L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano T he Italian-American Heritage Month started in the best way with a special and touching Council presenta- tion by Councilman Joe Buscaino. The event was held at the L.A. City Hall, on October 12th, with the purpose of honor- ing the rich heritage of Americans of Italian descent and celebrating their contributions to American culture and society. This year's honorees, with their talent and sense of initiative, well represent the role of the Italian American community in L.A. They are the Riboli family of the San Antonio Winery, Ann Potenza Smith, Neal DiLeva, Jospehine Accetta and Paul Sorvino. Santo Cambianica founded the San Antonio Winery in 1917 on Lamar Street, dedicating it to his patron saint, Saint Anthony. In 1936, a young Stefano Riboli began apprenticing under his uncle Santo, quickly proving himself invaluable. San Antonio Winery is the last remaining win- ery in Downtown Los Angeles, a hidden gem and historical land- mark operating in the same com- munity where it was founded 100 years ago. Ann Potenza Smith got involved in the L.A. community fifteen years ago, first as a volun- teer, then as the executive direc- tor and event producer for the Feast of San Gennaro in Hollywood. The Feast eventually led Ann to join the Order Sons of Italy Hollywood lodge and also the Federated Italo-Americans, where she currently serves as a third-term President. In her touching speech, she explained her vision of Italian heritage, which has always been based on sharing love with family, being together, helping each other and having an open home to every- body. The third honoree was Neal DiLeva, who has been a member of the Italian Catholic Federation for the past thirty-eight years, serving as a trustee, first vice- president and, for the last twenty years, as president of the branch. The Italian Catholic Federation branch 115 was established at Mary Star of the Sea under the title "San Giovanni Giuseppe della Croce," the patron saint of the island of Ischia, Italy. Next up on stage was Josephine Accetta. In the early 1970's she became heavily involved in the St. Joseph Society, an Italian Catholic asso- ciation, that was founded in LA by her aunts. Today, St. Joseph Feast is celebrated at Mary Star of the Sea Church as well as other areas of Los Angeles every year on March 19th. The celebration includes a Mass, a procession and a meal prepared for the entire community. Last but not the least Paul Sorvino, a real showman, enchanted and amused the audi- ence with a fresh and captivating speech.The Brooklyn born actor performed on stage, on television and in movies with over 180 credits to his name. On the big screen, he`s best known for his portrayal of tough guys and authority figures, in such standout performances as Paul Cicero in Martin Scorsese`s 1990 film "Goodfellas" and stressed-out police chief Capt. Edelson in William Friedkin`s 1980 drama "Cruising." The Consul General of Italy, Antonio Verde, called on stage by Councilman Joe Buscaino, concluded the evening with a thoughtful speech about the event and the bond between Italy and America: "We are here tonight not only to celebrate the Italian heritage but also the strong and vibrant Italian- American identi- ty. I am pleased to have the opportunity to congratulate those who have been honored this MARA OLIVETTA October in L.A: the Italian Heritage Month evening and salute the achieve- ments of Italian-Americans. Their contributions to the economical, socials and scientific progress of this country must always be remembered. Italian-Americans are the results of determination, capacity to face challenges, sacri- fice and creativity. October 12th, as you know, is the date com- monly associated with the discov- ery of America and, within this context, we also think of another Italian, Cristoforo Colombo. Of course, we respect all opinions but we continue to see his histori- cal figure as a symbol of what Italians have contributed to with their brawn and their brain. It is in this framework that we pay tribute to those who carry high the standards of their heritage and are committed to their American identity and their Italian roots. For me, representing the Italian government is also a rich oppor- tunity to reaffirm the deep friend- ship that exist between our coun- tries and thank the Italian- American community, which is at the center of this bond." Few touching moments and questions answered by Joe Buscaino during his speech. What does being Italian- American today mean? "On behalf of my generation and the current, I want to say thanks to the generation that raised us up with a lot of sacri- fices. The first generations who came here to America had to face a lot of difficulties; they started from the bottom so that we, their sons, daughters and grandkids could become respect- ed doctors, lawyers, bankers, businessmen and leaders. They all have showed us that hard work, love, respect and family are the ingredients of a wonderful life, so now it is our turn to ensure everything they thought us will remain part of our DNA for many generation to come. In modern society, it is very easy to lose our sense of culture, but now that we no longer have to face the struggle they suffered, we can use the extra energy to ensure the preservation of our culture and of who we really are." During your speech you talked about a new project coming up, a new "Little Italy" in San Pedro. Can you give us some more details about it? Yes, we have so many great organizations here today and so many celebrations that we can build from, including this one tonight, and this is why today I`d love to challenge our Italian- American community and engage each other to accomplice a couple of goals that will allow the Italian-American experience to be shared with this entire city of Los Angeles and beyond. In the past hundreds of years, Italian- American culture was cultivated and protected thanks to the estab- lishment of "Little Italy districts" in American cities. While New York has over 20 Little Italy dis- tricts and other cities as Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Saint Louis all have Little Italies, Los Angeles doesn't have one and this is why today I am launching an effort to establish a Little Italy district in San Pedro. We do so because it is home to a large con- centration of original Italian Americans, but in order to estab- lish a Little Italy, our community must pursue enough Italian busi- nesses to come to San Pedro and work together to create a desir- able destination reflective of our culture. So we are planning to establish a non profit organization to bring Italian businesses togeth- er, and there is never been a bet- ter time because we are finally beginning to see that, thanks to redevelopment efforts, San Pedro is starting to boom again just like it did when Italians arrived here to work in the fishing industry 50 to 100 years ago. It is a great pro- ject and I hope all the Italian- American community will embrace it. Many attended councilman Buscaino's presentation at Los Angeles City Hall, on October 12th Councilman Joe Buscaino LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY From the left: Paul Sorvino, Neal DiLeva, Josephine Accetta, Joe Buscaino, Ann Potenza, Dante Colombatti and Chris Riboli Consul General of Italy, Antonio Verde

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