A Lovely Sentiment And An Enduring Bond

And We Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way . . .

 

They'll NEVER Take THIS Out Of New York, NEVER!

 

 Since 1887, the Italian American community has been celebrating their faith, culture, and family traditions on the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 

Each July, the streets are filled with revelers from near and far to take part in a centuries old tradition known as the Dancing of the Giglio. 

For 12 days, the streets surrounding the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are transformed into a vibrant festival, with food vendors, rides, games, and daily entertainment. 

 As Brooklyn as it gets...the Dancing of the Giglio & Boat is truly something you need to see to believe!

These Sentiments Are Valid And MUST Be Heard!

NYC 'Little Italy' To Be Back On Map, But . . .

The Commission for Social Justice (CSJ), the anti-defamation and positive image arm of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA), today recognizes the decision by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) to include Manhattan’s historic Little Italy neighborhood on its Immigrant Enclaves map following strong advocacy and concern expressed by Italian American communities and organizations.

“We are grateful that Mayor Mamdani and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs listened to the concerns of the Italian American community and corrected the omission of Little Italy from the Immigrant Enclaves map,” said CSJ President John A. Fratta. “Little Italy is a historic and enduring symbol of the Italian immigrant experience in New York City, and its inclusion ensures that the contributions of generations of Italian immigrants and Italian Americans are properly recognized.”

“However, we remain disappointed that this correction came only after significant pushback and that other historic and thriving Italian American communities continue to be excluded from the map,” Fratta continued. “Neighborhoods such as Arthur Avenue in the Bronx represent vibrant Italian American enclaves with deep cultural, economic, and historical significance. These communities continue to preserve Italian heritage, support local businesses, and contribute immensely to the diverse fabric of New York City.”

The CSJ believes that maps and public representations of New York City’s immigrant communities should accurately reflect the full scope of the neighborhoods that have been shaped by generations of immigrants. Recognizing one community while overlooking others diminishes the important role these enclaves have played in building and enriching the city.

“The Italian American community appreciates the Mayor’s willingness to address this concern, but our work is not complete,” Fratta said. “We encourage Mayor Mamdani and MOIA to continue engaging with community leaders and to ensure that all significant immigrant enclaves—including those that represent the Italian American experience—receive appropriate recognition.”

The CSJ remains committed to advocating for accurate representation of Italian American history, culture, and contributions, and will continue working with community organizations and government leaders to promote a more complete and inclusive understanding of New York City’s diverse immigrant communities.

Little Italy To Mamdani: 'Te Ne Pentirai!'

From The Free Press:

Mayor Zohran Mamdani released his map of New York City’s “immigrant enclaves.” Except, he forgot a few spots.

Little Italy—one of the oldest immigrant communities in New York City—didn’t make the cut.

Here’s what the Italian-Americans whose families have been a part of Little Italy's history had to say about it.

Mamadani's 'Empty Pan' New York City!

 

Italian Americans Blast Mamdani Heritage Erasure

 

Mike Piazza On Our Beautiful, Meaningful Heritage

Revealed: The Italian Hand In America's Founding!

Before America had a Constitution, it needed words, ideas, and a vision of what a republic could look like. 

These Italians gave it all three.

Filippo Mazzei lived next door to Thomas Jefferson in Virginia, and the two men spent years exchanging ideas about liberty and government. Mazzei's own writing, "all men are by nature equally free and independent," is widely credited as the inspiration behind Jefferson's "all men are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence.

While Mazzei gave the founders their words, Gaetano Filangieri gave them a framework. His major work, "The Science of Legislation," reached Benjamin Franklin directly, and his ideas on law and government shaped political thought during the founding era.

Andrea Palladio never set foot in America. He lived two centuries before the Revolution. But his classical architectural style became the visual language of the young republic. Jefferson studied his work closely, and that influence can still be seen in Monticello, the University of Virginia, and the federal buildings that define American government today.

Words, ideas, and vision. Italians and Italian Americans helped shape this nation from its very first chapter.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a proud Supporting Partner of America250 honoring the generations of Italians and Italian Americans who have shaped our nation.

Yeah, We Discovered, LOVE and Treasure America!

Celebrate 250 years of America with the Italians who discovered it.

Cristoforo Colombo was born in Genoa in 1451. His 1492 voyage across the Atlantic opened sustained contact between Europe and the Americas and changed the course of human history forever.

Giovanni Caboto called Venice home. Sailing under the English flag in 1497, he reached the shores of North America and laid the groundwork for English colonization of the continent we now call home.

Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence in 1454. His voyages to the New World made him the first to recognize that the lands Columbus had reached were not Asia but an entirely new continent. The world named it after him.

Giovanni da Verrazzano was born in Tuscany around 1485. In 1524 he mapped the Atlantic coastline of North America and sailed into the harbor that would one day become New York, the gateway to the American dream for millions.

NIAF is a proud Supporting Partner of America250, honoring the Italian explorers whose curiosity, courage, and vision made the American story possible.

A Little-Known Chapter From 1776

From the Italian Sons and Daughters of America:

Ciro Poppiti, founder of the Delaware Italian American Foundation, has completed a sprawling 80-mile reenactment of Caesar Rodney's historic 1776 journey that sealed American independence.

On July 1, 1776, the Delaware delegation to the Continental Congress was deadlocked on the question of independence. One delegate supported breaking from Great Britain, another opposed it, and the fate of Delaware’s vote hung in the balance.

About 80 miles away in Dover, Caesar Rodney — a Founding Father, lawyer and politician with English and Italian roots — received word of the impasse and set out on a grueling overnight ride to Philadelphia.

Arriving just in time on July 2 to the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall), Rodney cast the tie-breaking vote that delivered Delaware’s support for independence, clearing the way for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and forever securing his place in American history.

The Incredible Story Of Caesar Rodney, Patriot!

The Deciding Vote: Caesar Rodney, a Founding Father With Italian Roots, Delivered the Vote That Declared Independence

On July 2, 1776, Caesar Rodney rode 80 miles overnight from Dover to Philadelphia in a race against time. Arriving as the vote on independence was already underway, he cast the tie-breaking ballot that secured Delaware's support for separation from Great Britain, paving the way for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. (Rodney's monument, pictured above, stood in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, from 1923 until its removal amid civil unrest in June 2020.)

A two-day reenactment will revive the harrowing journey; portraying Caesar Rodney is Ciro Poppiti, founder of the Delaware Italian American Foundation. On July 1, 1776, the Delaware delegation to the Continental Congress was deadlocked on the question of independence. One delegate supported breaking from Great Britain, another opposed it, and the fate of Delaware’s vote hung in the balance. About 80 miles away in Dover, Caesar Rodney — a Founding Father, lawyer and politician with English and Italian roots — received word of the impasse and set out on a grueling overnight ride to Philadelphia. Arriving just in time on July 2, Rodney cast the tie-breaking vote that delivered Delaware’s support for independence, clearing the way for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and forever securing his place in American history. As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, 250Ride.org will bring Rodney’s remarkable journey to life with an immersive two-day reenactment of his historic ride by horse-drawn carriage.

Born in St. Jones Neck in Dover Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, Caesar Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was a descendant of the noble Adelmare family from Treviso, Italy.

Portraying Rodney is Ciro Poppiti, founder of the 250 Ride and the Delaware Italian American Foundation, and the unanimous choice to bring Rodney to life. The journey will officially begin on Friday, June 12, with a prayer at Historic Christ Church in Dover, setting the tone for a launch rooted in unity and reflection. From there, the Ride will travel north through Delaware, culminating that evening at Thousand Acre Farm in Middletown, where guests will gather for the 250 Ride Gala.

Declaration of Independence, by John Trumbull (1818), portrays the presentation of the Declaration of Independence to Congress. Rodney was not depicted in the painting.

On Saturday, June 13, the reenactment continues through Historic Old New Castle, joining the annual Separation Day Parade before concluding later that day at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. For more on the story and upcoming events, visit 250Ride.org.

The uprooted Caesar Rodney monument, pictured at the top of the newsletter, was taken out of storage and installed in Washington, D.C.’s Freedom Plaza in April 2026 as part of the nation’s America250 summer celebration. The Delaware Italian American Foundation is a proud member of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO).

Formed in NYC in 1975, the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) — a national coalition of 74 cultural, educational, fraternal and anti-defamation groups — seeks to promote our history and traditions for today’s generations, and tomorrow’s.

JOIN COPOMIAO AND ELEVATE YOUR ITALIAN AMERICAN GROUP TO THE NATIONAL LEVEL. APPLY TODAY

Happy 80th Birthday To The Republic Of Italy!

 

NYC Public Library To Recognize Italian Americans

From the Order Sons and daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA):

The Commission for Social Justice (CSJ), the anti-defamation arm of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) is pleased to announce that in October 2026, the New York Public Library (NYPL) will display official OSDIA Italian American Heritage Month materials.

This development follows claims from OSDIA members in late 2025 that the NYPL was refusing to display Italian American Heritage Month materials from OSDIA due to its support for Columbus Day.

Following this claim, CSJ President John A. Fratta wrote a letter to the New York Public Library on November 7, 2025 to condemn this decision and to implore the institution to display materials from OSDIA the following October.

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of Councilman David Carr, this issue has been successfully addressed,” said Fratta. “Carr engaged in numerous discussions with the CEO of the NYPL system, Dr. Anthony W. Marx, and remained steadfast in advocating for our community.”

In appreciation of Councilman Carr’s successful efforts to allow OSDIA Italian Heritage Month materials to be displayed at local library branches throughout New York City, Fratta will present a certificate to him in the coming weeks.

“On behalf of this organization, I would like to sincerely thank Councilman Carr for his commitment, persistence, and leadership in correcting this, and ensuring fair representation of Italian American heritage,” said Fratta.

For more information on this matter and to read the letter sent to the NYPL on November 7, 2025, click here. 

A Magnificent Day For Bella Italia!

 

A Rich Italian American Tradition: Great Food, Too!

Philadelphia's Italian Market Festival held today in Philly's original "Little Italy" neighborhood was an astounding success, drawing huge crowds amidst bright, sunny weather.

As always, the highlight of the two-day festival was the beautiful Procession of the Saints. The procession starts at Saint Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Church (712 Montrose Street) and pauses at 9th and Washington Avenue for the Blessing of the Market, before concluding at Saint Paul Catholic Church at the corner of South Hutchinson and Christian Streets. 

The pinning of money to ribbons dangling from the statues seems to have origins in the practice of many new immigrants, who, to be remembered and as a declaration of their newfound prosperity, sent money back home to be visibly displayed on the statue of the community’s patron Saint, in the church and in processions. Today, many devotees simply make a prayer and pin money as an offering in support of the religious institution that is fostering their spiritual belief and needs.

The procession pauses from time to time to give blessings by sprinkling Holy Water, a ritual tradition for expiatory and purificatory purposes attributed to the Apostle St. Matthew, which recalls the baptismal rite that spiritually bound the community together.

We hope you enjoy the photos we took during this marvelous procession which winds its way through a neighborhood rich in Italian American history.

Rubio's Family Roots Traced To Bella Italia!

From the National Italian American Foundation:

During a diplomatic visit to Rome today, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani presented Secretary Rubio with a genealogical document tracing his family’s origins to Casale Monferrato, in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. The research was conducted through municipal and church archives by the Region of Piedmont and the city of Casale Monferrato.

Rubio called it “an incredible experience and one more reason to return soon, visit the region, and connect with the past.”

Another Amazing Italian American Success Story!

101 years of living proof that the Italian American legacy is built to last.

The National Italian American Foundation's (NIAF) New York Gala was honored to welcome the oldest living former U.S. Representative, the Hon. Frank Guarini, 101!

Born in Jersey City to a family with roots in Molise, Italy, Congressman Guarini went on to serve 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, earn the Navy Commendation Medal as a decorated World War II combat veteran, and become one of the most dedicated champions of Italian American culture and education this country has ever known.

Back in the 80's and 90's, he served as NIAF's President, Chairman, and on its Board of Directors, working tirelessly to preserve the Italian language, fund scholarships, and remind the world of what our community has contributed to this nation.

Congressman Guarini, thank you for a lifetime of service to this community and this country!

In So Many Ways, WE Built This Country!