L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY I n a time of unprece- dented global public h e a l t h c h a l l e n g e s , when every sector of our social and eco- nomic fabric is at the strain- ing point, it is comforting to r e a l i z e t h a t o u r I t a l i a n - American community con- tinues to encourage and fos- ter connections with family and friends. Together, we'll get through the hard times. That's the Italian way! Both Seattle and Spokane have long-standing Italian- American clubs to help pre- serve these important social connections while maintain- ing a sense of culture and heritage. Here is a brief look at the two organizations. T h e I t a l i a n C l u b o f Seattle celebrates its 100 th a n n i v e r s a r y t h i s y e a r . A l t h o u g h t h e c e l e b r a t o r y dinner had to be postponed from April to October, it's an impressive milestone that should not go unnoticed. The club was originally c a l l e d t h e I t a l i a n Commercial Club, created as an organization of Italian immigrants, primarily pro- fessionals, who wanted to n e t w o r k a n d d o b u s i n e s s together. The idea came up a t a h o l i d a y p a r t y i n December 1919 at the Seattle home of Nicola Paolella. Attending the party that year were some of the most prominent members of the local Italian community: the Italian consul, two doctors, a c i t y c o u n c i l m a n , a n d a judge. Also on hand were Seattle florist Felix Rosaia and Federico Bassetti, editor and publisher of the popular Italian-language weekly, La Gazzetta Italiana. Bassetti put a notice in La Gazzetta inviting the Italian c o m m u n i t y t o m e e t o n J a n u a r y 2 0 , 1 9 2 0 , a t t h e Fraternal Hall, located at 4 th and Pike Street in the down- town core. Several months later, on April 26, 1920, the club was founded. F o r t h e n e x t d e c a d e , meetings were held at vari- ous locations around Seattle. T h e n i n 1 9 3 0 , t h e g r o u p banded together with other Italian organizations to pur- chase the Pacific Telephone Building on 17 th Avenue, renaming it Casa Italiana, or Italian House. In 1935, three Italian groups – Italian Commercial Club, Italian- A m e r i c a n C o u n c i l a n d I t a l i a n A t h l e t i c C l u b – merged to form the Italian Club, Inc. Times were tough in the 1930s, though, and the new organization had trouble making ends meet. Two of its members, Fran Orrico and John DiJulio, came up with the idea of holding a f u n d r a i s e r o n C o l u m b u s Day. That was the beginning of the annual Columbus Day banquet; the proceeds f r o m t h a t e v e n t w e r e e n o u g h t o k e e p t h e c l u b afloat. A f e w y e a r s l a t e r , t h e group moved again to 620 Union Street. This time, its members-only dining room quickly became one of the city's most elegant dinner clubs. With upscale decor, a b i g c o c k t a i l l o u n g e a n d attentive staff, a dinner at the Italian Club was a spe- cial event. Its executive chef Costa Lazzaretti, sometimes k n o w n a s C o s t a n z o Lazzarotto but usually just called Chef Costa, had quite a following. He served as the club's chef until 1945 when left to open his own place in S h o r e l i n e , w h e r e B i n g C r o s b y w o u l d o f t e n d i n e whenever he came to town. Eventually, the group lost its lease at the Union Street l o c a t i o n a n d f o r s e v e r a l years meetings were held in h o t e l s , r e s t a u r a n t s a n d school auditoriums. In 1998, under the directorship of A r m a n d i n o B a t a l i , t h e Italian Club voted to allow non-Italians to join as mem- bers. All that was required was an interest in all things I t a l i a n — f r o m f o o d a n d wine to music, art and histo- ry. The Italian American C l u b o f S p o k a n e c e l e - brates its 54 th anniversary t h i s f a l l , f o u n d e d o n September 17, 1966. It coa- lesced into a single group after several lodges affiliated with the Order Sons of Italy in America were disbanded. Spokane's club prides itself on its charitable work, rais- ing funds that can be donat- ed back to the community. I t s p o p u l a r s p a g h e t t i dinner was started in 1968 and held at Gonzaga Prep. The event raises funds each y e a r f o r a $ 1 , 0 0 0 c o l l e g e scholarship for a student of Italian descent. Club mem- bers start prepping for the d i n n e r a b o u t a w e e k i n advance. Some years, the h a p p y d i n e r s g o t h r o u g h about 10,000 meatballs. As e x p e c t e d , e v e r y t h i n g i s homemade. The club also sponsors an Italian Festival each July that raises funds for differ- e n t c a u s e s . S e v e r a l y e a r s ago, members raised more than $600 to support the e a r t h q u a k e v i c t i m s o f L'Aquila. Members also par- ticipate in the annual St. P a t r i c k ' s D a y p a r a d e b u t with a distinctively Italian touch: they tow a float bear- ing an 11-foot tall replica of the leaning tower of Pisa along the parade route. The display was built in 1993 at a cost of $6,000. When the Spokane club was formed in 1966, about two-thirds of its members were immigrants or the chil- dren of immigrants, and the organization filled an impor- tant need in the community. Many Italians had initially come to Eastern Washington in the 1920s and 1930s to work on the railroad. One of these was the Cozza family. "My father came here in 1 9 4 7 a t a g e 1 9 , w h e n h i s f a t h e r w a s a l r e a d y h e r e working for the railroad," s a i d S a m C o z z a , w h o s e father Pat was one of the club's founding members. "For them, it was more per- sonal, having a tie to friends who had a common bond to the old country. Naturally as time goes on, you get to the second and third genera- tions and it's a little different focus because those people haven't necessarily had the same experience growing up." In 2016, during the Italian A m e r i c a n C l u b ' s 5 0 t h anniversary celebration, the city of Spokane welcomed a new international sister city – Cagli, located in Italy's Marche district. It was the fourth Italian sister city in Washington State. The oth- ers are Seattle and Perugia, Walla Walla and Canara, and Auburn and Mola di Bari. RITA CIPALLA Staying connected in times of crisis – the Italian way In 2009, members of the Italian American Club of Spokane put their own spin on St. Patrick's Day, towing an 11-foot tall replica of the leaning tower of Pisa along the parade route (The Spokesman-Review) The booth run by Italian Club of Seattle volunteers is a popular lunchtime spot during Festa Italiana each fall; food sales raise funds for club activi- ties. Each September, the Italian Club of Seattle plays a prominent role in staffing Festa Italiana, the city's largest Italian festival.

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