The National Italian American Foundation celebrated its 38th anniversary with a weekend to remember. The festivities not only celebrated Italy, but more importantly the Italian Americans that have been involved in the preservation and promotion of Italian culture and heritage. The weekend began with a Vegas-Style evening at the Ronald Reagan Building. The “Come Fly With Me” event had something for everyone. From casino tables, big band music from the Radio King Orchestra, to delicious Italian hors d’oeuvres guests enjoyed themselves all evening. The live and silent auctions were one of the highlights of the evening and guests had a chance to peruse the items up for auction throughout the evening. One of the most talked about items was a Piaggio Hybrid Scooter, never before used in the United States. All the proceeds from the event went to NIAF’s educational programs.
NIAF also hosted a number of conferences the next day as a way to expose the best of Italy to attendees. The subjects of the conferences covered food, culture, and politics. Guests traveled across Italy through a wine tasting and luncheon. John M. Viola, President and COO of NIAF hosted a panel with speakers from the Italian American Studies Association. “Ieri, Oggi Domani” (Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow) was the theme and the panel spent time discussing the current state of the Italian American community, how it has grown, and how it can grow in years to come. Speakers from the IASA also engaged in a discussion about the influence of Italian Americans in elections. A screening of “Carnera: The Walking Mountain”, a film about Italy’s only heavyweight champion of the world, Primo Carnera was a highlight of the daytime events. The film’s lead actor Andrea Iaia had a meet-and-greet afterwards.
The weekend culminated with an awards gala in the exquisite International Ballroom at the Washington Hilton. Maria Bartiromo, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and Joe Piscopo, comedian and actor came together to co-host the celebration. Both exuded pride for their Italian heritage and shared stories of their ties to Italian culture.
The awards ceremony began with Diana Bracco who received the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Philanthropy. The award for Special Achievement in International Business went to Roberto Colaninno, chairman and CEO of Piaggio and C.S.P.A. Louis Dontatelli, founder and chairman of Donatelli Development Inc. received the award for business. George Randazzo, founder and chairman of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago received the NIAF award for Italian American Community Leadership. Paul Sorvino, award-winning actor and director won the award in Entertainment. Sorvino also showed off his tenor voice by serenading the crowd with “O Sole Mio” which resulted in a standing ovation from the ballroom. Leon Panetta was the final honoree, the former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense received the NIAF award in Government.
Princess Beatrice of Borbone, NIAF Regional Vice President for Southern Italy Alfonso Ruffo and Minister of Productive Activities Fulvio Martusciello honored the Italian region of Campania as the 2014 Region of Honor.
After a delicious dinner and traditional Italian desert guests were invited to attend the Chairman’s After Hours Event where Joe Piscopo, among others, entertained guests well into the night. Italian-Americans have contributed greatly to America and this was exemplified with the attendance of honorees, past and present. With an organization like NIAF, dedicated to preserving Italian heritage while nurturing the success of Italians in America, the Italian community will continue to prosper and be a positive force in America.
Photos by Kenneth Rictor Photography. All rights reserved.
a global affairs media network
NIAF Celebrates 38th Anniversary with Gala Weekend
October 31, 2013
The National Italian American Foundation celebrated its 38th anniversary with a weekend to remember. The festivities not only celebrated Italy, but more importantly the Italian Americans that have been involved in the preservation and promotion of Italian culture and heritage. The weekend began with a Vegas-Style evening at the Ronald Reagan Building. The “Come Fly With Me” event had something for everyone. From casino tables, big band music from the Radio King Orchestra, to delicious Italian hors d’oeuvres guests enjoyed themselves all evening. The live and silent auctions were one of the highlights of the evening and guests had a chance to peruse the items up for auction throughout the evening. One of the most talked about items was a Piaggio Hybrid Scooter, never before used in the United States. All the proceeds from the event went to NIAF’s educational programs.
NIAF also hosted a number of conferences the next day as a way to expose the best of Italy to attendees. The subjects of the conferences covered food, culture, and politics. Guests traveled across Italy through a wine tasting and luncheon. John M. Viola, President and COO of NIAF hosted a panel with speakers from the Italian American Studies Association. “Ieri, Oggi Domani” (Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow) was the theme and the panel spent time discussing the current state of the Italian American community, how it has grown, and how it can grow in years to come. Speakers from the IASA also engaged in a discussion about the influence of Italian Americans in elections. A screening of “Carnera: The Walking Mountain”, a film about Italy’s only heavyweight champion of the world, Primo Carnera was a highlight of the daytime events. The film’s lead actor Andrea Iaia had a meet-and-greet afterwards.
The weekend culminated with an awards gala in the exquisite International Ballroom at the Washington Hilton. Maria Bartiromo, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and Joe Piscopo, comedian and actor came together to co-host the celebration. Both exuded pride for their Italian heritage and shared stories of their ties to Italian culture.
The awards ceremony began with Diana Bracco who received the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Philanthropy. The award for Special Achievement in International Business went to Roberto Colaninno, chairman and CEO of Piaggio and C.S.P.A. Louis Dontatelli, founder and chairman of Donatelli Development Inc. received the award for business. George Randazzo, founder and chairman of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago received the NIAF award for Italian American Community Leadership. Paul Sorvino, award-winning actor and director won the award in Entertainment. Sorvino also showed off his tenor voice by serenading the crowd with “O Sole Mio” which resulted in a standing ovation from the ballroom. Leon Panetta was the final honoree, the former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense received the NIAF award in Government.
Princess Beatrice of Borbone, NIAF Regional Vice President for Southern Italy Alfonso Ruffo and Minister of Productive Activities Fulvio Martusciello honored the Italian region of Campania as the 2014 Region of Honor.
After a delicious dinner and traditional Italian desert guests were invited to attend the Chairman’s After Hours Event where Joe Piscopo, among others, entertained guests well into the night. Italian-Americans have contributed greatly to America and this was exemplified with the attendance of honorees, past and present. With an organization like NIAF, dedicated to preserving Italian heritage while nurturing the success of Italians in America, the Italian community will continue to prosper and be a positive force in America.
Photos by Kenneth Rictor Photography. All rights reserved.
