November 18, 2024
St. John’s University hosted a tribute to centuries worth of contributions to New York City made by Italian Americans at a ceremony at the D’Angelo Center on October 23.
The Italian Heritage and Culture Month celebration drew more than 200 people to the Queens, NY, campus, who came to recognize the enduring mark of Italian immigrants on the landscape of St. John’s home city.
Among the dignitaries to attend was Honorable Donovan Richards Jr., Queens Borough President, and Joseph Sciame ’71Ed, President and Chair of the Italian Heritage and Culture Committee of New York, Inc.
“From its devotion to family to its dedication to preserving culture, there’s no community like Queens’ Italian American community,” Borough President Richards said. “The ‘World’s Borough’ simply would not be the diverse and dynamic place it is without the longstanding influence and contributions of Italian Americans—a community we are proud to celebrate every year.”
The celebration recognized the 500th anniversary of Giovanni da Verrazzano’s entrance into New York Harbor in April 1524. The Florentine navigator’s legacy is enshrined in the bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island, NY, that bears his name.
“We were delighted to see the incredible turnout of guests at St. John’s University, especially in the presence of the borough president,” said Mr. Sciame, the University’s retired Vice President, Office of Community Relations. “The 2024 ceremony and awards presentation was most encouraging with enthusiasm and interest galore.”
The committee honored five people for their contributions to Italian American culture, including four St. John’s alumni. The honorees were
- Almerinda Forte, Ph.D. ’83CBA, ’86MBA, Professor, Department of Administration and Economics, The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies
- Christopher Mendolia ’90C, Assistant Principal, St. Francis Preparatory School, Fresh Meadows, NY
- Dom Scala ’15TCB, baseball coach and scout
- Albert Silvestri ’06CPS,’07G, Deputy Queens Borough Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation
- MaryAnn Stokolosa Busso, retired journalist formerly with Bloomberg News