Bill Text: NY K00480 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the American Italian Heritage Association

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-03 - adopted [K00480 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-K00480-Introduced.html

Assembly Resolution No. 480

BY: M. of A. Ra

        COMMEMORATING the 40th Anniversary of the American
        Italian Heritage Association

  WHEREAS,  It is the custom of this Legislative Body, in keeping with
its time-honored traditions, to  recognize  and  pay  tribute  to  those
organizations  and  individuals  who foster ethnic pride and enhance the
profile of cultural  diversity  which  strengthens  the  fabric  of  the
communities of New York State; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
commemorate  the  40th  Anniversary  of  the  American  Italian Heritage
Association, the 10th Anniversary of the Museum being located in Albany,
and the 5th Anniversary of the Cultural Center, to be celebrated with  a
Gala on Thursday, September 12, 2019; Ronald Canestrari, NYS Assemblyman
from  1989-2012  and  Victoria  Graffeo, Associate Justice, NYS Court of
Appeals from 2000-2014, will serve as Dinner Co-Chairs; and

  WHEREAS, The seeds for the American  Italian  Heritage  Association,
Museum  and  Cultural  Center  were  planted  40  years ago when, at the
request of Philip DiNovo, eight  professors  gathered  at  the  Syracuse
University Law Department lounge to discuss the best way to preserve the
Italian  culture,  ethnicity  and  history  for  future  generations  to
cultivate; and

  WHEREAS, The American Italian Heritage Association was chartered and
formally established on June 12, 1979, in the Madison County Village  of
Morrisville,  Town  of  Eaton,  New York, with the expressed purpose and
mission to record and preserve  the  blessed  Italian  heritage;  Philip
DiNovo is the first and current President of the association; and

  WHEREAS,  While Philip DiNovo was living in Morrisville, the largest
Italian population was 30 miles away in Utica; he thought this would  be
the  perfect  place  to  begin  building  the  first  incarnation of the
American Italian Museum; he found a  former  church  in  Utica's  Little
Italy section and this was the home of the museum for 13 years from 1985
to 1998; and

  WHEREAS,  For 32 years, Philip DiNovo was chairman of the department
and a professor of Business Administration at Morrisville State College,
then known as Morrisville Agricultural and Technical College; and

  WHEREAS, In 1998, Philip DiNovo retired from teaching and  moved  to
Albany;  the artifacts he collected and displayed at the museum in Utica
were moved with him and plans for a national museum began; the  precious
artifacts  were  mothballed in storage as the museum began a rebirth and
took root at its current spot in the Town of Colonie; and

  WHEREAS, Purchased in 2004, it took five years to restore the  first
floor  of  the building as the museum, which was opened after an 11-year
hiatus, on October 4, 2009; and

  WHEREAS, The Cultural Center opened five years  ago  on  August  21,
2014,  after  another  five  year  renovation effort to bring the second
floor of the structure up to building code standards; and

  WHEREAS, An art gallery, memorial chapel, meeting space, library and
classroom  occupy the 1900 square-foot cultural center; Italian language
courses, cultural genealogy and cooking classes are also offered at  the
site; and

  WHEREAS, The American Italian Heritage Association is proud to honor
its  2019  award recipients: Dominick Patrignani, Labor Rights Defenders
Award; Thomas Nardacci,  Business  Leadership  Award;  Command  Sergeant
Major  Tom  Ciampolillo,  Veterans'  Bravery  Award;  La Rabinessa Liora
Koen-Sarano  Kelman,  Religion  Unity  Award;  Ron  and  Michele  Riggi,
Humanitarian  Award;  Professor Philip DiNovo, Public Service Dedication
Award; Giovanni Virgiglio, Education Achievement Award;  Terisina  Cosma
Mazzara-Boor,  Arts  Appreciation  Award; and Ric Orlando, Culinary Arts
Award; and

  WHEREAS, It  is  the  sense  of  this  Legislative  Body  that  when
associations  of  such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the  citizens
of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the  40th  Anniversary  of  the  American  Italian  Heritage
Association; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the American Italian Heritage Association.
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