L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano Federated Italo-Americans of SoCal welcome Consul General Antonio Verde Taking office as Cons ul General in Los Angeles, one of the larges t Italian A merican communities of the U nited States, is a big responsibility. The firs t challenge that Honorable Antonio Verde needs to face is getting acquainted with a vast and vibrant network of local groups and associations. A month passed since he succeeded to Giuseppe Perrone, and proto- col is still a substantial part of the beginning of his mandate. Casa Italiana, home of the L.A. Italian community since 1972, hosted on December 10 a wel- come reception to honor the new Cons ul G eneral, giving the opportunity for those who hadn't met Antonio Verde yet to get to know him in person. President of Federated Italo-Americans of S outhern California, A nn THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2014 www.italoamericano.com 4 Potenza, who was among the organizers of the event, said she was thrilled to have the chance to connect the Organization to the Italian Consulate General in Los Angeles and that her main goal is to make the new Consul General feel at home. In addi- tion, the ceremony at Cas a Italiana was also an occasion for Federated members to gather together and strengthen the ties that for many years have linked those who share the commitment to keeping Italian traditions alive. Before his speech, the Consul General was introduced by Ann Potenza to all the guests and rep- resentatives who were in atten- dance, creating the right atmos- phere to begin the celebrations. English writer Virginia Woolf used to say that "Humor is the first of the gifts to perish in a foreign tongue," but Honorable Antonio Verde seems to be an exception: as he took the stage, he greeted the audience and reaf- firmed his enthusiasm for this new mission. After a few words in Englis h, he s w itched to MARCO BRUNA Italian, considering that most of the attendees were able to under- stand it and to speak it fluently. And he jokingly added, "If you don't know Italian, well…" - confirming that he already feels pretty comfortable addressing the local audience. The brief and amusing introduction was then follow ed by more s erious remarks, and the Consul General stated that working in collabora- tion w ith F ederated Italo- Americans is essential to fulfill his duties as a representative of the Italian Government abroad, especially thanks to the pivotal role played by the Organization within the large Italian commu- nity of S outhern California. Under the umbrella of Federated, in fact, many different Italian- American associations, groups, and companies based in the L.A. County are united. A ntonio Verde said that he is "Happy and eager to work with all of them for a common objective," and that the Italian Cons ulate is intended to support not only the fellow citizens who moved here long ago, but also the new gener- ations w ho recently came to Southern California. Among the participants in the reception at Casa Italiana were many representatives of the local s ocieties , including the Grandsons of Italy, the Italian American Lawyers Association, and the Italo-A merican Foundation. A couple of weeks prior to the Christmas Holidays, all the friends of the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles were invited to celebrate both the fes- tive season and the launch of the 4 th itinerary designed for Italy Art L.A. The smartphone application, developed by A les s andro Marianantoni's Mediars, is con- stantly growing in terms of fol- lowers and contents, now offer- ing four different and fascinating art tours to discover the Italian pres ence in the area of Los Angeles. A s IIC A cting D irector Michela Magrì recalled, the ini- tiative was inspired by the new web site created in 2011 by the Italian Embassy in Washington DC to promote our culture in the U.S. Thanks to the vision of for- mer director Alberto Di Mauro and his staff, it soon became a book and eventually the app was conceived, under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles. The main features of Italy Art L.A. were presented in a short video by A les s andro Marianantoni. It showed a few examples of artworks included in each itinerary, such as Arnaldo Pomodoro's sculpture Wing Beat from "Traces of Italy" and the painting Rome From The Tiber by Giovanni Battista Lusieri from "P as adena: an Italian Journey." The demo also illus- trated how to browse through the art pieces and tours, maps, and audio and video clips provided by many collaborating institu- tions – public bodies , local museums, cultural centers, uni- versities - and companies both in Italy and the U.S. The latest tour, released in early December, is entitled "L.A. Italian Heritage: People, Stories, and P laces of the Italian Immigration in Los Angeles." Dedicated to the Italian settle- ment in the city, it focuses on the D ow ntow n area hos ting S t. Peter's Italian Church, the Italian A merican M us eum of Los Angeles, the Italian Hall, Leo Politi's mural at the plaza of Olvera Street, but also on Sam Rodia's Watts Towers and the city of San Pedro. Unlike the previous ones, this particular itinerary features a number of interviews with scholars and rep- res entatives of the Italian A merican community, w ho shared their studies on the histo- ry of Italian immigration in California as well as their per- sonal life experiences. Among them are Marianna Gatto, histo- rian and IA M LA Executive Director, and Marisa Antonini, President of the Marisa Antonini Foundation. UCLA Department of Italian Professor and Chair Thomas Harrison, Italian Oral History Institute President and Executive Director Luisa Del Giudice, and Marianna Gatto also contributed by providing archive materials and pictures. The presentation was accom- panied by live music perfor- mances by L.A. Opera concert- master Roberto Cani, guitarist Giuseppe Patanè, and American actor and musician Lee Curreri (Fame, 1982), who played A Charlie Brown Christmas by Italian A merican compos er Vince Guaraldi on the piano. A festive atmosphere was also cre- ated by the big Christmas tree and the traditional nativity scene, designed by Sicilian artist Elisa Messina and donated to the IIC by the late Mirella Ventress. The nice evening was also the occasion to wish happy holidays and to say goodbye to Michela Magrì, whose mandate in the U.S. is about to end. She thanked all the IIC members, guests, and generous sponsors who have supported its activities over the last few years, including the lat- est FRAU Shoes, whose store has recently opened at Westfield Century City. The IIC special gift for the Holidays: a new art tour with the app Italy Art L.A. SILVIA SIMONETTI Ann Potenza, Consul General Antonio Verde, Mrs. and Mr. Carmelo Sabatello Mike Sinclair, Ann Potenza, Robert Barbera, Consul General Antonio Verde, Jo Barbera, Louis DiCenzo Lee Curreri, Roberto Cani, Michela Magrì, Giuseppe Patanè, and Alessandro Marianantoni

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