President Barack Obama addressed the audience,
including many NIABA members,
at the NIAF 36th Annual Convention and Gala.
NIABA held its fall board meetings during the weekend of October 28-29, 2011 in Washington, D.C. and once again participated and shared in the NIAF 36th Annual Gala, affording NIABA board members and guests once again with the opportunity to network with a host of Italians from abroad as well as Italian Americans from every rank and position, all in celebration continuously of our Italian American heritage and culture.
Once again NIABA’s President had the privilege and honor of being seated on the dais for the annual black tie ballroom dinner, hosting approximately 2,500 people in the International Ballroom of the Washington Hilton Hotel. The President of NIABA was one of 60 people on a three tiered dais, including but not limited to Janet Napolitano, the Director of Homeland Security, United States Congressional Representative Nancy Pelosi and others from the political ranks. Also present on the dais were Frankie Avalon, Dion Dimucci of Dion and the Belmonts, Fabio and other celebrities. Included also were Signore Salvatore Mancuso, head of the Alitala Airlines, Santo Versace (President of Gianni Versace, S.P.A., based in Milan, Italy) of the Versace Family, well known in the fashion industry, and many notables from Italy and the States, including Francesco Cascio, the President of the Regional Assembly of Sicily, John DeNapoli, the National President of UNICO and many others.
Most notably besides the honored dais members present, President Barack Obama himself made an appearance and gave a presentation to the assembled crowd of Italian Americans, recognizing the contributions of Italian Americans to this country, historically and currently. President Obama jokingly recognized that although he was not of the same heritage as we, that his last name did end in a vowel.
NIAF graciously offered us conference rooms for our board meetings that were conducted on a Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Our NIABA President had the privilege and honor also to co-present the jointly funded scholarship in the total amount of $5,000 to the recipient selected amongst the applicants, Mr. Nat Guerriera from Brooklyn, New York, who is currently studying at the New York Law School.
At our board meetings we were joined by guest Attorney Paul G. Finizio, a NIABA member, but also a NIAF Area Coordinator for the Southeast Region, who introduced us to a new member, Valerio Spinaci, who is of Italian birth and licensed to practice law in Italy and in the United States.
Additionally, we were honored to have a former member of NIABA, Tom Mazziotti from Atlanta, Georgia, join us at one of our board meetings with interest to developing more connections with the Atlanta, Georgia area.
NIAF also graced us with complimentary tickets to the Friday evening Martini Special Music Event, providing open bar for martinis, pasta and music in the International Ballroom, with a chance to network with the hundreds of folks in attendance.
Although the NIABA board did not meet in Naples, Italy, we had excellent weather and a great reception thanks to the host Floridian attorneys Dominic Lucarelli and Paul Finizio in Naples, Florida. Our Florida board member, Danny Stallone, gave heartwarming testimony to the nurturing and expansion of professional and familial-like networking based in the charming Bayfront Inn on 5th Avenue (the Rodeo Drive of Naples) in Naples, Florida.
