After five months of negotiations and subsequent proposals, the Private Joseph F. Merrell Jr. - Father Vincent Capdoanno American Legion Post No. 1368, Staten Island, N.Y., was born. The new name became official on the afternoon of Feb. 27 during a solemn ceremony in the banquet room of Jody’s Club Forest in West Brighton — where more than 30 membe...

What an honor it was to host this young Italians event at the Watertown Piave Fiume Sons of Italy lodge. It was an electrifying experience where young, enthusiastic Italian-Americans made connections and wanted to work to write the next chapter of our beautiful Italian story. After a traditional Italian breakfast of espresso and sfogliatelle, we st...

When Father Adam Forno offered the opening prayer at Sgt. Bonanno Lodge, Order Sons & Daughters of Italy’s 40th anniversary, he noted how long it could take for then new Italian emigrants to be recognized. Fast forward, and the speaker and longtime lodge advocate is the daughter of a U.S. Army Infantry soldier and an Italian war bride, Palm Beach C...

Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Italian-American advocacy groups have criticized Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip’s campaign for referring to Suozzi as the “godfather of the border crisis.” The phrase “godfather,” particularly in usage against Italian-Americans, carries a negative stereotype of association with the Mafia, as a result of...

Geneva Lodge 2397, Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, continued its annual holiday tradition in 2023 of helping out local charitable organizations, in particular the Geneva Salvation Army and the Geneva Center of Concern. On Dec. 11, lodge members manned both entrances at the Geneva Walmart from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., ringing the bells for...

One of Glen Cove High School’s outstanding seniors, Virginia Graziosi, was honored at Loggia Glen Cove’s December Membership meeting. During the well-attended gathering, Marianne Prince, a representative of OSDIA (Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America) New York State Commission for Social Justice, presented Virginia Graziosi with a certifica...

When Dave Anthony Setteducati and his wife joined the local Sons of Italy lodge in Smithtown, NY several years ago, they were looking to make new friends that shared the same heritage. After all, Nassau and Suffolk counties have one of the largest numbers of Italian surnamed families in the country! Not only did they make many new connections, but...

During the annual assembly of the Rome Chapter of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA), Andrea Pietrini was elected President. Pietrini succeeds Massimo Cicatiello. Claudio Frasca, MBA SDA Bocconi and Immediate Past President of the Chapter, was appointed Vice President of the Rome Chapter."I am honored," Andrea Pietrini declare...

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Deputy Director of Veterans Services Joe Decaro attended a special Italian-American Veterans Ceremony hosted by the Sons and Daughters of Italy on Saturday, November 4th in the South End neighborhood of Springfield. Mayor Sarno states, “As we approach Veterans Day, I was honored to attend our annual Italian-American Veter...

While FDR had his fireside chats, I experienced porch side chats where I learned much about my heritage. It is well known that weekly Sunday suppers were a special time for large Italian families. It was a day of rest, except of course for Italian mothers — but they loved it, as they had an opportunity to enjoy the company of relatives and visiting...