A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear members and friends:
The New Year — 2021 — is here! For many of us, it could not have come fast enough, as last year saw the start of the worst pandemic in over one hundred years — one that is not even yet fully behind us. If you are reading this message, then you made it through the pandemic — at least so far. Sadly, thousands of Italian Americans, Italians, and others of many different nations were not as fortunate. If there’s an outcome from 2020 for which we should be grateful as we begin the new year, surviving the pandemic is a good candidate. Each year at this time, I like to think back on all the past year’s events that our Society has sponsored and that our members have enjoyed.
That exercise in nostalgia has a very different feel this time, in part because of the losses, sickness and difficulties of the past year and in part because we were able to hold only one in-person event. On January 26 of last year (it seems like such a long time ago) at Casa Italiana, Paul Paolicelli gave an interesting presentation to a nearly full house, talking about how Italians have changed America. I don’t think anyone knew at the time that this very well-received lecture would be our last in-person event of the year. Mr. Paolicelli’s talk, while our last in-person meeting of 2020, was not the year’s last AMHS event. We subsequently held five cultural events, as well as two general meetings, during the remainder of the year. Of course, all were in the virtual format. On the evening of April 25, AMHS members and friends took part in a lively discussion of the Italian-American film classic “A Big Night”. The film deals with the efforts of two transplanted Italian brothers who struggle to adapt their Italian restaurant to the tastes of an American beach town in the 1950’s.
The discussion was moderated by Detroit-based filmmaker Jim Toscano. Then, on the evening of May 23, Mr. Toscano guided AMHS movie buffs in a discussion of “Saturday Night Fever.” The classic American film depicts the difficulties of Tony Manero, a young Italian American growing up in Brooklyn, who tries to move past his problems at home and an uncertain future by immersing himself in the world of disco dancing. On July 11, the AMHS sponsored a third film discussion, also moderated by Jim Toscano. The film, “My Cousin Vinny,” has achieved something akin to cult status. It shows the pluck and skill of an Italian-American attorney (Vincent Gambini) who overcomes a lack of courtroom experience to help two clients in a desperate situation. Subsequently, with the generous assistance once again of Jim Toscano, our Society hosted another film discussion on October 3. We discussed and analyzed the Italian-American film “My Country”. The film follows the adventures of two stepbrothers, one who lives in Chicago and one who lives in Rome.
They travel to Molise together to bury the ashes of their father in his hometown. In addition to the presence of Jim Toscano, we had the great pleasure and good fortune to have the film’s producer, director and lead actor, Giancarlo Iannotta, take part and guide us in our discussions. Mr. Iannotta, of Chicago-based Molise Media, LLC, provided insights into the film’s script, casting and origin. In this film, as well as in all the others, the virtual audience was able to tease out fundamental Italian values and compare protagonists’ success in retaining them or adapting them while making their way in a new culture. Our fifth cultural event took place on October 30, when we had a virtual private talk with Tony Vaccaro, who was born in Bonefro, Molise and who became a member of the International Photography Hall of Fame. Tony’s pictures range from World War II to the world of fashion, and his amazing life provided many fascinating topics for discussion and questions.
In addition to the cultural events mentioned above, we were able to hold two general meetings on the same dates on which they were originally scheduled. On September 20, AHMS Executive Committee member Sonny Scafetta gave a virtual presentation on the careers of Italian-American baseball players with roots in Abruzzo. Sonny’s talk was interesting and we learned some fascinating details about the link between our national pastime and some Italian-American athletes. We also held our annual wine tasting event on November 15. It was conducted by the virtual wine tasting experts Stephen Yanuck and Beth Dahlburg of Veni, Vini, Amici, and it featured wine producer Antonio Valerio of Campi Valerio in Monteroduni, Molise, who joined our meeting from Italy. The event was very informative and a lot of fun, and the wines sampled were outstanding.
As should be apparent, the Society in 2020 took advantage of the best format available to bring our community together in a socially distanced and safe way. I am grateful to our smart and enterprising Board members who worked to come up with such enjoyable events in the midst of a pandemic. Realistically, it appears that these virtual gatherings will continue to be our best option at least through the springtime of this year. Of course, we will keep you posted. I would like to welcome to our Board its newest members: Frank Bonsiero, Jeff Clark and Mark Lino. Their talents will be valuable, and I thank them for their willingness to help lead our organization. You can read more about their election later in this Notiziario. I would also like to thank Rico Allegrino, Joe Novello and Joann Novello for their service to the Board. They brought with them great commitment and lots of experience, all of which was evident on many of the issues the Board tackled last year.
Finally, I remind you that it is not too late to donate to our scholarship fundraising campaign. You should have already received your envelope in the traditional mail. If not, please contact any member of the Board. As you likely recall, our Society now has to raise all of the funds for both of the scholarships that we award, as we no longer receive matching funds from NIAF or financial assistance from any external source. While we had to postpone or cancel multiple events last year, in which we lost the opportunity to raise funds on raffles, sales of merchandise, and revenue from general meetings, we were still able to award two scholarships to deserving Italian-American students, thanks to your generosity. Please keep up the great work in 2021.
Regards,
Ray LaVerghetta