IADL Newsletter

January 19, 2025

Dear IADL Members and Newsletter Subscribers,

The Italian-American Defense League (IADL) today announced that it has formally filed an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, challenging a recent district court decision that the organization believes undermines the rights and cultural heritage of Italian-Americans, including IADL members and Plaintiff Ralph Marcarelli. IADL’s attorney Norman Pattis called U.S. District Court Judge Omar A. Williams’ decision, “ludicrous.”

The appeal stems from the district court’s ruling on ITALIAN AMERICAN DEFENSE LEAGUE & RALPH MARCARELLI Plaintiffs, v. CITY OF NEW HAVEN, JUSTIN ELICKER, Case Number 3:23-cv-773 (OAW), which concerns the removal of a statue of Christopher Columbus from Wooster Square, a historical marker dating back to 1892 that was erected in the aftermath of the 1891 mass lynching of Italians in New Orleans. The IADL argues that the lower court’s decision fails to adequately consider key legal principles about standing and historical preservation laws.

“This appeal is about ensuring fairness and protecting cultural heritage,” said Matthew Guarnieri, President of the Italian-American Defense League. “We are confident that the Second Circuit will give this case the careful consideration it deserves, recognizing if the City of New Haven is allowed to destroy Italian heritage, then every American’s heritage is in jeopardy.”

Continue reading the press release here on our website.

Italian Heritage News

CBS News Correspondent Brook Silva-Braga, tells the story of the Italian families who made Wooster Street famous for pizza, “In 1925, a man named Frank Pepe first fired up his coal oven. Soon after, his nephew opened a restaurant just two blocks away. Both became beloved pizza spots, specializing in thin-crust pies. Now, both originals are exploring new avenues.” Watch the entire news story on YouTube, here.

Upcoming Events

January 21, 2025 - Solidarity Session

Join IADL, Italian American Once Voice Coalition, and Native American Guardian’s Association, January 21, 2025 at 8 PM EST – to participate register online and receive a ZOOM link. Here is an interesting fact: Did you know according to the Edison Research exit poll, 65 percent of American Indians voted for President Trump over Kamala Harris, while 57 percent of whites voted for Trump in the poll of 23,000 random voters?

February 2, 2025 -UNICO Lunch and Theatrical Experience

Please join the Bridgeport Chapter of UNICO National in conjunction with UNICO CT-District I for an Italian heritage event on Sunday, February 2nd at Circolo Sportivo Italian-American Club, 2500 Park Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06604. The afternoon consists of a Traditional Sunday Pasta Dinner and a Theatrical Experience of "The Class of Life" featuring Paul Failla's one-man presentation of his life's journey that's sure to touch anyone who values family, tradition and laughter. Tickets are only $40 which includes the meal, dessert & show. For tickets or more information, please contact: Perry V. at perryvincenzi@sbcglobal.net 203.414.8447, Maurizio Viselli at meanmo67@aol.com 203.209.5588, or Mario Bartoli at mdbartoli@sbcglobal.net 203.394.7575.

February 8, 2025 – IADL Meeting

Join IADL for a Board of Director’s meeting which will now take place on the second Saturday of every month at 9 a.m. beginning in January 2025. Meet IADL board members and enjoy coffee and donuts from Dunkin’. Your RSVP will help us prepare for the meeting by ordering treats and printing documents. Expect an email from us with the agenda before the meeting. Our meeting will take place in Guilford, CT. The address will appear on your screen after you submit the RSVP.

April 24-27, 2025 - Yale Department of Italian Studies

Enjoy amazing films and great company at the 18th Annual Festival of Italian Cinema. The event takes place from April 24-27, 2025. Mark your calendars and there’ll be more information to come by Yale’s Department of Italian Studies.

Donate to the Italian-American Defense League and support our legal effort on GoFundme.

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Italian-American Defense League is a 501(c)4 nonprofit charity and social welfare organization. The primary purpose of the Italian-American Defense League (IADL) is to promote mutual cooperation among its members, reinforce social welfare ideals with community involvement, and preserve the historical significance and achievements of Italian Americans. The IADL’s secondary purpose is to serve as a lobbying and advocacy group to local, state, or federal authorities and the private sector on matters of interest to Italian Americans.

Photo credit: f11photo/iStock

IADL Newsletter

January 12, 2025

We are less than $4,000 from our fundraising goal! Eloquently described in the Federal Historic Preservation Laws: The Official Compilation of the U.S. Cultural Heritage Statutes (5th edition, 2018): "The Congress finds and declares that the spirit and direction of the nation are founded upon and reflected in its historic heritage;” that "the historical and cultural foundations of the Nation should be preserved as a living part of our community...;" and that "the preservation of this irreplaceable heritage is in the public interest..." That's official policy. The "Nation" encompasses all groups, equally, without favor of one over another. The cultural heritage of Italian Americans is not excluded. Thank you for taking a stand!

Dump DeLauro Group Formed on Facebook

Congressional Candidate Mike Massey won 41% of the vote in his November 2024 third congressional district election loss to Representative Rosa DeLauro. Without any funding and organization, Massey overperformed. In July, Massey publicly supported the return of the Christopher Columbus statue to Wooster Square Park. Building on that momentum, a local group formed “Dump DeLauro” on Facebook. Many joining the group are tired of divisive identity politics and are against DeLauro’s involvement in the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue. DeLauro published her rationale and betrayal of constituents the day after the statue’s removal. We will continue to try to convince DeLauro to take a pro-Columbus stance. Will DeLauro take notice and will the new group succeed in giving the incumbent a loss in her final election in two years? Included are images from the Facebook page.

Italian Heritage News

NASA and Italian Space Agency are collaborating on refining global positioning technology that will assist with future navigation to the Moon and Mars. In addition to the Presidential Medal of Freedom awards President Joseph Biden handed out last week, he added one more award, and it is the only Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction given out during Biden’s presidency. Biden called Pope Francis “the People’s Pope – a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.” Due to the California wildfires, Biden canceled his last trip as president, a visit to the Vatican to honor Pope Francis in person.

A new mini-series highlighting the rise of Benito Mussolini and Fascism from 1919 to 1940 is causing controversy in Italy among politicians and modern-day political factions. Interestingly, the rise of Fascism in Italy not only impacted Italy, but also Italians in America during the same time period. Italian Americans in the labor movement in the United States were forming their own identity as workers, which was multifaceted with some having pro-Fascist sentiments. Here, Stefano Luconi describes the radical roots of Italians in the labor movement, and the effect of Italian nationalism on Italian American union workers.

Upcoming Events

January 6, 2025 (Remote Classes Begin) Learn Italian Online

The Italian Center in Carmichael, California offers virtual Italian classes on ZOOM, coordinated by language director Patrizia Cinquini Cerruti. All the information you need is online at https://italiancenter.net/learn-italian/start-here-class-schedule.html.

January 21, 2025 - Solidarity Session

February 2, 2025 -UNICO Lunch and Theatrical Experience

February 8, 2025 – IADL Meeting

April 24-27, 2025 - Yale Department of Italian Studies

Donate to the Italian-American Defense League and support our legal effort on GoFundme.

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IADL Newsletter

January 5, 2025

Tomorrow is the twelfth day after Christmas Day, known as the Epiphany. In Italy and many countries around the world, the Christmas season ends with a day to commemorate the arrival of the Three Wise Men, or Three Kings, who brought gifts to baby Jesus and saw Him for the first time. In Italy, the old pagan fable of a winter witch continues to be incorporated with Christmas celebrations. Enjoy listening to two stories about La Befana: The Christmas Witch by Ilse Plume and The Legend of Old Befana by Tommie DePaola.

Yesterday, President Joseph Biden gave Billionaire George Soros the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) have expressed support for Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of Columbus Day. In 2022, OSF posted recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day “is an effort to tell the truth about the history of the United States—especially its creation and expansion through genocide and colonization.” Once again, the Democrats align with the forces supporting and funding cancel culture.

Italian Heritage News

On Staten Island, the population of Italian people decreased by 40,000 from 2010 to 2023, a drop of 25.5 percent. In Naples, youth unemployment is a problem and recently siblings were killed working a dangerous job in a makeshift firework factory. In Florida, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to meet with President-elect Donald Trump. One traveler tracked her glucose levels during a trip to Italy and found that even when eating pasta and pizza, her glucose levels remained healthy with gradual increases and decreases after meals. Read more about her experience eating less processed food in Italy.

Upcoming Events

January 6, 2025 (Remote Classes Begin) Learn Italian Online

January 11, 2025 – IADL Meeting

January 21, 2025 - Solidarity Session

February 2, 2025 -UNICO Lunch and Theatrical Experience

April 24-27, 2025 - Yale Department of Italian Studies

Donate to the Italian-American Defense League and support our legal effort on GoFundme.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

Facebook: IADL account disabled by Facebook

X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/IADLPresident

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iadlnow/?hl=en

Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

December 29, 2024

In the past three newsletters, IADL shared news articles from June 2020 highlighting the names of the key players who were instrumental in removing the Christopher Columbus statue from Wooster Square: Mayor Justin Elicker, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Teacher Union President Frank Carrano, Democrat Town Chair Vin Mauro Jr., and Alder Ellen Cupo played an active role. The elephant in the room is not actually an elephant, but a donkey. The Democrat party embraced the cancel culture movement in Democrat strongholds. The last Republican to hold office as Mayor of New Haven was William C. Celentano from 1945-1953. Seventy years of Democrat rule and is life better in New Haven? In 2015, President Barack Obama changed the name of Mt. McKinley to Mt. Denali, and recently President-elect Donald Trump vowed to change the name back. Often as a representative of IADL, I am asked to ignore the reality of cancel culture politics, but how can we not? Maybe that is why we are losing ground. And where were the Republican leaders? Bystanders. They didn’t get involved, except for one.

The challenge in the coming year is navigating this political reality. If Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who just was named co-chair of the Italian-American Congressional, has an epiphany, we welcome it. However, in 2020, DeLauro changed her stance on Columbus by supporting taking the Columbus statue down. Even though every major Italian heritage organization believes in the importance of maintaining Columbus Day and monuments, will DeLauro push her own agenda as co-chair? Will she listen to the people, or only to her pleasers, such as her loyal Wooster Square Monument Committee led by Bill Iovanne, Jr. which never entertained the option of keeping the Columbus statue, only replacing it?

In New Haven, there are two possibilities to counter this cancel culture movement, political and legal. How can you win politically in a city that has been controlled by one party for 70 years? That is why we continue with our legal appeal to support our GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/d247fc1d . Justice must be served. At the same time, we cannot ignore the other front which is political. If we don’t advocate for ourselves and make smart decisions at the polls, who will? That is why IADL will continue to advocate for Columbus Day, Italian monuments including Christopher Columbus, and the adoption of Italian heritage curriculum this new year.

Connecticut Council of American Italian Organizations

On July 1, 2024 at the Woodbridge Town Library, six leaders of the Connecticut Council of American Italian Organizations met with Senator Richard Blumenthal and State Deputy Director Joe Rodriquez to discuss our opposition to eliminating Columbus Day at the federal, state, and local levels. We also discussed and agreed to take the necessary steps to create an Italian heritage curriculum in Connecticut. Below is an excerpt from a draft of language that can be used in a bill. To start, we need one legislator that we can work with to sponsor a bill and then bring on co-sponsors in a bipartisan effort.

An Act establishing the Connecticut Commission on Italian and Americans of Italian Heritage Culture and Education Cultural and Educational Programs, supplementing Chapter 184d of Title 10 of the Connecticut Statutes, and making an appropriation. New Jersey created a commission and Italian heritage curriculum. Why not, Connecticut?

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of Connecticut:

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

For the past several decades Hollywood and the communications media have continuously portrayed Italians and Americans of Italian Heritage as mobsters, buffoons and other nefarious characters to such an extent that it appears to be an orchestrated program of cultural dismemberment and disdain which can and will promote ethnic bigotry and loss of cultural identity.
The exposure of our children and others to this unrelenting barrage of negative images has led to the erosion and denigration of Italian-American culture, history and heritage. It has, furthermore, encouraged children to emulate negative role models and promoted the social acceptability of disrespect for and bigotry towards Italians and Americans of Italian Heritage and their culture, history and heritage--a culture, history and heritage shared by over 15 percent of Connecticut’s population.
The histories of our nation and our State have been significantly enriched by the heritage of Italians and Americans of Italian Heritage. The cultural heritage of Italy includes the classical civilization of Rome, the fine arts of the Renaissance, the scientific and artistic genius of Da Vinci, the literary works of Dante and Petrarch, the operas of Verdi and Puccini and many other contributions that have ennobled civilization.
More than 5.4 million Italians emigrated to the United States between the years 1820 and 1991; today more than 550,000 citizens of this State are of Italian descent. Our nation and our State have benefited substantially from the influences and contributions of these men, women and children and their distinctive culture, history and heritage.
It is desirable to educate our citizens about the positive aspects of the culture, music, art, language, history and heritage of Italians and Americans of Italian Heritage.
It is the policy of the State of Connecticut that the culture, history and heritage of Italians and Americans of Italian Heritage are a proper concern for all people, particularly students enrolled in the schools of this State.
It is appropriate and desirable that programs, workshops, institutes, seminars and other teacher-training activities for the study of the culture, history and heritage of Italians and Americans of Italian Heritage be conducted at all the various elementary, middle, and high schools and institutions of higher education in this State.
It is fitting and proper to establish a permanent State-level commission to survey, design, encourage and promote the implementation of Italian and Americans of Italian Heritage cultural and educational programs in this State, with responsibility for the coordination of events that will provide appropriate awareness and memorialization of the culture, history, heritage and language of Italians and Americans of Italian Heritage on a regular basis throughout the State.

Italian Heritage News

An Italian reporter is being held in an Iranian prison, and Italian officials call the situation “complicated.” Journalist Cecilia Sala is used to dangerous territory after previously reporting in Ukraine. Skier Federica Brignone became the first Italian women’s giant slalom winner in 22 years at Austria’s World Cup of Skiing event. Italian truffle company Sabatino Tartufi expanded its operations in West Haven, Connecticut. The Italian American Museum on Mulberry Street in Manhattan is new and improved with a modern design that immerses you in the past, present, and future of Italian culture and art. From fireworks to wearing red and eating pomegranates, grapes, and lentils, it is time for New Year’s Eve in Italia!

Upcoming Events

New IADL Meeting Schedule and Time

Solidarity Session

Join IADL, Italian American Once Voice Coalition, and Native American Guardian’s Association, January 21, 2025 at 8 PM EST – to participate register online and receive a ZOOM link.

Yale Department of Italian Studies

Learn Italian Online

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

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Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

December 22, 2024

The June 2020 petitions calling for the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Wooster Square were authored by a high school student and New Haven resident. Rhea McTiernan Huge, now an adult, and Jacob Booth parroted false claims about Columbus. Booth wrote that Columbus’s legacy exemplifies and upholds, “institutions of racism, sexism, slavery, imperialism, rape, genocide and other Human Rights atrocities.” All those claims have been debunked. Huge and Booth continued using revisionist jargon likely learned in school or from quick internet searches. Booth wrote, “the man who discovered America is not only a Eurocentric distortion of history and an untruth, but a blatant expression of disregard for the Native peoples.” Italian heritage is not mentioned in his petition. Familiar lies are repeated, and the positives are ignored in this statement, “Seeing that Columbus’s sole contribution to history was the initiation of a centuries-long regime of genocide, rape, plundering, and white supremacy, and seeing that we as a country and global society are seeking to acknowledge and correct this history.” Huge’s sources mostly include articles from Wikipedia.

Were Huge and Booth gullible in their teens by repeating lies their teacher told them? Maybe. Did politically connected Italians ask to sit down with the misinformed activists to share a more balanced account of history? No. Not only did Mayor Justin Elicker’s Italians fail to advocate for truth in history and their Italian heritage, they even signed the petition. According to the New Haven Independent in 2020, these are the men and women of Italian descent who do not understand the significance of Columbus to Italian heritage or need more education from balanced educational sources: Frank Gargano, President of Saint Andrew the Apostle Society, Paul J. Criscuolo, President of St. Catello Society, Vin Mauro Jr., Democrat Town Chair, Ellen Cupo, Alder, and Frank Carrano, retired President of New Haven’s teacher’s union. Alder Anna Festa and St. Andrew’s Apostle Society Treasurer Mel Sanseverino did not actively oppose the removal of the statue. The names above will forever be associated with the removal of an Italian-American cultural icon placed by our ancestors in 1892. . . Small group, huge lies.

Christmas in Italy

Read about eight Christmas customs in Italy. Christmas markets, La Befana, living nativities, carved presepi, St. Lucia and her flying donkey, Christmas at the Vatican, Venice’s Christmas village, and the world’s largest Christmas tree can be found in Italia. Buon Natale!

Lawsuit Verses Mayor Justin Elicker of New Haven Update

Thank you for your donations in recent days. Currently, we are 78% of the way to our fundraising goal. Let’s finish what the Italian Heritage Group of New Haven and American Italian Women of Greater New Haven started. Attorney Norm Pattis has taken our case and the remaining funds that we raise will cover costs of the entire appeal. Support our GoFundeMe at https://gofund.me/d247fc1d . Justice must be served.

Italian Heritage and Culture News

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro recently added her name to co-sponsor a bill authored by Congressman Tom Suozzi of New York to start the exploration process for creating an Italian American Museum in Washington, D.C. Because DeLauro is Chair of Appropriations, Congressman Suozzi will need DeLauro to allocate funding for the project. After COPOMIAO’S annual meeting in June 2024 and meeting Suozzi, IADL contacted DeLauro's office to inform her about the bill and asked for her support. Last week in other DeLauro news, she made headlines when calling Elon Musk, “President Musk,” during her closing comments to Congress for the funding of the U.S. government into the new year.

Did you know Lada Gaga was voted as 2024 Italian of the Year by “We the Italians” readers? Umberto Mucci brings us the December 2024 issue of his free online magazine. Read about the contest and much, much more including extreme sports, olive oil, Italian design, landmarks, Caravaggio, and Italy’s census!

Upcoming Events

New IADL Meeting Schedule and Time

Solidarity Session

Join IADL, Italian American Once Voice Coalition, and Native American Guardian’s Association, January 21, 2025 at 8 PM EST – to participate register online and receive a ZOOM link.

Yale Department of Italian Studies

Learn Italian Online

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

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Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

December 15, 2024

When New Haven’s Wooster Square Monument Committee Chairman ignored requests to return the Christopher Columbus statue to its pedestal, who was he siding with? Did William Iovanne, Jr., Chairman of the Committee, understand that the bad actors destroying American symbols and monuments of the United States were members of Antifa, a radical, anti-fascist group, that meets its political objectives by any means necessary? Why do leaders appease the bad guys?

According to Journalist Bill Cummings in 2017 in the Connecticut Post, “The obscure underground group accused of splashing blood-red paint on Columbus statues in Connecticut is part of a movement better known for battles with white supremacists, the alt-right and supporters of President Trump.” Cummings further elaborates by writing, “The Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement, which police say is the main suspect in the vandalism in Norwalk, Bridgeport, New Haven and Middletown, is linked to Antifa, an alt-left collection of anarchists and others that often violently clash with other protesters.”

Fast forward to June 2020 when Black Lives Matters protests were happening throughout Connecticut in response to the George Floyd tragedy in Minneapolis. According to the Connecticut Mirror, “Connecticut’s Black Lives Matters protests were generally peaceful.” Furthermore, “While police in some cities have resorted to violent tactics and mass arrests, law enforcement officials in Connecticut have responded to the protests with far less force and few arrests. Some police officers here have even taken a knee at demonstrations to show their sympathy in the wake of Floyd’s death.” Could law enforcement have ensured peaceful dialogue and activism is Wooster Square? Could Mayor Justin Elicker have released a public statement redirecting criticism and anger away from Italian-Americans and our ancestors? Instead, Mayor Justin Elicker, like Iovanne, appeased the radicals.

In places like Baltimore, Maryland, where the city’s Columbus statue was toppled during riots, did Antifa hijack Black Lives Matters protests leading to violence and the destruction of property? In the anti-fascist handbook, a Baltimore Antifa activist is quoted as saying, “You fight them by writing letters and making phone calls so you don’t have to fight them with fists. You fight them with fists so you don’t have to fight them with knives. You fight them with knives so you don’t have to fight them with guns. You fight them with guns so you don’t have to fight them with tanks.” As we live our daily lives, taking care of our families and paying the bills, isn’t it hard to imagine that groups like Antifa exist? The Columbus controversy in New Haven has opened our eyes to radical ideology and activism.

We wonder where this ideology comes from. How does it spread? Look no further than a university near you. At the University of Pennsylvania, Julia Alekseyeva, an award-winning professor, praised alleged killer Luigi Mangioni after the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Alekseyeva called Mangioni, a former UPenn graduate, an icon in a recent social media post that read, “Have never been prouder to be a professor at the University of P3nnsylvania.” She added that Mangioni is “the icon we all need and deserve.” How does this proud professor identify politically? She describes herself on her own website as a “socialist and ardent anti-fascist.” Note the numeral “3” in place of the “e” in Pennsyvania. What does the number 3 signify to Antifa? And when the privileged and radicalized Mangioni shouted these words when arriving at the courthouse, “It’s completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their lived experience!” The social activist jargon, “lived experience,” gives twisted insight into the demented reality of a sociopath who has been indoctrinated in far-left radicalism.

Like many Italian-Americans in recent days, I’ve been asked how I feel because Mangioni is Italian. My answer is that Italian heritage reflects a deep connection to family, faith, and community. Through diligence and appreciation of the beauties of life, Italians contribute to every level of society, past, present, and future. Mangioni did none of the above. Italians build; they do not destroy. Italians persevere; they do not give up. Italians welcome all into their families, they do not divide.

Lawsuit Verses Mayor Justin Elicker of New Haven Update

Currently, Italian-American Defense League raised $15,000 of our $19,500 goal to pay for the appeal of the lawsuit to return the Christopher Columbus statue to its plinth at Wooster Square Park in New Haven. We were deprived of due process because any change to a National Register Historic District must go before the State Historic Preservation Review Board for approval, which is required to hold a public hearing on the change and issue a certificate of appropriateness for the change. That process was illegally short-circuited by the mayor.

Concerning the appeal, and contrary to the United States District Court of Connecticut judge's ruling, the IADL and Plaintiff Ralph Marcarelli have standing, not only because Ralph lived in the district, but also because " The provisions of Connecticut General Statutes sections 22a-15 to 22a-19, inclusive, shall be applicable to the unreasonable destruction of historic structures and landmarks of the state, which shall be those properties (1) listed or under consideration for listing as individual units on the National Register of Historic Places.” The Christopher Columbus statue was located in a historic district listed on the national register. Any change should have been determined by the State Historic Preservation Review Board because the statue contributes “to the historic significance of such district.” In other words:

The Columbus statue was part of a historic designation, registered historic site and district with protections granted under federal and state preservation laws.
The site is part of a federally recognized historic district under the National Historic Preservation Act. The removal adversely affected the historic character of the site.
Local and state regulations provide protections for the character and historic elements of registered public spaces.

We are 77% of the way to our fundraising goal. Your generosity will carry us to the finish line. Support our GoFundeMe at https://gofund.me/d247fc1d . Justice must be served. Thank you to COPOMIAO, We the Italians, and Primo for circulating our GoFundMe page.

Italian Heritage and Culture News

Read about “My Kind of People,” directed by Joe Picozzi, who has been awarded the top prize at the 7th Annual Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum. Off the coast of Italy, an eleven-year-old refugee from Sierra Leone was rescued. She was wearing a life vest and clinging to a tube after surviving in the water for 3 days. And learn about Luigi Mangione’s family roots in Baltimore. Also, view the exterior of the newly renovated Italian American Museum in Manhattan, which was recognized for its architectural design. Click on the link and scroll down past other notable architectural feats.

Upcoming Events

New IADL Meeting Schedule and Time

Join IADL for a Board of Director’s meeting which will now take place on the second Saturday of every month at 9 a.m. beginning in January 2025. Meeting locations will be determined at a future date. IADL’s goal is to increase member involvement by making this change.

Solidarity Session

Join IADL, Italian American Once Voice Coalition, and Native American Guardian’s Association, January 21, 2025 at 8 PM EST – to participate register online and receive a ZOOM link.

Yale Department of Italian Studies

Enjoy amazing films and great company at the 18th Annual Festival of Italian Cinema. The event takes place from April 24-27, 2025. Mark your calendars and there’ll be more information to come.

Learn Italian Online.

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iadlnow/?hl=en

Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

December 8, 2024

In June 2020, a historical moment was lost. During a time of anger and division, a culture of mutual respect could have been embraced in Wooster Square in New Haven. But instead, a few individuals conspired behind the scenes ultimately to implement their own agenda. No one denies the hurt and commitment to social action that Rhea McTiernan Huge, a Wilbur Cross high school student, must have felt in the wake of the George Floyd tragedy when she created an online petition to remove Wooster Square’s Columbus statue. However, when the adults in the room discussed how to respond, they fueled the flames of divisiveness and disrespect, instead of using that time period as one of education and healing.

According to an article written by Lucy Gellman on June 16, 2020, a Branford resident who grew up in the neighborhood and became the president of the New Haven Federation of Teachers had been thinking about removing the Columbus statue for over a year. Gellman wrote, “Frank Carrano has been thinking about the need for a new monument to the neighborhood.” On June 17, 2020 in the Connecticut Post, Carrano stated he “was proud that the coalition had come together quickly to decide that the statue no longer is appropriate in the park.” George Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020. The Columbus statue was removed on June 24, 2020. Did Carrano take advantage of a tragic moment after contemplating the removal of the statue the previous year? Adding statues representing other groups while keeping the Columbus statue would have been a sign of mutual respect, but was never considered.

To fight this historical injustice in court, please donate using this GoFundMe link.

Christmas Eve Tradition - Feast of the Seven Fishes

It is the second week of Advent, so it is never too early to start planning for Christmas Eve. Over the years, the media has become enamored by the Italian-American tradition called, “Feast of the Seven Fishes.” The tradition isn’t technically a Catholic feast and is just as much American as Italian. Read about the origin of the tradition on the website Eataly or this article by Chowhound.

Italian Cowboys Featured at American Heritage Museum

Italian Cowboys are being featured in an Italian heritage photo exhibition. According to Wyoming News, “The Italian word for cowboy is ‘buttero’ and, just like the English term, it refers to horse-riding figures who herd cattle and horses on horseback. They ride the wide Maremma — a marshy grassland in Italy north of Rome along the western coast of Tuscany.” Keep reading the article here.

Italian Studies Faculty Member Honored

Read this Yale University article recognizing the achievements of a faculty member of Arts & Sciences. Jane Tylus, Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature, has been inducted into the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei for her contributions to the study of late medieval and early modern European literature, culture, and religion. Her work includes exploring the history of the book, literary ownership, women’s literature, and translations. Tylus positively impacted Italian literary studies, and now is joining a historic group that even included Galileo in its early days.

Italian Heritage and Technology

In this “We the Italians” interview, Stephanie Longo answers questions about Italian heritage and social media. Different generations utilize social media, Metaverse, and artificial intelligence uniquely. Longo digs deep into what she calls eEthnicity.

Save Ancient Artifacts in Syria

Read this online article (scroll down on the website) about how Islamic fundamentalist invaders are actively seeking to destroy priceless archaeological wonders, including Roman-built structures and artistic masterpieces in Aleppo. Byzantine churches, labeled as “un-Islamic,” are being specifically targeted, threatening to erase centuries of cultural and architectural heritage. Italian Americans, deeply connected to the legacy of Roman innovation and artistry, are urged to join a global effort to protect Italy’s cultural heritage and safeguard these treasures of human history.

Upcoming Events

New IADL Meeting Schedule and Time

Solidarity Session

Join IADL, Italian American Once Voice Coalition, and Native American Guardian’s Association, January 21, 2025 at 8 PM EST – to participate register online and receive a ZOOM link.

Learn Italian Online.

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

Facebook: IADL account disabled by Facebook

X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/IADLPresident

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iadlnow/?hl=en

Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

December 1, 2024

Thank you for the generosity of IADL’s supporters. We are 61% of the way to our goal of $19,500 after raising $11,832 via GoFundMe and checks. Donate and share this GoFundMe with family and friends. Welcome to our newest IADL members: Chris McGovern and Thomas Palazzo. Also, welcome to the latest newsletter subscribers: Anthony Urbano and Michael Bonomo.

Advent and Christmas in Rome

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. From the unveiling of the nativity in St. Peter’s Square to the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Christmas Eve masses and the Epiphany, I can only dream of an advent and Christmas in Rome. Read about events throughout the month of December at the Vatican and learn more about these Italian Catholic traditions here.

Italians of Middletown Save Columbus Statue

Congratulations to Lou Dimauro, President of Italian American Civic Order of Middletown, for the relocation of the city’s Columbus statue. The statue was originally funded by the IACO and Italian American Society of Middletown. The inscription on the statue reads, “in celebration of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.” With patience and perseverance, Italians of Middletown found a solution that honors their ancestors and history. Read this article in Middletown Press and watch this video of the statue being placed in its new home on November 22, 2024.

La Dolce Vita

Carla Gambescia’s book, La Dolce Vita University, is described on her website as “dedicated to the many ways Italian culture touches our lives, lifts our spirits and makes life sweeter.” Check out Gambescia’s website and sign up for her photojournal called “Postcards from the Boot.” Gambescia will give an online lecture via Zoom called “Buon Natale: Surprising Stories Behind Beloved Holiday Traditions” on Thursday, December 5th at 6:00 PM sponsored by the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW). Registration is required; here's the link.

We the Italians

We are grateful for Umberto Mucci because he shares his “We the Italians” online magazine with us free of charge. Read the November 2024 issue #181 which includes articles on news, sports, culture, cuisine, and history. In a recent article, IADL’s lawsuit was described in this way: “New Haven's Columbus statue, installed in 1892 by Connecticut's Italian American community, was removed in 2020 by jittery civic leaders who rushed to dismantle historic monuments in a misguided effort to project inclusivity. Such decisions could be overturned as the Italian-American Defense League pursues a landmark ruling through a federal appeal.”

Native American Heritage Month

Last week, the Italian-American Defense League was mentioned by several media sources nationwide by supporting Native American Heritage Month. Here is a list of sources: Native American News Today, US Culture and Style, Fox 40 TV, Sacramento, CA, and Coast to Coast Tribune

Upcoming Events

New IADL Meeting Schedule and Time

Solidarity Session

Join IADL, Italian American Once Voice Coalition, and Native American Guardian’s Association, January 21, 2025 at 8 PM EST – to participate register online and receive a ZOOM link.

Learn Italian Online

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

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Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

November 24, 2024

We are 32% of the way to our GoFundMe fundraising goal. Donate and share this GoFundMe with family and friends. Even if you shared the link on social media, please share it again. Your generosity is crucial for our legal and preservation efforts! The protection of historical monuments is an American issue, not just for Italians. Peter Wolfgang, president of Family Institute of Connecticut, explains why Columbus is important to Catholics and all Americans.

Why is our case a landmark case?

Historic preservation laws have never been used in establishing standing in public monument cases. There is no case law written which addresses the use of historic preservation laws to establish standing, which mean our case can create new case law. Prior lawsuits that failed focused only on due process and discrimination, while our case digs deeper into relevant laws. No doubt, appeals are challenging to win, but we have sound arguments to make to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Important legal issues concerning the case include:

Recognition of Historic Value: The Columbus statue was part of a historic designation, registered historic site and district with protections granted under federal and state preservation laws.
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA): The site is part of a federally recognized historic district. The removal adversely affected the historic character of the site.
Connecticut State Historic Preservation Laws: Local and state regulations provide protections for the character and historic elements of public spaces.

Happy Thanksgiving, but why not Columbus Day?

The American media, public institutions, and school districts continue to celebrate Thanksgiving, an American holiday, as they should. But isn’t it hypocritical that mainstream leaders honor Thanksgiving while ignoring Columbus Day? Read about this hypocrisy in my article: “Why Thanksgiving?” which was published in “We the Italians.” The article was first published in 2020. Here is an excerpt:

We, the defenders of Columbus, are not fighting against the Civil Rights of others, but defending our own, and most importantly, Truth. Context and citations exonerate Columbus, but of course, if we only read out of context quotes, we would have a different stance.

In “A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies,” Bartolome De Las Casas, known as the defender of the Indians, writes, “But here is observable, that the desolation of these Isles and Provinces took beginning since the decease of the most serene Isabella, about the year 1504.” The year 1504 is long after Columbus’s governorship of the West Indies and his voyages.

Is the attack on Columbus Day diverting attention from those who really decimated Native Americans in North America? If you are interested, keep reading. Or if you are in the mood for a lighter article, read about how Italian lasagna became an American staple for Thanksgiving dinner!

Native American Heritage Month

The Italian-American Defense League has been participating in “Solidarity Sessions” with Native Americans since March 2024, first communicating with Native American Guardian’s Association in 2021. Our two groups believe that Italian Americans and Native Americans should be recognized without sharing days or eliminating holidays and Native American logos. Unlike the Italian Elicker loyalists in Wooster Square who agreed to remove the statue in fear of Native Americans, IADL respects Native Americans by engaging them in meaningful conversations and exchanges of cultural heritage. It is an honor to participate in solidarity sessions with representatives of prestigious organizations throughout the nation. The following representatives agreed to make a statement supporting our Native American friends during Native American Heritage Month.

Association of Italian American Educators: Josephine Maietta, President

Colorado Italian American Foundation: Jerry Carleo, Chairman

Commission for Social Justice, OSDIA: Robert Ferrito, President – Dr. Mary Kovach, VP

Greater Westfield UNICO Chapter: Gene Jannotti, Past President

Italian American Alliance: Thomas Damigella, Executive Vice President

Italian American Defense League of CT: Matthew Guarneri, President

Italian American One Voice Coalition: Andre’ DiMino, President – Tony Santarelli, Director

McLean UNICO Chapter: Anthony Andreoli, President

Rafael Ortiz, Author of “Columbus the Hero” and other books on Christopher Columbus

Raritan Valley UNICO Chapter: Tara DeLeon, Past President

Scranton UNICO Chapter: Dr. Peter Cognetti, Immediate Past President

St. Thomas Knights of Columbus: George Nieves, President

Transportation Columbia Association Brooklyn: Leonardo Timpone, VP

UNICO National: Anthony Bengivenga, President – Dr. Ann Walko, Past National President

UNICO National Anti-Bias Committee: James Scanelli, Chairman

President Joseph Biden published his presidential proclamation for Native American Heritage Month. An excerpt is below and here is a link to the full proclamation.

During National Native American Heritage Month, we honor the heritage and contributions of Native peoples, and we work tirelessly to build a future grounded in dignity, respect, and partnership. We remain committed to working with Native communities to write a new and better chapter in American history for Tribal Nations — one that honors the solemn promise the United States made to Tribal Nations, fulfills our Federal trust and treaty obligations, and works together to rebuild Tribal economies and institutions.

Upcoming Events

Solidarity Session

Join IADL, Italian American Once Voice Coalition, and Native American Guardian’s Association, January 21, 2025 at 8 PM EST – to participate register online and receive a ZOOM link.

Learn Italian Online

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

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Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

November 17, 2024

Thank you for your support. Since last week’s newsletter, we have reached more than 10 percent of our fundraising goal of $19,500, but we have more work to do. The burden of countering the lawlessness of June 24, 2020 and the decision of Mayor Justin Elicker to remove the Columbus statue in New Haven should not be carried by only a few. Elicker overstepped his authority without a record of a vote or notice of a public meeting. One man desecrated 128 years of Italian-American history. He’s said publicly that Italians who oppose his decision are small. Show him we’re big and we’ll never forget what he thinks of us! Donate and share this GoFundMe with family and friends. Now is the time!

A Tribute to Veterans for School Children

Last Monday in many schools in Connecticut, children sang patriotic songs honoring their family members who are veterans of the Armed Forces. As an educator, I observed school children, eyes-wide open, enthusiastically welcoming parents and grandparents into their schools. I especially enjoyed watching grandfathers scanning the waves of red, white, and blue looking for their crown jewels. One of those grandfathers is Tom Gaudioso, Corporal in the US Marine Corps from 1968-1970. Gaudioso wrote a poem titled, “What is a Hero.” He wrote the poem for school children and it was shared on Veterans Day.

A hero is someone who is unselfish and brave

Who never asks thanks for the kindness they gave

Regular people, just like me and you

But there is nothing regular about the things that they do

They have one thing in common that sets them apart

It comes from a place down deep in their heart

Whether saving a life or helping another

Or the kindness they show for their dad and their mother

They never bully or do things that are mean

They are some of the best people that you have ever seen

So look into your heart before the things that you do

Because when you do the right things, that HERO is YOU!!!

Thank you to Tom Gaudioso for sharing this poem with school children and giving me permission to publish this poem. Did you know that state law in Connecticut requires schools to teach about state holidays if school is in session? Wouldn’t it be great if Italian-Americans would take ownership of Columbus Day curriculum and collaborate with districts to commemorate our heritage in schools?

From Stone Carver to Child Entertainer in Two Generations

He’s a man of many voices and experiences. His name is Lou Del Bianco. That name may sound familiar to you because his grandfather, Luigi Del Bianco, was the chief stone carver of Mount Rushmore. Now two generations later Lou garnished fame on his own for his voice recordings and narrations, so talented that he even made an appearance on “The Jimmy Fallon Show.” Lou Del Bianco documented his father’s historical stone carving career and has narrated many children’s books. Read this “We the Italians” interview with Lou about his book “Out of Rushmore’s Shadow: The Luigi Del Bianco Story.” In this YouTube video, watch “Mr. Lou" in action while entertaining elementary school children with his voice impressions and storytelling. (I look forward to Del Bianco’s program in my school later this month.)

Upcoming Events

Italians During Wartime America, Saturday, November 23, 2024, 3- 4 PM, Farmington, Connecticut Library, Jay Johnston Community Room, 6 Monteith Drive, Farmington, CT 06032. An Italian-American author will discuss the experiences of Italians, including her grandparents, during World War II. For more information, go to the library’s website here.

Learn Italian Online

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

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Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

November 10, 2024

Later this week, Italian-American Defense League will start its GoFundMe drive to fund our legal appeal and share the responsibility of reversing the injustice of Mayor Justin Elicker and his sycophants. We ask that every IADL member volunteers to contribute and shares the GoFundMe on social media. Ten dollars, twenty-five, one-hundred, or more . . . every bit counts. We are prepared to take this case to the U.S. Supreme Court if we have to.

On October 2 Italian-American Defense League (IADL) filed an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit against Mayor Justin Elicker and the city of New Haven for the unlawful removal of the Italian American community's statue of Christopher Columbus. Most unsettling was Mayor Elicker's closed-door meetings, no meeting notes, and no record of an official vote to remove the statue from its base. Italian Americans were silenced by the mayor, history buried and the wishes of our ancestors ignored. The mayor’s disregard for historical preservation and cultural heritage is a violation of federal law, including historic preservation acts and due process, which allows us to request a finding that could set new case law for future monument cases.

The legal concept of "standing" is being used as a weapon by Mayor Elicker to silence Italian Americans. We will argue that the U.S. District Court of Connecticut's motion to grant our case's dismissal is in error based on our standing.

If we’re afforded that designation by the court, it would create a sweeping legal precedent that would save Columbus and historical monuments across the nation.

100% of your donation will fund this legal and preservation effort, which is being spearheaded by New Haven attorney and litigator Norman Pattis, IADL President Matthew Guarnieri, and Plaintiff Ralph Marcarelli.

This is a landmark legal fight we can win — together. You can donate today without paying fees on Zeffy using this link and your credit card. After setting the donation amount, you can set the additional donation to zero and pay no fees. This is the only site where 100 percent of your donation will go to the cause you believe in.

Want to send a check instead?

Make checks payable to:

Italian-American Defense League

23 Lochbourne Drive

Clinton, CT 06413

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

We had an intimate and meaningful gathering at Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton, Connecticut for IADL’s annual meeting on Thursday. We viewed “Courage and Conviction: The True Story of Christopher Columbus.” Following the viewing, attendees participated in a discussion. You can gain full access to the video on YouTube using this link. I highly recommend that you view it on your own.

Christopher Columbus and Italian-American Heritage News

In honor of Veterans Day, read about how Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, a native of Rochester, N.Y., was presented with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhode Island Italian-American Hall of Fame (RIIAHF), in Providence, R.I., on Nov. 2. Continue the article using this link. Next, read about this sailor, Raymond Bernacchi, and his first-person narrative about his connections to Italy. Lastly, read about John Basilone, a Marine who has a Navy destroyer named after him. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism at Guadalcanal and the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima. That story, movies, and more can be found on the website of Italian American Veterans Museum.

In Chicago, Italians call for the return of their Columbus Statues. In this opinion piece, Joseph Fiduciary writes, “was never about the mistreatment of the Taino people or the broader controversies that surround Columbus’s legacy. Instead, it was recognition by the government of the struggles and sacrifices endured by Italian Americans as they sought to make a home in this country.”

Upcoming Events

Learn Italian Online

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

The Italian American Museum in Manhattan’s Little Italy is officially open! Currently, it is offering walking tours. What a wonderful way to spend a fall afternoon! You can schedule a tour or obtain more information using this link.

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

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Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

November 3, 2024

On Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 6:30 p.m., join IADL at the Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton, Connecticut for a showing of “Courage and Conviction: The True Story of Christopher Columbus.” Following the 30-minute documentary will be IADL’s annual meeting. Please RSVP here on IADL’s website. All are welcome to join us for the video! An IADL member meeting will follow. Documents for the meeting will be emailed early this week.

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

IADL made international news with its wreath laying ceremony article published in aise.it and italiareportusa.com. Thank you to former Vice Consul to Italy Alfonso Panico for writing the article documenting our new annual tradition. In Farmington, Connecticut, on behalf of the work of IADL directors and support of its members, I accepted a Unican of the Year award recognized by District 2 and Hartford UNICO for “dedicated and disguised service above self.” Thank you to MaryJoan Picone, President of Hartford UNICO, and Anthony Bencivenga, President of UNICO National for presenting the award. UNICO is the largest Italian-American service organization in the United States, founded in Waterbury, Connecticut. In New Haven, Fran Calzetta, Italian American Women of Greater New Haven president and IADL director, recognized the Italian-American Defense League at its annual charity event. Thank you, Fran. Several pictures of these events can be viewed on IADL’s Twitter account: https://x.com/IADLPresident .

IADL is leading Italian Americans of Connecticut in the preservation of our culture and heritage, and we need your generosity to succeed. Visit https://iadlnow.org to make a donation online or make a check payable to: Italian-American Defense League and mail it to 23 Lochbourne Drive, Clinton, CT 06413.

Christopher Columbus and Italian-American Heritage News

Did you know approximately 339,000 Italian citizens live abroad in the United States with 90,000 in the tri-state area? The Consulate General of Italy in New York is hosting a forum to discuss the health and experiences of Italians residing in New York. Read more about it in La Voce di New York.

Pittsburgh’s Columbus statue legal proceedings continue as the plastic covering hiding the statue has torn due to weathering over the past four years. Now nature has revealed the statue as Italians wait for their day in court for the defense of Italian heritage. Read how Italian Sons of and Daughters of America sued to keep its statue in Schenley Park.

Anthony DiLeo, Westford, Massachusetts resident, explains that Italian-American traditions, including the celebration of Columbus Day, are “alive and well” in the Commonwealth in this Westford Live opinion piece.

Upcoming Events

Learn Italian Online

The Italian Center in Carmichael, California offers virtual Italian classes on ZOOM, coordinated by language director, Patrizia Cinquini Cerruti. All the information you need is online at https://italiancenter.net/learn-italian/start-here.html.

Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Events.

Thursday, November 7 – Post-Parade Celebration and Grand Marshal Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, 6 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Tickets are $50 per person.

For more information, visit WWW.CIASGBPT.com.

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

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IADL Newsletter

October 27, 2024

Italian-American Defense League and Ralph Marcarelli filed an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Recently, the U.S. District Court of Connecticut ordered the case to be dismissed based on the technicality of standing. In an interview with La Voce di New York, I stated, “There are laws on the books that are being ignored, which need to be heard.” I continued by saying, “Historic monuments are protected by federal law; however, the legal concept of standing is being used as a weapon to silence Italian Americans who are protecting American heritage and history before they even have a chance to make their argument in court.” If we win, our case can have implications nationwide in the preservation of historical monuments, and most importantly in New Haven.

Our Attorney Norman Pattis opposed the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue on June 22, 2020, two days before its removal. Pattis wrote:

I had planned to have this read for me on Saturday at the rally to preserve the Columbus statue on Wooster Square in New Haven. But it turns out New Haven may tear the statue down over night, or early tomorrow morning, to make the rally moot. Event organizers have given me permission to publish it beforehand.

The Roman orator Cicero once said that a commonwealth, a republic, is not just a collection of people joined by geography. A republic, a res publico, or public thing, is a group bound together by common interests and a common conception of right.

Are we a republic any longer?

We’re here today to voice opposition to removing a statue of Christopher Columbus from a public space. [Continue reading on Pattis’ blog here.]

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

IADL is receiving positive coverage, once again, in La Voce di New York. Former Honorary Vice Consul Alfonso Panico wrote the article, “Columbus Day at New Haven: A Wreath Ceremony Without the Statue.” Panico tells the story of IADL’s Wreath Laying Ceremony on October 13, 2024 and the importance of the statue’s return. A version of the article will be published on Wednesday in Italian.

Today, several IADL member are attending the American Italian Women of Greater New Haven Charity Benefit for Connecticut Disabled American Veterans. Two Italian-American women will be honored. Carissa D’Aniello is an associate professor in the Master’s program in Marriage and Family Therapy at Fairfield University. And Diane Dart (Cavaiuolo) is an Adjunct Professor in Theater at the University of New Haven, where she is Resident Choreographer and Movement Director. The event will take place at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven.

On Tuesday, October 29, I will attend the Connecticut/Massachusetts UNICO “Meet the National President Dinner.” New England UNICO chapters will welcome UNICO President Anthony Bengivenga. On behalf of all of the work of IADL directors and IADL member support, I will accept the nomination for UNICO First District award for service to the Italian American community in Connecticut.

Christopher Columbus and Italian-American Heritage News

From Rome, Umberto Mucci of “We the Italians” graciously shared the online version of his magazine. Here is Edition #180 with 110 pages all about Italy. The Italian regions covered this month are Lazio, Abruzzo, Tuscany, Lombardy, Marche, Veneto, Campania, Liguria, Apulia, Sicily, Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto Adige, Emilia Romagna.

Upcoming Events

IADL ANNUAL MEETING

Solidarity Session - Online

The next “Solidarity Session: Bridging Cultures Against Cancel Culture” Zoom call will take place Tuesday, October 27th at 8 p.m. The meeting calls “to bring different cultures together and facilitate conversations about preserving cultural heritage in the face of cancel culture. Join us to learn more about the importance of cultural preservation and how we can work together to ensure that our respective heritages are protected from cancel culture.” Register for the meeting hosted by IAOVC and NAGA here. Recently, Frank Black Cloud and tribe members marched with Italian-Americans in Chicago’s Columbus Day Parade.

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Sponsored by UNICO National, Stamford, CT

October 28, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Events.

Thursday, November 7 – Post-Parade Celebration and Grand Marshal Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, 6 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Tickets are $50 per person. For more information, visit WWW.CIASGBPT.com.

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

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Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

IADL Newsletter

October 20, 2024

Welcome to our newest members of IADL: Jonathan Blessing, Anthony Zampano, Kessler Bailey, and Jim Picone. Also, welcome new subscriber, Gregory Collette.

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

In the New Haven Register and other local publications, it was an honor to co-publish “Columbus Day was intended to encourage the greater acceptance of immigrants,” with COPOMIAO President Judge Basil Russo. Read the entire piece on CT Insider.

Last Sunday, IADL Treasurer Vince Angelino and I drove in a 1948 Buick Super convertible with our children in the back seat waving Italian and American flags to onlookers during the 116th Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade. Several enthusiastic IADL members met us at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi at the end of the parade route for more festivities. The next day, IADL Board Members, Phil Dickey, Fran Calzetta, Frank Grazioso, and I held a wreath laying ceremony at the now empty Columbus statue base at Wooster Square Park in New Haven. Michael Guarnieri sang traditional Italian songs while playing the guitar before and after the ceremony. Vincent Casanova read his “Statue in the Park” poem. Approximately thirty onlookers walked to the wreath which was placed on the Chapel Street side of the base for a moment of silence during the ceremony. I recounted the October 21, 1892 dedication of the Christopher Columbus statue and shared facts about the explorer. Thank you to everyone who participated in the events. Attached are four photos of the events.

Regarding the very important lawsuit against Mayor Justin Elicker of New Haven for the illegal removal of the Christopher Columbus statue that once stood in Wooster Square Park, IADL directors are in communication with Attorney Norm Pattis about our next steps and best course of action. The IADL board already approved filing the paperwork for an appeal after the Federal District Court of Connecticut ordered the case to be dismissed. We will keep you updated.

Christopher Columbus and Italian-American Heritage News

During the past week, there has been enough Italian heritage news for two months of newsletters. Below I will give a brief description and link to more information about each headline.

Could you imagine the backlash if a board of education member posted the words, “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day” with a line crossing it out on social media? Well, that is what a board of education member did on Columbus Day, and now she is being asked to resign by Italian Americans in Stamford, Connecticut. Read about the board member who tried to eliminate Columbus Day and Veterans Day, and now continues to embrace cancel culture.

You may have read a headline saying Christopher Columbus was Jewish, as if that is a fact. Activist journalists waited until Columbus Day weekend to try, once again, to tarnish the great explorer’s reputation, and subsequently attempting to tarnish American celebrations of the federal holiday. In response to the latest hoax about Columbus (there have been many), Italian American Alliance Vice President Tommy Damigella published this response that debunks the new claims (scroll down when on Primo Online). Experts in genetics question the validity of the study here.

Italian American One Voice Coalition President Andre Dimino gives the best five-minute interview in favor of Columbus Day, right here, on Fox 5 DC. This is a must-see video that should be shared with many.

Columbus Day parades took place across the Nation. Chicago held its 72nd Annual Columbus Day Parade and had special guests this year, Native Americans from North Dakota who participated in the parade. In Manhattan, New Yorkers have been parading on Columbus Day for 80 years. Watch this year’s journey up Fifth Avenue. In Queens, spectators enjoyed the 47th Annual Columbus Day Parade. However, it is Bridgeport, Connecticut that may have the longest lasting and continuous Columbus Day Parade in the United States . . . for 116 consecutive years! View photos of the event online at the CT Post.

At the White House, a relaxed President Joe Biden and First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, the first Italian-American First Lady, spoke to Italian-American guests for the second year in a row. Watch their remarks on YouTube and read the President’s Columbus Day Proclamation. And you can also read the President’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day Proclamation here.

Upcoming Events

Celebrate our heritage at an upcoming event near you!

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Sponsored by UNICO National, Stamford, CT

October 1-31, “THE GREATNESS OF ITALY” Photo Exhibit; Main Lobby, Ferguson Library

October 20, “The History of Minturno” featuring The Minturnese Dancers; 2 p.m. - FREE

October 21, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 21, Italian Film Festival; AVON THEATER, “Cinema Paradiso”6:30 p.m. Cost TBD

October 28, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Events.

Thursday, November 7 – Post-Parade Celebration and Grand Marshal Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, 6 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Tickets are $50 per person.

For more information, visit WWW.CIASGBPT.com.

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

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Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

Give to the IADL here! Donations are NOT tax-deductible.

Now Is the time!

IADL Newsletter

October 13, 2024

Today at noon, several members of the IADL will be driving a 1948 Buick Super convertible in the Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade, the last parade commemorating the federal holiday in Connecticut. Head to Bridgeport to enjoy the festivities! As generations pass, those of Italian descent are becoming passive and we must encourage them to experience their Italian heritage. We are more than “pizza.” By actively honoring Columbus Day, I am saying “thank you” and showing gratitude to the Italian immigrants and first generation of Italian Americans who endured and overcame adversity, earning respect and the creation of the holiday. We are all beneficiaries of the blood, sweat, and tears of the people of the past.

The only Italian-Americans against Columbus Day are far-leftist, cultural Marxists. They are submissive to the woke extremists who desire to steal Columbus Day and remove symbols of Western Civilization from public spaces. We cannot allow the extremists to win. How can we help? We can start by participating in events today and on Monday.

The immigrant statue in Wooster Square Park by itself is a symbol of cultural Marxism. Only together with the Christopher Columbus statue will it ever be a symbol of America and Italian-American heritage. It represents defeated Italian-Americans who after years of bigotry and discrimination embraced a defeatist attitude, feeling the new statue is “better than nothing.” Italian-Americans are on the receiving end of the political forces who can be described as “cultural conquistadors.” Justin Elicker vowed to start the process to remove Columbus Day and the Columbus statue in 2019 and took advantage of a terrible tragedy to do so in 2020. Politically the removal would have never happened without the blessing of Rosa DeLauro, yet she pledged allegiance to the Marxists by changing her position. After obtaining political power in New Haven, they have exerted their privilege and political prowess on a dwindling ethnic group – Gli Italiani di New Haven.

Join the Italian-American Defense League at our annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Christopher Columbus plinth at Wooster Square Park in New Haven on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 12 p.m. We will commemorate the original statue dedication by Paul Russo, representing United Italian Societies, in 1892. Please RSVP here to let us know you’ll be in attendance. The entire ceremony will take 20-30 minutes.

Below is a poem written by Vincent Casanova, a historian with a degree from Yale Divinity School. He wrote the poem, “A Statue in the Park” in 2014, foreshadowing the removal of our Christopher Columbus statue six years later in 2020.

Not in the center of the city,

In the center of a neighborhood.

In a place called Wooster Square,

That's where your statue stood.

Always there in the morning

And long after dark.

A monument of stone and steel,

A statue in the park

To the sons and daughters of Italy

An enduring symbol of pride.

Like all those patron saints,

Always on their side.

You stood for undaunting courage

And pious humility.

Left convention behind you

And faced life's open sea.

And through the vagaries of politics

Have stolen some of your fame,

No amount of revisionist history

Will ever tarnish your name.

It's sad that such tireless exploration

Never pleased your benefactor, the queen.

But the opening of a new world

Was a vision not foreseen.

Yes, your new friends in the neighborhood

Came with visions of their own.

They left the miseries of an old world

For the hope of a better home.

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

Next week IADL board members will speak to Attorney Norm Pattis about our next steps in our lawsuit against Mayor Justin Elicker of New Haven for his illegal removal of the Christopher Columbus monument which was dedicated by and to the Italians of New Haven in 1892. Below is a newspaper article describing the dedication which took place on October 21, 1892. When making adjustments to the Gregorian calendar, the twenty-first was actually the 400th anniversary date, which is why the statue was dedicated on that day.

“The Statue to the Great Discoverer on Wooster Square Unveiled - Thousands of People Present”

The unveiling of the statue of Columbus on Wooster Square erected by the New Haven Italians occurred yesterday afternoon in the presence of a large crowd of people and was accompanied by fitting ceremonies. The Italian societies formed on the green and from thence proceeded to parade the principal streets of the city. The parade reflected great credit upon all concerned... The procession formed in the following order: United Italian Societies, headed by the American band, Elm City band, St. Antonia and St. Michael's, floats representing the ship in which Columbus sailed and America, mayor and officers in carriages, on the return of the parade to the square the officers took seats on the platform which had been erected beside the monument. In the front of the platform was a table, on which stood an American eagle. On the right of the table was Dorina Del Grego, dressed in the American colors, and on the left Mary Johnanelles, representing Italy. E.S. Del Grego opened the ceremonies by presenting the chairman, L. Lombardi. When Mr. Lombardi took the chair, the statue was unveiled. The American band played "The Star-Spangled Banner," and the Italian band played the Italian national anthem. Paul Russo presented the statue to the city on behalf of the united societies with the following speech:

Mr. Mayor, Citizens of New Haven and Fellow Countrymen: The Italians of this beautiful city are proud of their adopted home and interested in no small degree in its advancement and prosperity. Notwithstanding the lack of early education and training in many of them, their trials and severe hardships and their present surroundings, they have endeavored to become law abiding and worthy citizens. Today there exists in your midst a community of our countrymen whose every thought and impulse is to emulate the quality and character of manhood and citizenship as possessed and displayed by our native born. To indicate in a modest manner our patriotism, our affection and esteem for this great republic, and for this city in particular, the Italian United Societies of New Haven have caused to be erected a monument of this great and illustrious countryman, Christopher Columbus, to be presented through you, Mr. Mayor, to the citizens of New Haven, and in their name and behalf I, who have been selected to perform this pleasant duty, formally tender the same and to remain here forever. We will be more than gratified and recompensed if you receive this gift with the spirit and pleasure that we feel in giving it. Let it serve to be a watchword of our gratitude and loyalty. Let it inspire brave deeds and noble conduct while we are of you.

May you never have cause to regret our entrance into your midst. May this enduring
structure of bronze and stone indicate and incite a desire for art and science in the hearts and minds of those that follow us. May it cement the bond of friendship so long existing between our native and adopted countries. May it serve to eliminate the distinction between Italians and Americans, merging our race differences in the American citizen, working and striving for a common good and common purpose. May we all enjoy the peace and continued prosperity of this great and glorious land, and may the Almighty in his infinite wisdom shower his blessings upon us now and for all time to come.

Mayor Sargent received the statue for the city. He read the resolution passed by the common council accepting the statue. He said in the course of his remarks: "It gives me great pleasure as mayor and chief executive of the city of New Haven to accept from you this beautiful and artistic statue. "I pledge to you the care and keeping of this statue by the city. It will stay here as a pledge of the loyalty of the Italians of this country to the nation and its flag. I believe that all prejudices should be wiped out. Let such be the aim of future generations. Where the people today welcome the gift of this statue, I accept the same, and in accepting it my mission here is ended."

Upcoming Events

Celebrate our heritage at an upcoming event near you!

Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, North Haven Chapter Events

October 19, Bus trip to Garibaldi Museum and Arthur Ave; For tickets and information call SueAnn at 202-710-4186.

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Sponsored by UNICO National, Stamford, CT

October 1-31, “THE GREATNESS OF ITALY” Photo Exhibit; Main Lobby, Ferguson Library

October 13, COLUMBUS DAY “That’s Amore” ITALIAN STREET FESTIVAL; Mill River Park, Noon to 10 p.m. - FREE

October 13, COLUMBUS DAY ITALIAN MASS; Sacred Heart Church, 10:30a.m.

October 13, FLAG RAISING AND COLUMBUS DAY CELEBRATION; Noon, Columbus Park

October 14, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 17, LIDIA BASTIANICH, Book Signing Event: 6:30-7:30 pm; Ferguson Library – FREE https://www.fergusonlibrary.org/event/an_evening_with_Lidia REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

October 20, “The History of Minturno” featuring The Minturnese Dancers; 2 p.m. - FREE

October 21, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 21, Italian Film Festival; AVON THEATER, “Cinema Paradiso”6:30 p.m. Cost TBD

October 28, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Events.

Sunday, October 13 – The 116th Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade, Pre-Parade Central, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Crown Café & Deli, Bridgeport. Free admission. 116th Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade, noon. Free admission. The parade route starts at Jewett and Madison avenues and proceeds south on Madison to the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi between Wheeler Avenue and Alice Street. The Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, 12 to 5 p.m., between Wheeler and Alice Street, Bridgeport. Free admission and children’s rides.

Thursday, November 7 – Post-Parade Celebration and Grand Marshal Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, 6 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Tickets are $50 per person.

For more information, visit WWW.CIASGBPT.com.

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

The Italian American Museum in Manhattan’s Little Italy is having its grand opening on Columbus Day! Currently, it is offering walking tours. What a wonderful way to spend a fall afternoon! You can schedule a tour or obtain more information using this link.

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

Facebook: IADL account disabled by Facebook

X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/IADLPresident

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iadlnow/?hl=en

Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

Give to the IADL here! Donations are NOT tax-deductible.

Now is the time!

IADL Newsletter

October 6, 2024

Welcome to our newest members: Anna Simeone, Elaine DiCapua Simons, Sandra D’Agostino, Angela Vitti, Judy Feather, Paul Bacchi, and Lou Carissimi. IADL now has 216 members and newsletter subscribers!

In this week’s newsletter, IADL shares its response to a court decision dismissing our case to return the Columbus statue to Wooster Square in New Haven! We are currently planning our next steps and need your financial support, large and small, to accomplish our legal and political goals of preserving history and the Columbus statue that was dedicated for the Italians of New Haven and Connecticut. Donate here! Now is the time.

Show your support by attending our Columbus Day event! Invite family and friends. Use this link to RSVP to attend IADL's Wreath Laying Ceremony at Wooster Square Park and IADL's Annual Meeting/Columbus Video Showing. Join the Italian-American Defense League at our annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Christopher Columbus plinth at Wooster Square Park in New Haven on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 12 p.m. We will commemorate the original statue dedication by Paul Russo, representing United Italian Societies, in 1892. Italian-American Defense League board members invite you to our annual meeting: Thursday, November 7, 2024 at the Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton, CT. IADL will show the documentary, Courage and Conviction: The True Story of Christopher Columbus at 6:30 p.m. followed by our annual business meeting at 7 p.m. All IADL members have voting rights at the meeting and can help set the agenda for 2025! Refreshments and dessert will be provided.

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

Attorney Norm Pattis shared his reaction to the Federal Court’s decision in this Hartford Courant article and on msn.com by saying, ““If you can loot history and no one can do anything about it because of standing, something is wrong,” IADL shared this press release:

Italian-American Defense League vows to keep fighting for historical preservation.

Italian Heritage News

Here are Italian American headlines, near and far. A man is charged for painting “Hamas is Comin” on Washington D.C.’s Columbus monument. Springfield Italian clubs come together to raise the Italian flag to recognize Italian Heritage Month in Massachusetts. Congressmen Tom Suozzi and Mark Amodei co-sponsored bi-partisan House Resolution 1524 to honor Italian-American Heritage Month nationally. Cousins in Middletown, Connecticut are following their passion by opening a new Italian specialty market.

Upcoming Events

Celebrate our heritage at an upcoming event near you!

Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, North Haven Chapter Events

October 11, Guest Speaker Al Clemente; discussing Italian music and singers, & fried dough

October 19, Bus trip to Garibaldi Museum and Arthur Ave; For tickets and information call SueAnn at 202-710-4186.

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Sponsored by UNICO National, Stamford, CT

October 1-31, “THE GREATNESS OF ITALY” Photo Exhibit; Main Lobby, Ferguson Library

October 6, ITALIAN COMEDY NIGHT; Joe Avati, “When I was Your Age” 7:30

Italian Center: Purchase Tickets here: https://www.showpass.com/joe-avati-stamford-ct/

October 7, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 Noon, Harry Bennet Branch – FREE

October 7, Researching Your Italian Ancestry: All Roads Do Not Lead to Rome 6:30 p.m. (Zoom) https://www.fergusonlibrary.org/event/italian-heritage-month-program-researching-italian-families-all-roads-do-not-lead-rome-zoom

October 12 – 13, COLUMBUS DAY “That’s Amore” ITALIAN STREET FESTIVAL; Mill River Park, Noon to 10 p.m. - FREE

October 13, COLUMBUS DAY ITALIAN MASS; Sacred Heart Church, 10:30a.m.

October 13, FLAG RAISING AND COLUMBUS DAY CELEBRATION; Noon, Columbus Park

October 14, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 17, LIDIA BASTIANICH, Book Signing Event: 6:30-7:30 pm; Ferguson Library – FREE https://www.fergusonlibrary.org/event/an_evening_with_Lidia REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

October 20, “The History of Minturno” featuring The Minturnese Dancers; 2 p.m. - FREE

October 21, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 21, Italian Film Festival; AVON THEATER, “Cinema Paradiso”6:30 p.m. Cost TBD

October 28, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Events.

Friday, Oct. 11 – The 35th Vincent Vizzo Columbus Day Concert, featuring the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band from Cherry Point, NC, 6:45 p.m., Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport. Free admission. Concertgoers are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items at the concert in support of area veterans in need.

Saturday, Oct. 12 – The 35th Vincent Vizzo Columbus Day Concert, featuring the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band from Cherry Point, NC, Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport, 6:45 p.m. Free admission. Concertgoers are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items at the concert in support of area veterans in need.

Thursday, November 7 – Post-Parade Celebration and Grand Marshal Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, 6 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Tickets are $50 per person.

For more information, visit WWW.CIASGBPT.com.

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

This Fall, the Italian American Museum in Manhattan’s Little Italy is close to being finished. Currently, it is offering walking tours. What a wonderful way to spend a fall afternoon! You can schedule a tour or obtain more information using this link.

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IADLnow/ (Disabled by Facebook)

X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/IADLPresident

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iadlnow/?hl=en

Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

Give to the IADL here! Donations are NOT tax-deductible.

Now is the time!

IADL Newsletter

September 29, 2024

Welcome to our newest members: Mark A. Aceto and Sheryl Raffone! In this week’s newsletter, IADL begins by asking you to join us for two important events! Use this link to RSVP to attend IADL's Wreath Laying Ceremony at Wooster Square Park and IADL's Annual Meeting/Columbus Video Showing. Join the Italian-American Defense League at our annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Christopher Columbus plinth at Wooster Square Park in New Haven on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 12 p.m. We will commemorate the original statue dedication by Paul Russo, representing United Italian Societies, in 1892. Italian-American Defense League board members invite you to our annual meeting: Thursday, November 7, 2024 at the Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton, CT. IADL will show the documentary, Courage and Conviction: The True Story of Christopher Columbus at 6:30 p.m. followed by our annual business meeting at 7 p.m. All IADL members have voting rights at the meeting and can help set the agenda for 2025! Refreshments and dessert will be provided.

You or a family member can be IADL’s delegate to COPMIAO’s Italian American Future Leaders conference. IAFL will host its 3rd annual all-expense-paid national conference for young Italian American leaders, ages 21 to 35, in Ft. Lauderdale from January 18th to 20th. Contact us if you know a candidate who is interested. Watch this video from last year’s event to learn more.

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

IADL is reaching out to members and the public in two different ways. First, expect to receive a call from a member of our board. We will share information about our two upcoming events. IADL respects your privacy and this is the first time in 4 years that we are calling all members. Second, IADL sent fundraising letters to 2,000 residents of New Haven. Read our letter below and consider making a donation.

Dear Fellow American,

I am writing today because we need your help.

On June 24, 2020 the mayor of New Haven and his woke political mob decided to drag

down the statue of Christopher Columbus that stood tall in Wooster Square since 1892.

This intolerable act was not only an attack on our heritage, our community, and our

ancestors but I believe it was an attack on our Christian faith as well.

My name is Matthew Guarnieri, president of the Italian American Defense League, which I

created to fight back.

Since the mayor illegally removed the statue without a vote, a meeting, or a warning—I ask

you, what’s next? Our churches, our homes, our children? If we don’t do something, who

will?

When the next generations ask where we were when this was happening, imagine having to confess that you stood by silently and did nothing? I can’t do that.

Our 501c4 charity is raising funds to continue our lawsuit against the city of New Haven to

return the Columbus statue to where it stood unscathed for 128 years. Noted criminal law

attorney Norman Pattis is arguing our case.

In transformational times like this not taking a stance is taking a stance.

To join our cause, please consider making a donation to help fund the ongoing lawsuit and

mission to counter cancel culture. Send $1, $100, or $1,000 - every penny counts.

Sincerely,

Matthew Guarnieri

Italian Heritage News

Umberto Mucci of “We the Italian” shares the magazine’s free, online version with us! Read the September 2024 issue that includes the regions of Campania, Lazio, Tuscany, Aosta Valley, Veneto, Calabria, Emilia Romagna, Molise, Sicily, Apulia, and Basilicata.

Leonard Riggio, founder of Barnes & Noble, died at the age of 83. Riggio, a New Yorker born in Little Italy, Manhattan and growing up in Brooklyn, built the largest bookstore chain in the United States. He sold the company in 2019.

Read about this American couple, Regina and John Zdravich of Indiana, who dreamed of retiring in Italy but took a detour to Spain when their journey took an unexpected turn.

The Italian parliament approved an education bill that allows schools to fail students exhibiting bad behavior towards teachers and peers. The law passed in response to an increase of aggression and misbehavior in the classroom. Students can be fined between 500 to 10,000 euros. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the law will “bring back respect” in schools.

Italy’s industry minister, Adolfo Urso, sounds the alarm on the country’s transition to electric vehicles. He says electric vehicles are failing and manufacturing is down after the country’s adoption of a new green deal.

Italy has dethroned Mexico as the #1 fall destination of Americans, for leaf peepers, too!

Upcoming Events

Celebrate our heritage at an upcoming event near you!

Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, North Haven Chapter Events

October 1, Regular Meeting; IADL President Matthew Guarnieri to speak at meeting. 7 PM

October 11, Guest Speaker Al Clemente; discussing Italian music and singers, & fried dough

October 19, Bus trip to Garibaldi Musuem and Arthur Ave; For tickets and information call SueAnn at 202-710-4186.

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Sponsored by UNICO National, Stamford, CT

October 1-31, “THE GREATNESS OF ITALY” Photo Exhibit; Main Lobby, Ferguson Library

October 5, FAMILY FILM EVENT “PINOCCHIO”; Harry Bennet Branch Ferguson Library, 1:30p.m. - FREE

October 6, ITALIAN COMEDY NIGHT; Joe Avati, “When I was Your Age” 7:30

Italian Center: Purchase Tickets here: https://www.showpass.com/joe-avati-stamford-ct/

October 7, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 Noon, Harry Bennet Branch – FREE

October 12 – 13, COLUMBUS DAY “That’s Amore” ITALIAN STREET FESTIVAL; Mill River Park, Noon to 10 p.m. - FREE

October 13, COLUMBUS DAY ITALIAN MASS; Sacred Heart Church, 10:30a.m.

October 13, FLAG RAISING AND COLUMBUS DAY CELEBRATION; Noon, Columbus Park

October 14, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 17, LIDIA BASTIANICH, Book Signing Event: 6:30-7:30 pm; Ferguson Library – FREE https://www.fergusonlibrary.org/event/an_evening_with_Lidia REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

October 20, “The History of Minturno” featuring The Minturnese Dancers; 2 p.m. - FREE

October 21, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 21, Italian Film Festival; AVON THEATER, “Cinema Paradiso”6:30 p.m. Cost TBD

October 28, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

Hartford UNICO Upcoming Events

Soccer Match - Sat. October 5th - Italian Heritage Night at the Hartford Athletics Pro Soccer Stadium in Hartford. - Contact MaryJoan, 860-805-2139.

Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Events.

Friday, Oct. 4 – The Inaugural Pasta e Fagioli Competition, 6 p.m., Tashua Knolls Banquets, Trumbull. Ticket price to be determined.

Saturday, Oct. 5 – Opening Ceremonies for the 116th Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Wreath laying at the Columbus statue, 11:30 a.m., Seaside Park, Bridgeport. Italian Flag-raising and reception, including presentation of the first Young Italian American Business Owner Award, 1 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Catholic Mass, celebrated by Bishop Francis Caggiano, 4 p.m., Saint Margaret Shrine, Bridgeport.

Thursday, November 7 – Post-Parade Celebration and Grand Marshal Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, 6 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Tickets are $50 per person.

For more information, visit WWW.CIASGBPT.com.

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IADLnow/ (Disabled by Facebook)

X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/IADLPresident

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iadlnow/?hl=en

Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

Give to the IADL here! Donations are NOT tax-deductible.

Now is the time!

IADL Newsletter

September 22, 2024

In this week’s newsletter, IADL begins by asking you to join us for two important events! Please RSVP to attend IADL's Wreath Laying Ceremony at Wooster Square Park and IADL's Annual Meeting/Columbus Video Showing. Join the Italian-American Defense League at our annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Christopher Columbus plinth at Wooster Square Park in New Haven on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 12 p.m. We will commemorate the original statue dedication by Paul Russo, representing United Italian Societies, in 1892. Italian-American Defense League board members invite you to our annual meeting: Thursday, November 7, 2024 at the Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton, CT. IADL will show the documentary, Courage and Conviction: The True Story of Christopher Columbus at 6:30 p.m. followed by our annual business meeting at 7 p.m. All IADL members have voting rights at the meeting and can help set the agenda for 2025! Refreshments and dessert will be provided.

Italian Heritage News

In New York City, Columbus Citizens Foundation announced the name of the Grand Marshall of its Columbus Day Parade. Michael T. Strianese earned the honor. He is the chief executive officer of L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. The company is worth 14 billion dollars as a leader in aerospace and defense. It employs more than 64,000 people worldwide. Strianese said, "Being named Grand Marshal of the Columbus Day Parade is a tremendous honor. As a New Yorker and Italian-American, I am proud to celebrate our rich heritage and the lasting contributions of those who shaped this great city and our nation." Read the announcement here.

Academic and Scholar Christopher J. Scalia critiques the online Zoom meeting sponsored for “Paisans for Harris.” Scalia describes the meeting here, “You don’t need to be the kind of person who makes fun of childless cat ladies to see the weirdness of all these Italians praising the importance of family dinners to strangers whom they’ve invited to spend their dinner time on a screen, away from their families. It turns out a virtual Italian family dinner is a bunch of people sitting in empty rooms, like the kind of COVID Thanksgiving that would have made Governor Walz happy in 2020.” Read Scalia’s entire article here. Furthermore, the meeting is posted on YouTube and, you can watch Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in an awkward moment with Bill de Blasio, former NYC mayor, talking about DeLauro’s hands and Paul Mecurio, comedian, saying DeLauro’s screen reminds him of Beetlejuice.

Detroit's Dante Alighieri monument dedicated in 1927 was restored in a joint effort by local Italian heritage groups and the Italian consulate. Read about the monument and watch a video about the statue’s restoration here. The poet, widely known simply as “Dante” is best known as the author of “The Divine Comedy.” Read more about Dante on Brittanica online.

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

Upcoming Events

Please join IADL and Italian American One Voice Coalition for the September Solidarity Session: Bridging Cultures against Cancel Culture - Wednesday, September 25 at 8 PM Eastern. Registration is required at www.thesolidaritysessions.com. During prior sessions people of Native American, Asian American, and African American descent joined us in a coalition of healing and unification against cancel culture, opposing the removal of monuments, statues, and logos.

Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, North Haven Chapter Events

October 1, Regular Meeting; IADL President Matthew Guarnieri to speak at meeting. 7 PM

October 11, Guest Speaker Al Clemente; discussing Italian music and singers, & fried dough

October 19, Bus trip to Garibaldi Musuem and Arthur Ave; For tickets and information call SueAnn at 202-710-4186.

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Sponsored by UNICO National, Stamford, CT

September 27, WINE TASTING & COMPETITION; Italian Center,1620 Newfield Ave, Stamford, 6:30 pm, Admission $10 payable at door

October 1-31, “THE GREATNESS OF ITALY” Photo Exhibit; Main Lobby, Ferguson Library

October 5, FAMILY FILM EVENT “PINOCCHIO”; Harry Bennet Branch Ferguson Library, 1:30p.m. - FREE

October 6, ITALIAN COMEDY NIGHT; Joe Avati, “When I was Your Age” 7:30

Italian Center: Purchase Tickets here: https://www.showpass.com/joe-avati-stamford-ct/

October 7, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 Noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 12 – 13, COLUMBUS DAY “That’s Amore” ITALIAN STREET FESTIVAL; Mill River Park, Noon to 10 p.m. - FREE

October 13, COLUMBUS DAY ITALIAN MASS; Sacred Heart Church, 10:30a.m.

October 13, FLAG RAISING AND COLUMBUS DAY CELEBRATION; Noon, Columbus Park

October 14, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 17, LIDIA BASTIANICH, Book Signing Event: 6:30-7:30 pm; Ferguson Library – FREE https://www.fergusonlibrary.org/event/an_evening_with_Lidia REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

October 20, “The History of Minturno” featuring The Minturnese Dancers; 2 p.m. - FREE

October 21, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 21, Italian Film Festival; AVON THEATER, “Cinema Paradiso”6:30 p.m. Cost TBD

October 28, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

Hartford UNICO Upcoming Events

Soccer Match - Sat. October 5th - Italian Heritage Night at the Hartford Athletics Pro Soccer Stadium in Hartford. - Contact MaryJoan, 860-805-2139.

Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Events.

Friday, Oct. 4 – The Inaugural Pasta e Fagioli Competition, 6 p.m., Tashua Knolls Banquets, Trumbull.

Thursday, November 7 – Post-Parade Celebration and Grand Marshal Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, 6 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Tickets are $50 per person.

For more information, visit WWW.CIASGBPT.com.

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IADLnow/ (Disabled by Facebook)

X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/IADLPresident

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iadlnow/?hl=en

Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

Give to the IADL here! Donations are NOT tax-deductible.

Now is the time!

IADL Newsletter

September 15, 2024

In this week’s newsletter, IADL begins by highlighting three important upcoming events! Please RSVP to attend IADL's Wreath Laying Ceremony at Wooster Square Park and IADL's Annual Meeting/Columbus Video Showing. And welcome new member Anthony Giampapa!

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

Italian-American Defense League board members invite you to our annual meeting: Thursday, November 7, 2024 at the Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton, CT. IADL will show the documentary, Courage and Conviction: The True Story of Christopher Columbus at 6:30 p.m. followed by our annual business meeting at 7 p.m. All IADL members have voting rights at the meeting and can help set the agenda for 2025! Refreshments and dessert will be provided.

Italian Heritage News

Here is a news story that should give all Italian Americans hope that our unification and efforts to battle cancel culture is working! In New Hampshire, legislators passed a bill requiring all state holidays to be called by their official names. So, what is the effect of the law? Towns that changed the name of the second Monday of October to Indigenous Peoples’ Day will have to call the holiday Columbus Day. This is a big win for our coalition against cancel culture and needs to be replicated in other states. The sponsor of the bill said that Italians are forever grateful. Read the full article on Seacoastonline.

Upcoming Events

Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, North Haven Chapter Events

October 1, Regular Meeting; IADL President Matthew Guarnieri to speak at meeting. 7 PM

October 11, Guest Speaker Al Clemente; discussing Italian music and singers, & fried dough

October 19, Bus trip to Garibaldi Musuem and Arthur Ave

For tickets and information call SueAnn at 202-710-4186.

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Sponsored by UNICO National, Stamford, CT

September 27, WINE TASTING & COMPETITION; Italian Center,1620 Newfield Ave, Stamford, 6:30 pm, Admission $10 payable at door

October 1-31, “THE GREATNESS OF ITALY” Photo Exhibit; Main Lobby, Ferguson Library

October 5, FAMILY FILM EVENT “PINOCCHIO”; Harry Bennet Branch Ferguson Library, 1:30p.m. - FREE

October 6, ITALIAN COMEDY NIGHT; Joe Avati, “When I was Your Age” 7:30

Italian Center: Purchase Tickets here: https://www.showpass.com/joe-avati-stamford-ct/

October 7, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 Noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 12 – 13, COLUMBUS DAY ITALIAN STREET FESTIVAL; Mill River Park, Noon to 10 p.m. - FREE

October 13, COLUMBUS DAY ITALIAN MASS; Sacred Heart Church, 10:30a.m.

October 13, FLAG RAISING AND COLUMBUS DAY CELEBRATION; Noon, Columbus Park

October 14, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 17, LIDIA BASTIANICH, Book Signing Event: 6:30-7:30 pm; Ferguson Library – FREE https://www.fergusonlibrary.org/event/an_evening_with_Lidia REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

October 20, “The History of Minturno” featuring The Minturnese Dancers; 2 p.m. - FREE

October 21, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 21, Italian Film Festival; AVON THEATER, “Cinema Paradiso”6:30 p.m. Cost TBD

October 28, ITALIAN STORYTIME; 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

Hartford UNICO Upcoming Events

Soccer Match - Sat. October 5th - Italian Heritage Night at the Hartford Athletics Pro Soccer Stadium in Hartford. - Contact MaryJoan, 860-805-2139.

Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Events.

Friday, Oct. 4 – The Inaugural Pasta e Fagioli Competition, 6 p.m., Tashua Knolls Banquets, Trumbull. Ticket price to be determined.

Thursday, November 7 – Post-Parade Celebration and Grand Marshal Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, 6 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Tickets are $50 per person.

For more information, visit WWW.CIASGBPT.com.

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IADLnow/ (Disabled by Facebook)

X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/IADLPresident

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iadlnow/?hl=en

Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

Give to the IADL here! Donations are NOT tax-deductible.

Now is the time!

IADL Newsletter

September 8, 2024

Connecticut Third District Representative Rosa DeLauro joined a coalition of anti-Trump Italian-American Democrats which include Hollywood activists Alyssa Milano and Steve Buscemi, called “Paisans for Kamala.” While DeLauro stands with California elites, her opponent Michael Massey recently spoke at an event in Guilford, Connecticut, explaining that he wants a return to President Trump’s economic policies which he feels better served his community in New Haven, and described new policies that would uplift citizens of New Haven. Massey refused to attack DeLauro personally, but stated that her policies have failed families in his neighborhood for three decades. Where was Rosa DeLauro on June 24, 2020 when New Haven Italians protested the illegal removal of our Columbus statue at Wooster Square Park?

Here is a quick look at headlines around the globe about everything Italian. Jannik Sinner, an Italian professional tennis superstar, will play American Taylor Fritz in the U.S. Open Final at Flushing Meadows, New York at 2 p.m. today. Sinner is ranked Number 1 in the world and is seeking to win his 16th singles title on the ATP Tour and his second Grand Slam title. He won the Australian Open earlier this year. Sinner already achieved “a first” of any Italian man by reaching the semifinals, and he would make Italian tennis history by winning the Grand Slam final. Read more about Sinner’s success at the U.S. Open here. In Columbus, Ohio, Italian-American John Cardi is suing the city’s parks and recreation department for renaming Christopher Columbus Park. According to the article, “He said he is further frustrated because the city did not consult any local Italian organizations in the decision.” In Italy, the country’s cultural minister resigned after receiving criticism for appointing a former lover to a government-funded consultant position. Gennaro Sangiuliano, a political ally of Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, denies any wrongdoing.

Italian-American Defense League Actions and Happenings

COPMIAO is excited to announce that Italian American Future Leaders (IAFL) will host its 3rd annual all-expense-paid national conference for young Italian American leaders, ages 21 to 35, in Ft. Lauderdale from January 18th – 20th. Applications can be submitted starting tomorrow for what is being dubbed “IAFL3.”

The IAFL Conference is one of the most exciting and significant programs ever initiated by the Italian American community. Its purpose is to bring together hundreds of young Italian Americans to collectively discuss, appreciate and elevate our heritage. The goal is to inspire these bright prospects to assume leadership roles in Italian American organizations across the country.

We encourage young members, or children and grandchildren of members (ages 21-35) to contact the IADL to apply to become our delegate to the conference. Participation will ensure that Italian American heritage thrives for generations to come. Young participants described the first two years of the conference as life changing. Watch this video to inspire you or someone you know to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Upcoming Events

IADL Monthly Regular Meeting, Guilford, CT – Monday, September 9, 2024 at 4 PM

Are you interested in attending a Board of Directors meeting? Would you like to meet us, or provide your input? Contact us ahead of time to attend our monthly meeting because of limited space. We would like to meet you in person and welcome more members to be involved! We will discuss our participation in the Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade. Contact IADL as soon as possible to express your interest or to ask questions. Also, if you are a leader of an organization or business, consider participating. IADL can provide you the application.

Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, North Haven Chapter Events

October 1, Regular Meeting; IADL President Matthew Guarneri to speak at meeting. 7 PM

October 11, Guest Speaker Al Clemente; discussing Italian music and singers, & fried dough

October 19, Bus trip to Garibaldi Musuem and Arthur Ave

For tickets and information call SueAnn at 202-710-4186

ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, Sponsored by UNICO National, Stamford, CT

September 27; WINE TASTING & COMPETITION; Italian Center,1620 Newfield Ave, Stamford, 6:30 pm, Admission $10 payable at door

October 1-31; “THE GREATNESS OF ITALY” Photo Exhibit; Main Lobby, Ferguson Library

October 5; 1:30 p.m. FAMILY FILM EVENT “PINOCCHIO”, Harry Bennet Branch Ferguson Library - FREE

October 6; ITALIAN COMEDY NIGHT, Joe Avati, “When I was Your Age” 7:30

Italian Center: Purchase Tickets here: https://www.showpass.com/joe-avati-stamford-ct/

October 7; ITALIAN STORYTIME, 12 Noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 12 – 13; COLUMBUS DAY ITALIAN STREET FESTIVAL; Mill River Park, Noon to 10 p.m. - FREE

October 13; 10:30 a.m. COLUMBUS DAY ITALIAN MASS, Sacred Heart Church

October 13; FLAG RAISING AND COLUMBUS DAY CELEBRATION, Noon, Columbus Park

October 14; ITALIAN STORYTIME, 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 17; LIDIA BASTIANICH, Book Signing Event, 7 pm; Ferguson Library – FREE Lidia Bastianich Book Signing Event on 10/17 at 6:30pm https://www.fergusonlibrary.org/event/an_evening_with_Lidia REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

October 20; “The History of Minturno” featuring The Minturnese Dancers 2 p.m. - FREE

October 21; ITALIAN STORYTIME, 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

October 21; Italian Film Festival, AVON THEATER, “Cinema Paradiso”6:30 p.m. Cost TBD

October 28; ITALIAN STORYTIME, 12 noon, Harry Bennet Branch - FREE

Hartford UNICO Upcoming Events

Billy and Jeanne Biaggo Memorial Festa Italiana, Elm Ridge Park. Sept. 7 & 8th. - UNICO chapters vendor tent. Contact Paul Pirrotta ppirrotta1@gmail.com - to join in monthly meetings. 2nd Thurs. of the month - July 11th, and Aug. 8th at 7pm. Rocky Hill Community Center.

Soccer Match - Sat. October 5th - Italian Heritage Night at the Hartford Athletics Pro Soccer Stadium in Hartford. - Contact MaryJoan, 860-805-2139.

Greater Bridgeport Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Celebration Events.

Saturday, Sept. 21 – Grand Marshal Gala, 6 p.m., Trumbull Marriott Shelton Grand Ballroom, Trumbull. Tickets are $125 per person. EMAIL IADL for TICKETS.

Friday, Oct. 4 – The inaugural Pasta e Fagioli Competition, 6 p.m., Tashua Knolls Banquets, Trumbull. Ticket price to be determined.

Thursday, November 7 – Post-Parade Celebration and Grand Marshal Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, 6 p.m., Circolo Sportivo Italian American Club, Bridgeport. Tickets are $50 per person.

For more information, visit WWW.CIASGBPT.com .

Italian American Museum, Mulberry Street, NYC

Learn more about the Italian-American Defense League.

Website: https://iadlnow.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IADLnow/ (Disabled by Facebook)

X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/IADLPresident

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iadlnow/?hl=en

Member of COPOMIAO: https://copomiao.org/

Give to the IADL here! Donations are NOT tax-deductible.

Now is the time!

IADL Newsletter

January 19, 2025

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January 12, 2025

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