The American Society of Italian Heritage held it annual Rising Star Banquet at DiChristina's Restaurant. The organization includes members from all parts of the Northshore and several south shore members as well. Guest speaker was Professor Anthony Margavio, former University of New Orleans, Loyola University, and Southeastern Louisiana University academic and author of Bread and Respect: The Italians of Louisiana published by Pelican Publishing Company in Gretna, La.

Dr. Margavio discussed the immigrant experience of the 70,000 Italian immigrants who arrived in the Port of New Orleans between 1898 and 1929. Often settling in rural areas, the immigrants became land owners and the "food kings" of Louisiana. Margavio used vignettes, family histories, the Census, newspaper reports of the time and other historical records to examine how Italian culture and immigrants gradually adapted to, became part of and influenced American culture.