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State President Nancy DiFiore Quinn with New York National
delegates and guests at the 50th Biennial OSIA National Convention. |

The Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) was founded on June 22,
1905 at 203 Grand Street in New York City. An Italian immigrant,
Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro, and five compatriots; pharmacist Ludovico
Ferrari, attorney Antonio Marzullo, sculptor Giuseppe Carlino and
barbers Pietro Viscardi and Robert Merlo, created the organization
to unite men and women of Italian heritage under one banner in order
to preserve and disseminate the large cultural heritage of Italy.
They also felt a need to promote and advance their progress everywhere
within the framework of American society.
When
OSIA was founded, it took its name from "LOrdine Figli
dItalia," which is Italian for "The Order of
Children of Italy". In America, the name was converted to its
present masculine form ("Order Sons of Italy"), and has
been preserved as such for name recognition and legacy purposes.
OSIA
has provided a community in which both men and women of Italian
descent have preserved and nurtured their Italian heritage. It continues
to thrive, meeting the initial objectives of its founders through
a wide variety of community, cultural, social, charitable, educational,
patriotic and civic activities.
As
OSIA passes its 100th year of service, it has grown
into the largest and most demographically diverse organization
representing 23 million men and women of Italian heritage on
the North American
continent. The National office of the Order Sons of Italy in America
is located in Washington, D.C. and represents over 700 local
chapters
across the country. Men and women share equal status within OSIA,
as do individuals of all professions and ages.
The
Grand Lodge of New York was the first Grand Lodge formed on January
10, 1911. The Executive Office of the NYSOSIA Grand Lodge is located
in Bellmore, Nassau County, New York. There are 96 local New York
chapters, located from the far reaches of northern New York to the
eastern tip of Long Island. Family membership is over fifty thousand
representing a broad cross section of the Italian American community
in New York State.
The
New York Grand Lodge Foundation, Inc. was formed on October 14,
1982. The corporation was formed to raise money and donate to various
recognized charities; to initiate scholarships for deserving students
and to initiate and donate to educational programs that will foster
an awareness of Italian heritage and culture. Since 1982, the New
York Grand Lodge Foundation, Inc. has distributed millions of dollars
to various charities and to its very prestigious Foundation Scholarship
program.
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Lodge of New York, Order Sons of Italy in America
2101 Bellmore Ave., Bellmore, NY 11710-5605 E-mail us
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