NYSOSIA Italian Heritage & Culture Report

Robert Necci

WORTH REPEATING

“I feel we need more examples of cinema as culture rather than cinema as commerce.” ~ Isabella Rossellini

IN THE NEWS

October 15, 2006 – The Journal News (Pelham, NY) - Isabella Rossellini Shows Film at Pelham Film Fest
Isabella Rossellini spoke about the importance of independent film before screening her own short film at the Italian film festival. “There’s very little money that goes into films for the purpose of making art,” said the Italian model and actress, while sitting in the crowd. “I feel we need more examples of cinema as culture rather than cinema as commerce.” Rossellini was the special guest at the sixth annual Italian Film Festival. The sold-out event has in the past been hosted at venues throughout the county, promoting Italian culture and recognizing the contributions Italians have made in the film industry. Last night, Rossellini introduced “My Father is 100 Years Old,” a short film honoring her late father, director Roberto Rossellini, in observance of the centenary of his birth. The film is a representation of her father and his belief in cinema as a moral art.
For the complete story visit the following link:
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061015/NEWS02/610150335/1018/NEWS02

October 17, 2006 – The Korea Herald (South Korea) - Mixed Feelings Over Historic Foreigners’ Cemetery
Ancient Greek and Roman texts are peppered with quotes about the importance of honoring those who have passed on. Last week, the Italian Ambassador Massimo Leggeri paid a visit to two Italian citizens buried at the Yanghwajin Foreigners’ Cemetery overlooking the Han River. Historically, the Italian Embassy has been one of the few embassies to take an active interest in maintaining Yanghwajin Foreigners’ Cemetery. Ambassador Leggeri’s visit last week was a continuation of the Italian Embassy’s respect for its dead. “Everyone of us, we are what we have in ourselves and what we leave behind us. So if we recognize somebody and they recognize us, we continue to exist,” Leggeri said. He added that he wanted the Korean people to know that the Italian graves were not forgotten. These graves were discovered again by Dr. Marco Zagarola, head of administration and financial affairs at the Embassy of Italy, who took it upon himself to honor his fellow countrymen with almost monthly visits to lay flowers and clean the graves. Leggeri did say that he wanted to find the family of Luigi Casati, the Italian consul in Seoul who died in December 1909. “I think the best solution would be to remove the body back to Italy to the town he was born,” said Leggeri.
For the complete story visit the following link:
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/10/16/200610160010.asp

October 17, 2006 – AGI (Rome, Italy) - RAI: Italian Poets to Petruccioli, More Poetry on TV
In an open letter addressed to RAI president Claudio Petruccioli, some twenty Italian poets requested more poetry on public TV. “We think that RAI in its function as institutional body for the dissemination of culture and information can and must stop the un-culture having invaded for too much time all broadcasting activities,” they declared. The message of TV is at risk of becoming “a tribune of insults and lack of respect. Do at least provide the possibility to create a counterbalance to this trash fare with a cultural program deserving this name, hosted by people interested in culture and poetry. We ask that RAI, a public company, which in past even proudly talked about its sensitiveness with regard to poetry and literature, realizes this sad situation and adopts adequate measures to defend and promote higher ethical and esthetical values.”
http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200610171747-1244-RT1-CRO-0-NF11&page=0&id=agionline-eng.oggitalia

October 17, 2006 – UPI (Rome, Italy) – Scientists: Peptide Speeds Up Metabolism
A group of Italian scientists has found a protein that increases the metabolism of mice, preventing them from gaining weight when fed a high-fat diet. The team at the National Research Council says that the peptide TLQP-21 could become an anti-obesity drug for humans, the news agency ANSA reported. But they warned that increasing metabolism could stress the heart and that there’s a long road from mice to humans. Anna Moles and Alessandro Bartolomucci, leaders of the research effort, said at a news conference that the results were surprising. “The effect was unexpected because the peptide was able to prevent the first stage of obesity caused by a fat-rich diet,” Bartolomucci said. “The mice that were given TLQP-21 remained the same weight whereas another set of mice that received exactly the same food began to get fat.” The results were published in the U.S. journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://news.monstersandcritics.com/health/article_1211779.php/Scientists_Peptide_speeds_up_metabolism

October 18, 2006 – M & C Arts (Genoa, Italy) - Painting Found in Church Loft Attributed to Caravaggio
A painting found in a church loft in Genoa and previously considered a copy of a Caravaggio masterpiece has been attributed to the great Italian baroque artist himself, daily La Repubblica reported. The Crowning with Thorns, a 2.03 by 1.66 meters (6.66 by 5.45 feet) oil on canvass painting found in Genoa’s Church of San Bartolomeo della Certosa, is similar to an identically-named painting currently in Prato, Tuscany. It had been considered a copy until it was restored, leading experts to establish that it was indeed attributable to Caravaggio. Experts say Caravaggio may have painted it while residing in Genoa in 1605. The artist had taken refuge in the northwestern Italian city after fleeing from justice for injuring a notary in Rome. “We don’t know how this painting ended up in Genoa. Perhaps Caravaggio forgot it here or he painted it as a favor for the (local) Doria family,” Piero Donati, the region’s superintendent, told La Repubblica. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, considered the first great exponent of the Baroque school, led a tumultuous life. He was involved in several brawls and was accused in 1606 of killing a young man in Rome. He died in 1610 under mysterious circumstances.
http://arts.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1212281.php/Painting_found_in_church_loft_attributed_to_Caravaggio

October 18, 2006 – UPI (Florence, Italy) - Art Exhibit for the Blind Opens in Italy
In the first exhibit of its kind, a Florence, Italy, art museum will put on a photography show catered specially to the blind and visually impaired. The ANSA news agency reported the innovative show would inaugurate the new Alinari National Museum of Photography. Exhibit organizers selected 20 shots from the catalogue of Italian photo pioneers, the Alinari brothers. They transformed the works into 3-D releifs, so the blind could touch them to get a feel and sense of the images, ANSA said. The pieces will also be flanked with Braille descriptions, so visitors can find out more about the works. “We blind people need three dimensions to be able to touch the reliefs with our hands and reconstruct the images in our minds,” said Carlo Monti, the president of the Italian Blind Union. The Alinari brothers pioneered photography in Italy in the 1850s. ANSA reported that people with normal sight can opt to be led around blindfolded by museum guides to get a feel for the exhibit.
http://arts.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1212136.php/Art_exhibit_for_the_blind_opens_in_Italy

October 18, 2006 – Reuters (Johannesburg, South Africa) - New Images May Give Clues on Universe's Origins
The newly discovered collision of two galaxies millions of years ago, which sparked rings of fire that are still expanding, may offer new clues on the origins of the universe, astronomers said. New images of the Andromeda Galaxy were captured by an infrared camera aboard the Spitzer Space Telescope and are described in the science journal ‘Nature.’ The pictures offer fresh insight into the ever-changing nature of galaxies, said Harvard University astrophysicist Giovanni Fazio. Fazio, the mastermind behind the Spitzer, is considered one of the world’s top space pioneers. “We thought it was a plain, ordinary galaxy with two companions around it. But now we understand its structure. It will be used as a computer model to understand and study the early universe,” Fazio said. The cosmic crash is believed to have happened 210 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth, but is a relatively recent occurrence in the grander scheme of time, scientists said. After the images from the telescope were entered into a computer model, it revealed how a small galaxy hit the center, or “sweet spot,” of its larger neighbor with such force it fired off new stars, space dust and two rings of fire. Roughly comparable to a ripple effect from a stone dropped in water, the rings continue to spread at a rate of 50 km (30 miles) a second. On a clear night, the Andromeda Galaxy is visible to the naked eye as it is the closest spiral galaxy to Earth -- separated by a distance of about 2.5 million light years -- and to our own Milky Way Galaxy. Infrared images can look much deeper into the universe to show how galaxies, stars and planets were first formed and their current make-up.

October 18, 2006 – AGI (Rome, Italy) – Restoration: Rutelli. “European Mandate” for Italy
A real “European mandate” defining Italy’s role as a leader in artistic restoration and assigning Italy the function of international coordinator in this sector. This is what Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli is about to propose to the European Culture Ministers. “I will ask European ministers in Brussels to acknowledge Italy not only for its leading role in restoration work but in terms of a European mandate, a sort of cultural diplomacy to coordinate European restoration projects all over the world.” During his speech the Minister several times praised the quality and leading role of Italian restoration art recognized all around the world. A work “carried out with passion, competence and rapid intervention, a model of great modernity and efficiency. The results of the central institute are extraordinary in the definition of new methods and the training of new qualified workers,” he added. He underlined his proposal of a “single coordination institute for restoration, in which the lower taxes on investments in restoration works can be of great help. We have thousands of small handicraft enterprises being world leaders; we must help them to have a coordinated system in Italy growing on an international level, also because there is a growing demand.” “The government is engaging in the protection of this Italian resource, not always with sufficient financial support and reliability of instruments available. We are fighting every minute for the protection of cultural interests in the budget planning.”
http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200610181743-1229-RT1-CRO-0-NF82&page=0&id=agionline-eng.italyonline

October 20, 2006 – NBC - Study of Italians Links Bread with Type of Kidney Cancer
Eating a lot of bread has also been linked to obesity, and now, a large study of Italians indicates high consumption of bread increases the risk for Renal Cell Carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer. Eating a lot of pasta and rice may also raise the risk. Researchers say it could be due to the high glycemic index of these foods. Renal Cell Carcinoma accounts for about two-percent of all adult cancers. The study was led by researchers at the Institute of Pharmacological Research “Mario Negri” in Milan, Italy and published in the International Journal of Cancer.
http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5567489

October 20, 2006 – ANSA (Cernobbio, Italy) - Italians Get Choosier About Food
Italians are increasingly picky about what goes on their dinner tables, preferring products from their own country and dismissing GM foods out of hand, a new survey shows. According to a study commissioned by the Coldiretti farmers’ union, some 74% of Italians believe that genetically manipulated foodstuffs are bad for their health. This figure was up 4% on 2005. The survey also highlighted a strong “food patriotism,” a widespread sense among the population that Italian food was safer and better. Some 90% said they make an effort to buy Italian food whenever possible. Half were even willing to pay more if their tomatoes and oranges were Italian. “The results of the study show that Italy has chosen the right direction, opting for farming which is free of manipulation,” Bedoni said. “We have to continue down the road to obligatory labeling in order to give consumers more information and the market more transparency,” he added. Being able to see exactly where cheese and meat comes from is a must for many Italians these days, Coldiretti’s survey revealed. High numbers said they often bought products whose origin was certified and almost all said this ought to be stated on labels. The survey also showed that 71% of Italians now buy organic fruit and vegetables regularly.
For the complete story visit the following link:
http://ansa.it/main/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2006-10-20_1209948.html

COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR

For a listing of many Italian and Italian American programs, updated regularly, visit the John D Calandra Italian American Institute’s Community Events Calendar at the following link:
http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/calandra/community/commcal.html

PIUS XII AND YAD VASHEM

By Sister Margherita Marchione, Ph.D. – Catalyst, October 2006

Sister Margherita Marchione is the author of several books on Pope Pius XII, the latest being Crusade of Charity: Pius XII And POW’s 1939-1945.

Below the portrait of Pope Pius XII in the Israeli Holocaust Memorial, Yad Vashem, there is a statement which is contrary to the truth and is unjust. It must be repudiated. I contacted the director of Yad Vashem and asked him to consider the efforts of the Pope who helped save hundreds of thousands of Jews and other victims of the Nazis. But will Yad Vashem at least correct the errors beneath his photo?
The statement includes:
“Pius XII’s reaction toward the killing of Jews during the period of the Holocaust is controversial. In 1933, as the Vatican Secretary of State, in order to maintain the rights of the Church in Germany, he signed a Concordat with the Nazi regime even at the price of recognizing the racist Nazi regime. When he was elected Pope in 1939, he put aside anencyclical against racism and anti-Semitism prepared by his predecessor.”

Pius XII wrote his own encyclical, “Summi Pontificatus,” which did deal with racism.

“Although reports about the assassination of Jews reached the Vatican, the Pope did not protest either by speaking out or in writing.”

This is not true. Whenever Pius XII spoke out, there was immediate retaliation by the Nazis. There were more than 60 protests!

“In December of 1942, he did not participate in the condemnation by members of the Allies regarding the killing of Jews. Even when the Jews were being deported from Rome to Auschwitz, the Pope did not intervene.”

The Pope did indeed intervene. After that first day, the SS we’re ordered to stop the deportation of the Jews in Rome.

“He maintained a neutral position except toward the end of the war when he appealed on behalf of the government of Hungary and of Slovakia. His silence and the absence of directives obliged the clergy in Europe to decide independently how they should

behave toward the persecuted Jews.”

This is not true. Members of the Church were ordered to protect all refugees and Jews.

Pius XII’s sanctity has been recorded. There are many volumes of depositions for his beatification. He was a humble person who did not want his accomplishments and many good works revealed. Respecting his wishes, Sister Pascalina Lehnert-his housekeeper-implemented the Pope’s charitable works and served him faithfully from 1923-1958.

In her deposition, Sister Pascalina clearly stated that Pius XII did not issue a formal condemnation of Nazism because the German and Austrian bishops feared increased retaliation and dissuaded him from making additional protests that would undoubtedly irritate Hitler. And there was retaliation. During the persecution against Catholics, the

Nazis not only destroyed churches and closed schools, but also arrested priests and Catholic leaders who were sent to concentration camps. All the protests of the Holy See were reported in a volume published in Germany in 1965.

Michael Tagliacozzo, a Jewish historian responsible for Beth Lohame Haghettaot Center in Italy, praised Pope Pius XII’s wartime efforts. He recently provided the following information from Hashavua, the magazine of “Beth Alpha”:

Maurizio Zarfati, a resident in Acco, Hativath Golani St., wrote December 7, 1994, that he was saved with his parents, brother and sister in the monastery of the Augustinian Oblates of Santa Maria dei Sette Dolori in via Garibaldi. To permit men to enter, the Holy Father exempted them from rules of cloister. The Sisters gave up their rooms and moved to restricted quarters. ...There were 103 Jews in that convent.
Soldier Eliyahu Lubisky, a member of the “Kibuz Beth Alpha,” wrote on August 4, 1944, in the weekly Hashavua, that “he found more than 10,000 Jews in Rome. The refugees praised the Vatican for their help. Priests endangered their lives to save the Jews.”

In general, while begging for help, the Jews who were in contact with Pope Pius XII insisted that he avoid any public action. Sister Pascalina wrote: “The Pope not only opened the doors of the Vatican to protect the persecuted, but he encouraged convents and monasteries to offer hospitality. The Vatican provided provisions for these people. He ordered me to spend his inheritance and personal funds to provide for those who wished to leave Italy and go to Canada, Brazil, or elsewhere. Note that $800 was needed for each person who emigrated. Many times the Pope would ask me to deliver to Jewish families a sealed envelope containing $1,000 or more.”

In 1944, the Chief Rabbi of Rome, Israel Anton Zolli, gave an interview to the American Hebrew (July 14, 1944). Rabbi Zolli, who had been hidden in the Vatican during the German occupation of Rome, told the paper, “The Vatican has always helped the Jews and the Jews are very grateful for the charitable work of the Vatican, all done without distinction of race.”

In his book Antisemitismo, Rabbi Zolli would later write: “World Jewry owes a great debt of gratitude to Pius XII for his repeated and pressing appeals for justice on behalf of the Jews and, when these did not prevail, for his strong protests against evil laws and procedures….No hero in all of history was more militant, more fought against, none more heroic than Pius XII in pursuing the work of true charity!... and this on behalf of all the suffering children of God.”

It is well known that Zolli converted to Catholicism after the war, taking as his baptismal name the pope’s, Eugenio. As Zolli would write in his memoirs: “The Holy Father sent by hand a letter to the bishops instructing them to lift the enclosure from convents and monasteries, so that they could become refuges for the Jews. I know of a convent where the Sisters slept in the basement, giving up their beds to Jewish refugees.”

Pope Pius XII made abundantly clear his judgment of the German aggression. In its front-page caption, the New York Times announced: “Pope Condemns Dictators, Treaty Violators, Racism; Urges Restoring of Poland.” The paper printed the entire text of Pius XII’s encyclical, Summi Pontificatus, on pages 8 and 9. It was a powerful attack on totalitarianism and racism. Pius XII condemned racism not only by publicly defending his Jewish brethren and explicitly using the word “Jew,” but did so by quoting Saint Paul (Col. 3:10-11).

During his first year as pope, he created a special department for Jews in the German section of the Vatican Information Office. According to the Canadian Jewish Chronicle and other Jewish publications, some 36,877 papers were processed on behalf of Jewish refugees. In view of the plight of the Jewish people of Europe, resolutions were adopted at the January 1939 meeting of the Jewish Congress in Geneva. Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chairman, stated: “We record the Jewish people’s deep appreciation of the stand taken by the Vatican against the advance of resurgent paganism which challenges all traditional values of religion as well as inalienable human rights upon which alone enduring civilization can be found.”

Pius did more than protest. He immediately issued directives to all convents and monasteries to open their doors to protect Jews and other refugees. Some 80 percent of Italian Jews would survive the war, a much higher percentage than in many other nations. Refugees, mostly women and children, were even housed in the papal apartments at Castelgandolfo, where 28 children were born during the spring of 1944. Over 12,000 people found refuge in this papal villa. Day and night, Vatican trucks bearing the yellow and white flag brought food and other necessities to Castelgandolfo. After the war, as an expression of their gratitude, these refugees placed a memorial tablet “To Pope Pius XII, the Angelic Shepherd...” in the tower of the papal palace.

Tibor Baransky, a board member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council and a Yad Vashem honoree, recalls that “Papal Nuncios helped the Jews. They got the orders straight from the Pope.” He recounted that, while working at the age of 22 as a special representative of Angelo Rotta, the papal nuncio in Hungary, he heard from Jewish leaders who asked the pope not to raise a public outcry over the Nazi atrocities-since it would likely only increase their ferocity. (The Nazis had solidified their power in the early 1930s, and ferocious retaliation had been the typical response to every other Vatican protest.)

Working with Rotta-Pius XII’s personal emissary in Hungary-Baransky carried blank documents, forged protective passes, and faked baptismal certificates to save as many Jewish lives as possible; when Nazis and their local sympathizers ignored these documents, Rotta sent Baransky to retrieve them.

In July 1944, the American Jewish Committee and other Jewish organizations organized a rally in Manhattan, New York, to protest the deportation of Hungarian Jews. In his discourse, Judge Joseph Proskauer, president of the American Jewish Committee, said: “We have seen how great was the work of the Holy Father in saving the Jews in Italy. We also learned from various sources that this great Pope has tried to help and save the lives of Jews in Hungary.”

The anti-papal polemics of ex-seminarians like Garry Wills [Papal Sin], and John Cornwell [Hitler’s Pope], of ex-priests like James Carroll [Constantine’s Sword], and other lapsed or angry liberal Catholics exploit the tragedy of the Jewish people during the Holocaust to foster their own political agenda of forcing changes on the Catholic Church today.

Recently, John Cornwell conceded that he was wrong to have ascribed evil motives to Pius XII and now finds it “impossible to judge” him. Indeed, those who have slandered him contradict the words of Holocaust survivors, the founders of Israel, and the contemporary record of the New York Times. In short, Pius XII deserves to be honored, not castigated, at Yad Vashem.

VISTORS CAN SEE VATICAN CITY NECROPOLIS, TOMBS UNEARTHED IN 2003
Long Island Catholic – October 11, 2006

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - The partly uncovered skeleton of a small child lies in the ground where it has been buried for some 2,000 years. Next to the right hand is an egg, thought to be a symbol of rebirth. The infant’s burial place, touchingly simple, is one of more than 250 tombs discovered beneath Vatican City and now on display to visitors for the first time.The necropolis - literally a “city of the dead” – was unearthed in 2003 when the Vatican began digging foundations for a parking lot. The area containing the tombs was carefully excavated, with results that surprised the experts.“We discovered what might be called a small funerary Pompeii,” said Giandomenico Spinola, who oversaw the archaeological work for the Vatican Museums.Spinola explained to reporters Oct. 9 that many of the tombs were preserved in a mudslide that occurred on the Vatican hill in ancient times. When the tombs were excavated, they still contained the decorations, ritual furnishings, mosaics and frescoes from 2,000 years ago, he said. “This is the type of complex that is usually lost over time. It contains the tombs of rich families, middle-class families and even some slaves,” he said. Those buried at the site included noblemen, scribes and a horse trainer who worked the chariot races. Throughout the cemetery archaeologists found a wealth of altars, urns, ceramic cups and bowls, oil lamps, statues and obituary inscriptions. One area is scattered with terra cotta tubes leading into graves; relatives of the deceased would pour ritual offerings of milk or wine for the dead through the tubes. The tombs date from the time of Augustus in the early first century to the time of Constantine in the early fourth century. The excavated area, located not far from the papal apartments in the northeastern corner of Vatican City, was part of the “Via Triumphalis”(Triumphal Way), a major road leading out of ancient Rome that was lined with tombs. It is unconnected with the cemetery on the other side of the Vatican hill, believed to hold the tomb of St. Peter. As of mid-October, visitors can make an appointment to see the new necropolis, walking on a catwalk above the site where workers are still completing the excavation. The area has been walled and roofed and equipped with an air-monitoring system. “It’s a work in progress. We have tried to ‘museum-ize’ an archaeological site,” said Francesco Buranelli, director of the Vatican Museums. One of the most intriguing new finds was in a family tomb chamber that contained five beautifully sculpted marble sarcophagi. On one wall is a frescoed peacock, and on the floor a mosaic showing an intoxicated Dionysus being held up by a young satyr. The sarcophagi also have pagan themes. But the latest sarcophagus, that of a young Roman man who died at age 17, bears a relief of a praying woman. Vatican experts believe it is probably a Christian symbol that illustrates, within one family grave site, the growing influence of Christianity in Rome late in the third century. Another tomb that has piqued historians’ interest is that of a certain Alcimus, who worked for the Emperor Nero as the set director for the most important theater of the period, the Theater of Pompeii, located in downtown Rome. The discovery of the necropolis meant the Vatican’s covered parking lot is a little bit smaller than planned. It operates next to the archaeological site, divided by a thin wall from the ancient tombs.

EMERGENCE

By Professor Silvia Montemurro

Your artful hands, your laboring skills no longer crafting,
Unknowingly buried in transfer from parent to child.

Kindled spirits of your renown forever legendary,
Never to be matched nor superseded.

Silenced from serving in sweatshops or laboring trades,
Replaced by professions and careers varied and unique.

Reaching toward the limits, we quickly learn,
Opportunity roars from you like a bottomless pit.

Channeled into our lives like energy speckled in motion,
To be used with haste as each day evolves.

Speak not through me,
See not through me,
Hear not through me.
I am not you; I am just like you!

PROVERBIO ITALIANO

Pensa molto, parla poco e scrivi meno.
Think much, speak little, and write less.

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 1-31, 2006 — Italian Cultural Display at the Islip Public Library sponsored by the Guglielmo Marconi Lodge #2232. Contact: Joseph Bennardo, (631) 650-7084.
October 1-31, 2006 September 28, 2006 — Display of Italian Artifacts by the Galileo Galilei Lodge #2253 at the Hicksville Public Library.
October 1-31, 2006 — The Cellini Lodge #2206 will sponsor “The Legacy of Leonardo da Vinci” display of his life, work and contribution to mankind at the Shelter Rock Public Library, 165 Shelter Rock Road, Albertson. Mon, Tues, Thur,10 A.M.-9P.M.; Wed. 2 P.M. -9P.M.; Fri. 10A.M.-6 P.M.; Sat. 9 A.M. - 5 P.M.; and, Sun. 1 P.M.-5 P.M. Contact: Ignatius Alvich or Angelina Spero, (516) 437-0621.
October 1-31, 2006 — St. Francis of Assisi Lodge #2629 will hold a month-long display on Italian Heritage at Borders, 1820 South Road, Poughkeepsie.
October 1-31, 2006 — St. Francis of Assisi Lodge #2629 will hold a month-long display of Italian Items at the Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon.
October 1-31, 2006 — The Donatello Lodge #2559 will sponsor a display of Italian artifacts from their members at the Westbury Library. Contact Rae Lanzillotta, (516) 334-0830.
October 2-30, 2006 — The Medal of Honor Display will be available for viewing in the art gallery of the Smithtown Library. Sponsored by the Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro Lodge # 2319.
October 23, 2006 — The film, Rocky Marciano: A Life Story, to be shown at the Smithtown Library. 6 PM. Filmmaker and Smithtown resident Marino Amoruso will be present. Sponsored by the Dr. Vincent Sellaro Lodge # 2319.
October 25, 2006 — The St. Francis of Assisi Lodge #2629 will hold an Open House. Italian music and repast. 6 PM. Contact: Rosemarie Romanelli, (845) 831-5168.
October 26, 2006 — The Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro Lodge #2319 will sponsor an afternoon at the movies with My House in Umbria. 1 PM. Smithtown Library.
October 26, 2006 — The Duca Degli Abruzzi Lodge #443 will host the Life of Leonardo (Celebrating Italian Genius) part two on their new 60” HDTV. Contact: Joseph Pastore, (607)785-2567.
October 27, 2006 — The John Michael Marino Lodge #1389 will sponsor Opera with Vincent LaSelva at the Port Washington Library. 7:30 PM. Contact: Leo Cimini, (516) 883-3826.
October 28, 2006 — Fall Plenary Session hosted by Antonio Meucci Lodge #213, White Plains. Contact: Marianne Principe O’Neil, (516) 785-4623.
October 29, 2006 — “The Giglio Feast of Brooklyn” by Prof. Salvatore Primeggio for the Loggia Glen Cove #1016. Held at the Glen Cove Library, Glen Cove. 2:30 PM. Contact: Kathryn Grande, (516) 676-7436.
November 5, 2006 — Gift of Sight Annual Luncheon at Immaculate Conception Center, 7200 Douglaston Parkway, Douglaston, 1-5 p.m. There will be dinner and dancing. $55 per person. Contact: Angelo Ferrara, (516) 328-3165.
November 5, 2006 – The Center for Italian Studies at Stony Brook University will present Salvatore LaGumina, author and professor emeritus of history (Nassau Community College) who will talk about his most recent publication, The Humble and the Heroic: Wartime Italian Americans. 2:30 PM. Stony Brook University’s Frank Melville Memorial Library, Room E4340. Books will be available for sale and autographing by the author. Contact: (631) 632-7444.
November 9, 2006 — The America Lodge #2245 will sponsor an Opera to the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center. More info to follow. Contact: Jo Falabella, (516) 354-2989.
November 11, 2006 — The Constantino Brumidi Lodge #2211 will hold an Italian Serenade & Concert by Giada Valenti. Contact: John Vigiano, (631) 242-7479.
November 12, 2006 — Kris DiLorenzo in “Bombshells, Goombahs, Nonnas & Wiseguys: Will the OTHER Italian Americans Please Stand Up?” This one-woman comedy crusade portrays Italian Americans beyond Godfather movies and the Sopranos. Actress Kris Dean sets the record straight about the good, the bad, and the ugly in REAL Italian family life. Westchester Community College. 3 PM. Classroom Building, Room 200. Tickets $12, $10 for children/students/seniors. Contact: (914) 606-6567.
November 19, 2006 — The Garibaldi Meucci Museum presents Holiday Mercato. Keeping with Italian tradition, local artisans will be showcasing their original pieces at individual stands. 12 noon – 5 PM. Free Admission. 420 Tompkins Ave., Staten Island. Contact: (718) 442-1608.
December 9, 2006 — Gino Di Napoli will be singing the best Neapolitan/Italian American Music. 1 - 4:30 PM. Christmas luncheon/dance, Bavarian Inn, Lake Ronkonkoma. For tickets and info call (631) 242-5808.

2007

January 26, 2007 — 14^th Annual Winter Charity Ball at the Chateau Briand, Carle Place. More information to follow. Contact: Annette Lankewish, (516) 933-7393 or Madeline Matteucci, (631) 654-2578.
January 27, 2007 — Winter Plenary Session. More information to follow. Contact: Marianne Principe O’Neil, (516) 785-4623.
February 25, 2007 — CSJ’s 27^th Annual Dinner Dance at Russo’s on the Bay, Howard Beach. Contact: Josephine Cohen, (631) 345-6586.
April 27, 2007 — 25^th Anniversary Golden Lion Awards Dinner at the Garden City Hotel. Contact: Marianne Principe O’Neil, (516) 785-4623.
April 28, 2007 — Spring Plenary Session. More information to follow. Contact: Marianne Principe O’Neil, (516) 785-4623.
May 20, 2007 — NYS/CSJ – B’nai B’rith Solidarity Breakfast at the Coral House, Baldwin. Contact: Richard Haemmerle, (516) 731-1811 or Marjorie Moschella, (516) 249-2879.
June 7-10, 2007 — 101^st Annual NYSOSIA State Convention at the Holiday Inn, Albany. More info to follow. Contact: Rae Lanzilotta, (516) 334-0830.

Nota del Redattore:

To OPEN a link in Microsoft Word, right click the link and then click OPEN HYPERLINK.
The Italian Heritage & Culture Committee Chair will send out a weekly news synopsis of articles and announcements of interest which compliment the Italian and Italian American Experience in America. Our sister and brother members are urged to submit items of interest.
This report is available online at: http://www.nysosia.org/heritage.asp

Respectfully submitted:
Robert Necci
Coordinator - Italian Education, Culture & Language Committee
Chair – Italian Heritage & Culture Committee
2101 Bellmore Avenue
Bellmore, NY 11710-5605
HeritageandCultureReport@nysosia.org

STATE PRESIDENT CARLO MATTEUCCI
Goals & Objectives: 2005-2007 Administration
ITALIAN CULTURE, HERITAGE and EDUCATION

To promote, preserve, and support our Italian culture, heritage, and language by implementing this element of the Order in our parades, functions, meetings, and conventions.