This year’s Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus did not pass unnoticed or forgotten even by those who profess otherwise.
But still another page has been extirpated from the program usually associated with such an unforgettable event: in place of the traditional dinner-dance, in the course of which a couple of Americans of Italian extraction would be honored with the Columbian Award, the 65th celebration in the annals of the Federated Italo-Americans of Southern California was instead, a Columbus Day Family Festival and the 621st in the history of the world attracted, give or take a few, about 275 people, most of whom Italian Americans at Casa Italiana, next to St. Peter’s Italian Church, where the clergy had intoned its praises to the Lord along with the devoted.
The rest of our countrymen and Italian Americans, nearly a half million, chose to stay home harboring nary a thought to the Great Navigator and the equally Great Discovery that changed not only the physiognomy of the entire world as well as entire destinies.
Parenthetically, we should cite one man present at Casa Italiana. His name is Cav. Andrew Asaro, 93 years young last July and the erstwhile president and founder of the late Sicilia Culturale Society, to whom we extended our fraternal embrace : “I would not have missed this for all the rice in China, he said. Were I to go to my reward before you, please see that I am remembered”.
Its obvious indeed. There are those who care deeply and those who care much less. Exhorting people to attend important functions such as these were also spoken and written by the President of the Federated, Mrs. Ann Potenza, who wrote: “We saved Columbus Day in California, so let us celebrate what we saved”. In case memory fails all of us, she was referring to an obscure politician who proposed not to have Columbus Day anymore and substitute with a Native American Day, a day already observed the last Friday in September. As it stands today, 2013 is the Year of Italian Culture, October is “Italian Heritage Month” and Columbus Day remains intact.
THE CEREMONIES
Following the religious services in the church, the United Lodges of Southern California of the Order Sons of Italy in America conducted a civic ceremony at Casa Italiana begun by the welcoming words of the Federated’ Vice President Vita Zaccaria, followed by the National Anthems of Italy and these United States, sung by soprano Nina Lomonaco Perez, who was accompanied by pianist Keiko Halop.
The ceremony included the Honor Guard offered by Monroe High School, the Knights of Columbus headed by Ron Manna, the Pledge of Allegiance intoned by Immediate Past President of the Federated, Rosemarie Biagetti Vanderhaar, and the fervent invocation of the pastor of St. Peter’s Italian Church, Rev. Louis Piran.
The keynote Columbian speech of the Vice President of the O.S.I.A.’s United Lodges of Southern California, Carmine Baffo, had many good moments of vast interest, and all the participants were duly introduced by perennial MC Andrew Pampuro, the editor of the State of California’s Sons of Italy’s “Il Leone”.
In lieu of the Consul General of Italy, Hon. Giuseppe Perrone, the Italian Government was represented by Consular Representative Ms. Irene Buongiorno, whose words preceded those of the President of O.S.I.A.’s United Lodges of Southern California, Gabe Domenici.
Perhaps, the most concise words were expressed by the President of the Federated Italo-Americans, Ms. Ann Potenza, who spoke with such warmth and with such abandon.
She was followed by other speakers: Ted Seibel, 3rd Vice President of the State’s O.S.I.A., and finally by Vita Zaccaria. Columbus and Queen Isabella were enacted by Marco Pantano and Jennifer Mansueto.
It was that kind of afternoon, also remembered by the word picture of Nina Lomonaco Perez of Dino Crocetti (Dean Martin), and the young Italian Kindergarten students of Franklin Elementary Magnet School as they cavorted smartly in the hall to everyone’s applauses.
The afternoon ended with a delightful cold lunch prepared by the Portofino Restaurant of Federated’s Past President Nick D’Egidio.
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