted a discussion featuring the Mayor of Naples, Italy, Luigi De Magistris. The Q&A was moderated by Stefano Albertini (NYU professor of Italian) and Letizia Airos (i-Italy News).

The discussion that began at 6:30 pm was called, “A Conversation with the Mayor of Naples, Luigi De Magistris (Città in movimento: Napoli si riscopre).

The question and answer ‘chat’ focused on his administration's mission of "lawfulness through education" and the changes his policy brought to the city alongside its plans for the future by keeping Naples as the artistic and creative breeding ground that it is.

 

Some of the discussion revolved around his fight against local crime and how infiltration into normal government functions shows how difficult crime fighting can be.

With an NYU, they chatted about being Mayor. On June 4, he walked around NY City with Mayor De Blasio.