SIAMO UNA FAMIGLIA
Marinucci Family Honored at Holy Rosary Gala
By Nancy DeSanti:
Long-time AMHS member Mario Marinucci, his mother Pina, and sisters Sandra and Donna were the proud honorees at the annual Gala at Casa Italiana, presented by Holy Rosary Church. Each year a man and a woman have been honored for their service to Holy Rosary Church and the community. This year it was decided to honor a special family. Mario and his family have been ever-present at all the important social, cultural and religious events over the years. And in addition, they take an active role in planning and organizing many of those events. For example, Donna is famous for organizing the wonderful bake sales held in Casa Italiana several times a year, when delicious homemade sweets are sold to raise funds for various activities.
Mario Marinucci with (left to right)) his sister Sandra, his mother Pina and his sister Donna
The awards were presented at a Gala held on September 7, 2019, at Casa Italiana. Cocktails and appetizers were served in the Lower Hall; the event moved upstairs where a jazz track provided the musical background as 160 attendees enjoyed a delicious dinner catered by Giuseppe Merone, consisting of salad and pasta (gnocchi and tortellini) followed by filet mignon and grilled lobster and then cannoli cake. And of course, wine. The Casa looked beautiful and so did the people. AMHS member Maria Marigliano was the evening’s mistress of ceremonies, and she called on Father Ezio Marchetto to say a few words about the Pro Ecclesia Sacratissimi Rosarii Award, as it is formally known. Father Ezio spoke about how much the Marinuccis have contributed in so many ways and have set a great example of a family whose generations have been active in the parish community.
Father Ezio with blessing from Pope Francis on occasion of the 100th anniversary of Holy Rosary
Sandra’s daughter Noel talked about the example set by her grandmother, mother, aunt and uncle and how they were always there to support each other. Mario then came up to the podium to say a few heartfelt words about how honored he was to get the award, and how much it meant to his family. He talked about the how their mother Pina emigrated from Roseto, Puglia, as a young girl, worked hard to raise the family and still found time to be involved in the parish’s first lasagna dinners and the Italian festivals at Villa Rosa. Mario also talked about how the family pulled together to support each other after the tragic death of his niece Christina. He talked movingly about his late father Cristino and how proud he would have been. His father, who emigrated from Sulmona, in Abruzzo, was devoted to his church, his family and community. His father started a construction company, and Mario, after graduating from college, joined the company and eventually became its head.
Along the way, he said he father taught him more than just the construction business, but also many important life lessons, such as “tough times don’t last, tough people do.” He said his father liked to think big, like when others were selling raffle tickets for a few dollars, he managed to sell them for $20. The festivities continued the next day, September 8, as Holy Rosary celebrated the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of the church, with many AMHS members in attendance. Father Ezio announced that Pope Francis had sent a special congratulatory message. Following the special bilingual Mass, Father Ezio asked everyone to go outside and stand in rows on the front steps of the church so a picture in color could be taken, to compare it with the 100-year-old black and white photo of the church members back then, and to show future generations 100 years from now. Following the picture-taking, everyone went inside for the reception to enjoy some light refreshments, café and camaraderie. ❚
AMHS Member Rocco Caniglia Recalls Purple Heart Award By Nancy DeSanti Rocco Caniglia was a recent immigrant from Italy, only 23 years old, when found himself in the jungles of Vietnam fighting for his life. Rocco was in the 1st Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army and on June 21, 1967, he and his unit were on a Vietnamese island south of DaNang, near the Cambodian border, when they became engaged in a vicious firefight with soldiers of the North Vietnamese Army. Rocco remembers American helicopters flying overhead while the American troops on the ground were fighting to push back the North Vietnamese. The fighting was fierce and he said that other Americans were wounded too.
recalls laying on the ground next to one young soldier who had also been shot but who wanted to end his life, and Rocco tried to calm this despondent young guy. Rocco lost a lot of blood and has only dim memories of being airlifted to a medical facility in the Philippines and then to a hospital in Japan. It turned out Rocco had been shot and the bullet went through his left hip, which led to the blood loss and to difficulty walking for many months. Not long after he was shot, Rocco remembers a high-level Army official awarding him the Purple Heart while he was still hospitalized.
A photo of Rocco with his Purple Heart will be on display in Casa Italiana’s Immigration Museum. Rocco is one of the original AMHS members. He emigrated to the U.S. from Orsogna in Abruzzo in 1956 and moving to the Washington, D.C. area. He later became a successful businessman and restauranteur. He owned Mamma Mia and as a chef he catered a number of events at Casa Italiana over the years. One of our members who grew up in Italy recalled Rocco’s pasta as the best he had ever tasted outside of Italy. Rocco, we thank you for your service. ❚
Bruno Fusco Judges Dance Competition in Italy
By Nancy DeSanti
This summer, AMHS member Bruno Fusco traveled to Monte di Procida near his hometown of Napoli to judge a dance competition. He has traveled to Italy in the spring or summer in recent years to judge talent competitions all over the country. Maestro Cav. Fusco participated as a judge in the 17th edition of the “Premio Napoli per La Danza” in Monte di Procida, a town facing the island of Procida and located about 15 kilometers west of Napoli, where Bruno got his professional start at the Teatro San Carlo. The event took place July 17-19, 2019, and on the third day, Bruno awarded a scholarship on behalf of the Maryland Youth Ballet, a dance academy in Silver Spring, Maryland.
The lucky winner was Raffaela Ciaremella, a 14-year-old from Napoli, who was judged to be the best dancer. She will be coming to the U.S. on October 20 as a guest of the Maryland Ballet. Bruno said the judges were impressed with her variation on the classical ballet La Esmeralda, a famous ballet inspired by the novel Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo. The panel of nine international judges represented many aspects of dance, such as classic, contemporary, jazz, modern, folkloric and Latin. We congratulate Raffaela and we hope she enjoys her stay here. ❚