On June 22, 2005, the New York Grand Lodge, Order Sons of Italy in America will celebrate the 100^th Birthday of the Order Sons of Italy in America.

It was on June 22, 1905 at 203 Grand Street in New York City when an Italian immigrant, Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro and five compatriots; pharmacist Ludovico Ferrari; attorney Antonio Marzullo; sculptor Giuseppe Carlino and barbers Pietro Viscardi and Roberto Merlo, created an organization to unite men and women of Italian heritage under one banner in order to preserve our wonderful Italian heritage and culture.  They also felt the need to promote and advance their progress within the framework of American society.

Here … 100 years later … the Order Sons of Italy in America had provided a community in which men and women of Italian heritage have preserved and nurtured their precious Italian heritage. 

We have “raised the bar” and succeeded in unprecedented ways.  Our beloved Christopher Columbus discovered America … Mario Biaggi is the most decorated police officer in the nation … Guglielmo Marconi, the “Father of Radio” received a patent for “The Wireless” and went on to win the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1909 … Antonio Meucci invented the telephone five years before Alexander Graham Bell’s patent … Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet born in Florence best known for “Divine Comedy” … Gina Centrello is President and Publisher of Random House Publishing Group … Arturo Toscanini was “The Maestro” … Constantino Brumidi decorated every important area of the Capitol including the great rotunda … Rocky Marciano was an Italian boxer who won the heavyweight championship … Joe DiMaggio was an admired and respected baseball player … Mario Lanza won national acclaim with his unusual tenor voice … Anthony Casamento waited 38 years to receive his Medal of Honor … Elena Lucrezia Cornaro was the first women to receive a PhD (1678) … Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino was the first Italian American Lieutenant in the New York City Police Department and was killed abroad in the line of duty … Patricia Russo is Chairman and CEO at Lucent Technologies … and we could go on and on and on!

On Wednesday, June 22, 2005 at 1:00 pm the Order Sons of Italy in America will be at the U.S. Customs House in lower Manhattan for reception and OSIA Flag Raising Ceremony.  At 3:30 pm, a special Mass will be held in Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  At 5:00 pm there will be Centennial Ceremonies at the Founding Site in front of Ferrara’s Cafe … and then at 6:00 PM - on to dinner at SPQR Restaurant.  The cost of this daylong event is $70.00 per person.  For further information, you can contact the New York Grand Lodge OSIA office at 516-785-4623.