On Monday, July 19, NIAF Council Members and other supporters gathered at the Foundation’s Washington, D.C., headquarters for a special cocktail reception in honor of former MLB All-Star and future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza.
Piazza autographed baseballs, posed for photos, and spoke to guests about his pride in his Italian ancestry and his work as spokesman for the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (NIASHF). NIAF Board Member Dr. John Rosa gave welcoming remarks.
Other guests included NIAF Board Member Joseph M. Della Ratta; Executive Council Member Al Minite, principal of ALKS and Associates; attorneys Gianni Minutoli and Salvatore Tamburo of Dickstein Shapiro LLP; Thomas Caruso, first vice president for global wealth management at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC; Gary C. Meltz, vice president of Dezenhall Resources, Ltd.; Jason C. Pitcock, counsel for the Senate Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises; and George Randazzo, founder of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame.
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The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational foundation that promotes Italian American culture and heritage. NIAF serves as a resource on the Italian American community and has educational and youth programs including scholarships, grants, heritage travel, and mentoring.
NIAF is also the voice for Italian Americans in Washington, DC and works closely with the Italian American Congressional Delegation and the White House. NIAF’s mission includes advancing US – Italy business, political, and cultural relations and has a business council that promotes networking with corporate leaders.
Italian Culture
NIAF’s Ambassador Magazine
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The latest issue of Ambassador magazine celebrates Italian Americans, including several NIAF Board Members, who have built careers in sports. Highlights include a feature on “Return of the Gold,” a new book profiling the work of NIAF’s Chairman Jerry Colangelo as head of USA Basketball prior to and during the 2008 Olympics, and a profile on NIAF Board Member and TD Ameritrade Chairman Joe Moglia as he builds a career in coaching college football. Keep reading for more.
Click here to read more!
"Remembering Monongah"
In 1907, the small town of Monongah, West Virginia, lost hundreds of its residents to an accident in a local coal mine. Half of the victims were Italian immigrants who had come to this country to seek a better life. Now, more than 100 years later, a NIAF grant recipient explores this tragedy and its far-reaching effects in the documentary “Monongah Remembered,” now available for purchase on DVD.
“Le Donne” by Antonello Venditti
One highlight of this year’s 34th Anniversary Convention and Gala Weekend will be Friday evening’s performance by legendary singer and songwriter Antonello Venditti, a 2009 NIAF honoree. Get ready for his show by listening to “Le Donne,” his newly released 2009 album, which is a compilation of his most famous love songs. NIAF will honor Venditti with the Foundation’s prestigious Special Achievement Award in Music on Saturday, October 24. For more information about other gala honorees, click here.
meet some of our supporters
- Rachael Ray
- Mario Batali
- Danny Aiello
- Andrea Bocelli
- Tony Lo Bianco
- Alan Alda
- Frankie Valli
- Gina Lollobrigida
- Roberto Benigni
- Sophia Loren
- Tom LaSorda
- Tim McGraw
- Faith Hill
- Martin Scorsese
- Gen. Peter Pace
- Gay Talese
- Roberto Benigni
- Danny Aiello
- Yogi Berra
- Isabella Rossellini
- Jerry Colangelo
- Connie Stevens
NIAF membership connects our past, present and future!
For more than three decades, NIAF has linked Italian Americans around the country with each other in addition to the language, food and culture of their ancestors. But we can’t do it without your help.
