The New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission

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5. NJ Italian American Heritage Foundation News

December 15, 2005: “Foundation Plans for 2006”
The Operating Committee of the Foundation will be meeting on January 16, 2006, in order to firm up plans for the 2006 calendar year. The Foundation will escalate its fund-raising efforts by retaining a Director of Development in the New Year. The Foundation also plans to continue its fund-raising programs, in order to support the efforts of the Institute for Italian American Heritage Studies, governed by the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission. Since its inception in 2003, the Foundation has attracted a high-power Board of Trustees from the Who’s Who List of notable Italian American corporate officers, government officials and entrepreneurs throughout the State. The Foundation’s success comes from the dedication and commitment of its Founding Members and its Contributors and Donors.

November 14, 2005: “Foundation Operating Committee Convenes”
The Operating Committee of the Foundation reviewed the initial results from the Foundation’s fund-raising efforts and was pleased by the outcome. Executive Director A. Roger Marinzoli commented, “For the Foundation’s first-time gala, the event was a success bringing together over 300 Italian Americans to view for the first-time this NJN documentary entitled The Italian Americans of New Jersey: A Legacy of Achievement.” President Cocoziello echoed Mr. Marinzoli’s thoughts and commented that the evening provided an excellent forum to showcase the projects and programs supported by the Foundation. Mr. Marinzoli presented to the members the financial breakdown of the event. Upon the recommendation of Mr. Marinzoli and several members, the Committee unanimously decided to hire a Director of Development for calendar year 2006 who would focus on the fundraising campaign of the Foundation.

October 1, 2005: “Premiere Screening Successful Fund-Raiser”
The Operating Committee of the Foundation reviewed the initial results from the Foundation’s fund-raising efforts and was pleased by the outcome. Executive Director A. Roger Marinzoli commented, “For the Foundation’s first-time gala, the Italian American community came out in force to support the Foundation’s efforts to promote the Italian Heritage.” Mr. Marinzoli pointed out that over 20 tables were purchased by corporate sponsors, including major New Jersey banking, insurance, construction and utility firms. The event attracted over 300 high net worth Italian Americans from the fields of business, politics, the entertainment industry and the educational field. In addition, the Foundation raised money from a corporate advertisement book and by selling advertising slots in the actual film, which will be aired on October 10th and 15th to over 14 million potential viewers through NJN in New Jersey, New York City and Philadelphia.

September 26, 2005: “Foundation Hosts Premiere Screening”
In anticipation of the Premier Screening and documentary debut on NJN, The New Jersey Italian American Heritage Foundation, partnering with the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission, hosted the first screening of the new NJN film documentary entitled “A Legacy of Achievement: The Italian Americans in New Jersey”. This film was co-produced by the Foundation and NJN and was directed by Emmy Award-winning Italian American producer Mr. Louis Presti. Highlighting the values, virtues and traditions of New Jersey’s Italian Americans, this film promotes the positive contributions of Italians to New Jersey society. The event attracted over 300 guests from the worlds of business, government, education and the arts. Mr. Joseph Piscopo served as the Master of Ceremonies for the premiere screening and the evening’s honoree was Dr. John Petillo, the President of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The film will be broadcast to the public on NJN to over 14 million viewers on October 10th at 9pm and then again on October 15th at 3pm. The film is endorsed by the NJ Italian Commission as one of the first steps in combating the negative images of Italian Americans as portrayed in the media through positive media releases.

August 15, 2005: “New Foundation Board of Trustees Formed”
The New Jersey Italian American Heritage Foundation is pleased to announce its newly expanded Board of Trustees for the fiscal year 2005-2006. Calling upon prominent Italian American citizens of New Jersey to promote Italian Heritage through the Foundation’s work, the Foundation assembled a group of professionals from the worlds of business, government and education to manage the growth of the Foundation over the next several years. The Foundation is proud to welcome the new Board of Trustees: Peter J. Cocoziello (President), Salvatore A. Davino (Vice President), N. Larry Paragano (Treasurer), Frank Diassi, Governor Donald DiFrancesco, Dr. Robert Freda, Justice Maria Garibaldi, Angelo Genova, Esq., Angelo C. Morresi, Esq., Lucia Gibbons Napoli, Greg Niccolai, Thomas Pecora, Dr. John Petillo, Walter Ricciardi, Victor Richel, Dr. Anthony Sartor, Tina Segali, Lois Van Deusen, Frank Vecchione, Esq. and Ted Zangari, Esq.

July 2, 2005: “Foundation Sponsorship Process Underway”
In anticipation of its Premier Screening and documentary debut on NJN, the Foundation will offer several sponsorship opportunities for corporations, businesses and individuals throughout the State of New Jersey regarding the production of the “The Italian Americans of New Jersey: A Legacy of Achievement”. The opportunities will consist of sponsorship of the Premier Screening event that will take place on Monday, September 26th at the Villa in Mountain Lakes, sponsorship of the film on NJN and purchasing an advertisement in the Premier Screening ad journal. The Board is in the process of soliciting sponsorships for this event and has produced a film pricing package for all potential sponsors. For more information regarding these opportunities, please contact the Foundation at 732-932-0670/1.

June 17, 2005: “Italian Tastings Fundraisers During Month of June”
In an effort to increase donor support, the Foundation will hold a series of dinners at Il Capriccio restaurant in Whippany, New Jersey over the next several weeks. Vice President of the Foundation Larry Paragono is scheduled to welcome attendees while Dr. Robert Freda will present the programs and projects currently being sponsored by the Foundation. The dinners are scheduled for June 20th, 21st and June 28th from 6-9pm. Additionally, the Foundation will present to attendees the trailer for the NJN documentary “The Italian Americans of New Jersey: A Legacy of Achievement”. Associate Director Anthony Carabelli will inform the attendees of film sponsorship and premier screening opportunities and other ways to support the Foundation’s activities.

June 2, 2005: “Italian Art Through the Ages Fund-Raiser Held”
The New Jersey Italian American Heritage Foundation and The Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University held an exclusive evening event yesterday entitled Italian Art Through the Ages. The gathering, in honor of the celebration of the Festa della Repubblica (Founding of the Italian Republic), showcased the programs of the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission, which are financially supported by the Foundation.
The fund-raising cocktail reception was hosted at one of the largest university museums in the country – Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Art Museum. The short program featured introductions to Rutgers University’s Italian, Italian Studies and Italian Art History Departments and included a presentation on a special Baroque painting exhibition from Naples (featuring renown 17th century artists, such as Caravaggio, Gentileschi, and Ribera), planned for 2007. The evening concluded with a private tour of the Museum’s Italian and Italian American collections.

May 23, 2005: “Foundation Board Moves to Expand Membership”
During a recent Foundation meeting, the Board agreed unanimously to expand the size of its Board to approximately 20 members. The Foundation will seek to attract individuals who are officials on some of the major corporations throughout the State, prominent Italian American citizens and former government officials. The expansion will also better promote the programs and objectives of the Foundation, and, at that same time, increase financial support. The Foundation will invite some of the new members to attend the June 1st Foundation meeting at Winants Hall (Rutgers University).

April 1, 2005: “Italians of New Jersey Trailer Ready for Distribution”
The DVD trailer of the NJN production The Italians Americans of New Jersey: A Legacy of Achievement is currently ready for distribution and will be used as marketing material for the 30-minute documentary that will air on NJN October 9th. This DVD was produced by Lou Presti of NJN and Roger Marinzoli of the Italian Commission. The trailer highlights the virtues of the Italian Americans of New Jersey and showcases the achievements of individuals from all walks of life.

March 2, 2005: “Italian Tastings Fundraisers Planned for 2005”
The Foundation is continuing its “Italian Tastings: A Celebration of Italian Heritage” dinners in 2005. These dinners are designed to showcase the many fine Italian restaurants in the State and treat guests to the wide diversity of Italian regional cuisine and newly imported Italian wines. At these dinners, the Foundation presents its various programs and the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission provides presentations on differing cultural and educational topics. The first dinner event will be hosted by Chef Tony Grande at Il Cappriccio Restaurant in Whippany, New Jersey on March 30, 2005. For more information, please contact Mr. Anthony Carabelli at 732-932-0670.

February 25, 2005: “NJN Broadcast of Documentary Set for October 9th”
NJN has set its on-air broadcast date for the documentary “The Italian Americans of New Jersey: A Legacy of Achievement” for October 9th, which coincides with Italian Heritage Month in October. The Documentary is a joint production by NJN and the Foundation and features the virtues and achievements of New Jersey’s Italian American community. Mr. Lou Presti, an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, is producing the documentary, which features some of New Jersey’s prominent Italian American citizens.

January 20, 2005: “Documentary Premiere Set for September 15, 2005”
The NJN documentary “The Italian Americans of New Jersey: A Legacy of Achievement” will premier at an exclusive NJ Italian American Foundation Screening, to be held in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, on Thursday evening, September 15, 2005. This film, a co-production of the Foundation and NJN, presents the positive cultural values of New Jersey’s Italian American community and highlights some of New Jersey’s successful professionals, scholars and artists. The film was developed by the Foundation with the intent of countering the negative stereotyping of Italian Americans in the media and is a major milestone in promoting positive role models for New Jersey’s youth. The Screening will feature a second documentary (the proceedings of the Real Stories Discrimination Conference held at Seton Hall on December 4, 2004), a regional wine tasting, a regional dinner extravaganza and a silent auction of Italian and Italian American artwork. Seating is limited, so please contact Mr. Anthony Carabelli at 732-932-0670 to reserve tickets in advance of the September event.

December 6, 2004: “Foundation Sponsorship of Discrimination Conference”
The “Real Stories in the History of Italian American Discrimination” Conference hosted by the Alberto Institute of Seton Hall on December 4, 2004, was made possible through a grant from the NJ Italian American Heritage Foundation. This event, which drew national press attention, over 300 scholars, celebrities and interested individuals was a resounding success, as it highlighted the media images confronting Italian Americans today. The Foundation’s contribution enabled a documentary to be produced from the conference, which covers the day’s proceedings and historical issues faced by Italian Americans.

November 15, 2004: “2005 Foundation Events Approved”
At a regular board meeting in November, the Foundation Board laid out its event plans for calendar year 2005. The major event will be a premier screening of the jointly produced NJN documentary named “The Italian Americans of New Jersey: A Legacy of Achievement”. The Foundation will also continue its Italian Tastings dinner events and look to host two exclusive events that celebrate the achievement of Italian Americans and promote Italian culture.

October 25, 2004: “1st NJ Congress Sponsored by Foundation”
The very successful 1st NJ Congress of Italian American Organizations, held at Rutgers University in New Brunswick on October 23, 2004, was made possible through substantial financial assistance from the NJ Italian American Heritage Foundation. As part of its mission of funding educational programs, the Foundation provided a major portion of the funding for the labor and personnel costs required to organize the conference. “The Foundation’s objective is to become a statewide vehicle to develop large-scale programs of interest for the Italian American community of New Jersey,” commented Peter Cocoziello, Chairman of the Foundation. “Our Board believed that helping the NJ Italian American community organize itself and unifying their efforts is a major step in achieving greater Italian cultural awareness in the State.”

September 13, 2004: “Foundation Moving on Documentary”
The Foundation is in the process of filming and editing the NJN-produced documentary called the “Italians of New Jersey”. This film captures the entry and rise of Italian Americans in New Jersey from their earliest roots, but focuses on the levels to which today’s Italian Americans have ascended. Hundreds of hours of shooting are completed with over 58 well-known Italian Americans in NJ having been interviewed. The Foundation is planning a Fall release of a trailer at the 1st New Jersey Congress of Italian American Organizations and is expected to launch the documentary with a premier 1st Screening next year.

August 30, 2004: “Foundation Launches New Website”
The New Jersey Italian American Foundation launched a website, which will serve to better communicate its programs and activities to the Italian American community. As the website expands, sections will provide community information about Italian American events around the State of New Jersey as well as links to other organizations that promote the Italian and Italian American culture. The new website address is www.italiannewjersey.com
August 25, 2004: “Casa Italiana Task Force Reviews Development Plans”
The Casa Italiana Task Force met at Rutgers University to assess the progress of the plans to develop the “Casa Italiana”, a statewide cultural center being developed in conjunction with Rutgers University. The Casa Italiana is expected to be a large facility and is expected to house offices of the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission, the New Jersey Italian American Heritage Institute, some offices of the Italian Studies Program and some offices of the Department of Italian. The Casa Italiana will also have facilities for public and private lectures, art exhibits and a library. At this meeting, the Task Force reviewed contractual arrangements, specifications and began laying the groundwork for a fund-raising campaign for the facility. The tentative completion target date has been estimated to be the summer of 2007.

August 9, 2004: “Foundation Plans 2nd Half Fund-Raising Campaigns”
The Foundation, chaired by Mr. Peter Cocoziello, conducted a regular meeting to discuss programs and plans for the current Fiscal Year 2004-2005. The Foundation reviewed proposals for several potential fund-raising events and plans to host a number of fund-raising campaigns for its various programs, beginning in the late Fall. Several campaigns will be launched, including programs to fund the the NJN Documentary on the Italians in New Jersey.

July 12, 2004: “Casa Italiana Task Force Reviews Architectural Renderings”
The Casa Italiana Task Force met at Rutgers University to review several architectural renderings for the future “Casa Italiana”, a statewide cultural center being developed in conjunction with Rutgers University. The Casa Italiana is expected to be a large facility and is expected to house offices of the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission, the New Jersey Italian American Heritage Institute, some offices of the Italian Studies Program and some offices of the Department of Italian. The Casa Italiana will also have facilities for public and private lectures, art exhibits and a library.

July 12, 2004: “Foundation Assesses Cultural Exchange Proposals”
The Foundation, chaired by Mr. Peter Cocoziello, conducted a regular meeting to discuss a series of potential proposals regarding cultural exchanges between New Jersey and Italy. Following suggestions developed by the Commission’s Italian Cultural and Commercial Exchange Council, the Foundation considered several ideas designed to bring museum displays and performing arts events to New Jersey. The Foundation will complete its assessment and recommend ideas to the Commission.

July 7, 2004 “Foundation Scholarships Awarded ”
The Italian Teachers Association of New Jersey (ITANJ), a chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Italian (AATI), awarded four summer scholarships to the Universita per Stranieri of Siena with the generous funding the New Jersey Italian American Heritage Foundation. The scholarships were awarded during ITANJ's annual Scholarship Dinner on Sunday, June 13, 2004, at Casa Giuseppe in Iselin. Attendees at the dinner included ITANJ members, proud parents, the scholarship winners and A. Roger Marinzoli, Executive Director of the NJ Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission. Three of the winners were all seniors at Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown: Elizabeth Washburn, Caitlin Powell and Geralyn DeFrancisco. Their Italian teacher is LIna Maraschi. The fourth winner, Sarah Sandow, is a junior at Montville High School. Her Italian teacher is Lisa Manfre. In addition to the scholarship, the students were also awarded cash for expenses during their stay in Siena. The intensive Italian language course they will be attending runs August 2-27. Trips to nearby Florence and other cities will complete the adventure.

June 14, 2004: “Foundation Assesses Commercial Exchange Possibilities”
The Foundation, chaired by Mr. Peter Cocoziello, conducted a regular meeting to review a series of potential proposals regarding commercial exchanges between New Jersey and Italy. Following suggestions developed by the Commission’s Italian Cultural and Commercial Exchange Council, the Foundation considered several ideas designed to host business conferences and possibly create a trade mission to Italy from New Jersey. The Foundation will complete its assessment and recommend ideas to the Commission. In addition, the Foundation agreed to assist the New Jersey World Trade Council to develop a conference on “Business with Italy”, to be held sometime in the Spring of next year.

June 18, 2004: “Casa Italiana Task Force Meets with Architects”
The Casa Italiana Task Force met at Rutgers University with several outside architects to discuss design and construction plans for the future “Casa Italiana”, a statewide cultural center being developed in conjunction with Rutgers University. The Casa Italiana is expected to be a large facility and is expected to house offices for a variety of Italian and Italian American institutions and to host facilities for the Italian American community.

June 1, 2004: “Casa Italiana Task Force Coordinates with Rutgers”
The Casa Italiana Task Force met at Rutgers University with several representatives of Rutgers University to discuss the possibility of developing the future “Casa Italiana”, a statewide cultural center expected to house offices for a variety of Italian and Italian American institutions and to host facilities for the Italian American community. At this meeting, the University agreed to preliminarily move forward with this project.
May 23, 2004: “Foundation Hosts Annual Founder’s Dinner”
The Foundation hosted its annual founder’s dinner at “Il Cappriccio” restaurant in Whippany, NJ. This fundraising event was part of the Foundation’s “Italian Tastings: A Celebration of Italian Heritage” dinners and was hosted by Chef Tony Grande. The NJ Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission was invited to present a review of its activities and the attendees engaged in a discussion of their personal experiences regarding Italian Heritage and culture.

May 10, 2004: “Foundation Approves Publication of Poetry Book”
The Foundation, chaired by Mr. Peter Cocoziello, conducted a regular meeting to review the status of the programs that it funded for Fiscal Year 2003-2004. One of the most important programs for which the Foundation provided funding was the New Jersey Italian American Heritage Institute’s publication of a bilingual contemporary poetry book entitled “Binding the Lands, Present Day Poets, Present Day Poetry”, edited by Dr. Alessandro Vettori of Rutgers University and Dr. Alessandro Carrera of the University of Houston. This work features poems written by Italians and Italian Americans in both English and Italian and contains sections on poetry interpretation. The Foundation hopes that this work not only introduces works of contemporary poetry to the NJ community, but will seek to introduce it to NJ Italian language teachers as a teaching. This work will be available in the fall from the Institute and is published by CADMO of Florence, Italy.
April 12, 2004: “Foundation Plans Gala Fund-Raiser Event for Next Year”
The Foundation, chaired by Mr. Peter Cocoziello, conducted a regular meeting to plan a major fund-raising gala event in 2005. This event is expected to bring together a large number of prominent Italian Americans from New Jersey to celebrate and promote the Italian and Italian American Heritage. The Foundation will be developing plans over the balance of this year and expects to announce details at the beginning of next year.

March 22, 2004: “Foundation Hosts 3rd Italian Tastings Evening”
The New Jersey Italian American Heritage Foundation hosted its third Italian Tastings: “A Celebration of Italian Culture” at Il Mondo Vecchio restaurant in Madison, NJ. The event was a fundraiser organized by Mr. Ted Zangari, who is one of the Founders, and featured presentations by the New Jersey Italian and Italian Heritage Commission and discussions of personal experiences regarding Italian Heritage and culture.

March 17, 2004: “Foundation Appropriates Money for Institute Programs”
The Foundation, chaired by Mr. Peter Cocoziello, conducted a regular meeting to appropriate funding for projects presented by the New Jersey Italian and Italian American Heritage Commission and the New Jersey Italian American Heritage Institute. These projects include: 1) the co-sponsorship of Italian Heritage Day (a student conference organized by the Italian Teachers Association of New Jersey); 2) co-sponsorship of Scuola Fantasia (a children’s Italian summer school at Montclair State University); 3) sponsorship of a panel discussion at the Northeastern Conference on Teaching Foreign Languages in New York; 4) co-sponsorship of Teach the Teachers’ Day (teacher conference developed by NIAF, Montclair State and the Coccia Institute); 5) co-sponsorship of a conference on the History of Italian American Discrimination at Seton Hall University; and 6) co-sponsorship of the Age of Galileo conference at Rutgers University. Recipients of this funding will be expected to report back to the Foundation to appraise the Foundation of the impact of each program.

February 18, 2004: “Foundation Meets w/ NJN Producer for Documentary”
The Foundation, chaired by Mr. Peter Cocoziello, conducted a regular meeting to discuss the progress of the production of “the Italians of New Jersey”, a New Jersey Network documentary that captures the entry and rise of Italian Americans in New Jersey from their earliest roots. The shooting for this film will take place over the course of the year, and the film’s producer, Mr. Lou Presti, expects to complete editing in time for release during 2005.

February 12, 2004: “Casa Italiana Task Force Examines Feasibility”
The Casa Italiana Task Force met at Rutgers University with several representatives of Rutgers University to discuss a proposal for the development of a statewide cultural center known as Casa Italiana. At this meeting, members of the Task Force discussed issues such as a construction timetable, the details of the facilities and possible funding sources. The Task Force intends to continue to meet regularly during the summer months to develop the project further.
January 12, 2004: “Foundation Reviews Status of Casa Italiana Development”
The Foundation, chaired by Mr. Peter Cocoziello, held its first 2004 meeting. The Foundation reviewed its fund-raising events held in 2003 and considered various program proposals from the NJ Italian American Heritage Institute and from outside sources. Foundation Board Members also laid plans for the possible development of a “Casa Italiana”, a statewide cultural center that could be hosted at Rutgers University.