Senator Farley Salutes Sons of Italy Lodge of Schenectady County

On October 18th, the Sons of Italy Lodge of Schenectady County celebrated its 100th anniversary. Senator Farley was pleased to present a NYS Senate resolution honoring such a great organization.

For more information, visit http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2015/oct/05/1005_scrapSons

Senator Farley’s resolution:

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in keeping with time-honored traditions of recognizing and paying tribute to those organizations which foster ethnic pride and enhance the profile of cultural diversity that strengthens the fabric of the communities of New York State; and

WHEREAS, The State of New York is justly proud to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge #321, Order Sons of Italy in America, which was celebrated on Saturday, March 28, 2015, at the Sons of Italy, Lodge Hall, Rotterdam, New York; and

WHEREAS, The Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) encourages the maintenance of Italian culture and language, as well as the assimilation into American social and political life; it has sponsored a wide variety of cultural, educational and charitable programs in furtherance of its mission, as well as countless Italian heritage events; and

WHEREAS, The Order Sons of Italy in America is the largest and oldest organization of men and women of Italian heritage in North America; it was established in New York City on June 22, 1905, by Vincenzo Sellara, M.D., and a small group of other prominent Italian professionals; for over 110 years, the Order Sons of Italy and its many local Lodges have been of service to the Italian American community throughout New York State and the Nation; and

WHEREAS, By 1925, the Italian population in the United States had increased to sustain several mutual aid societies; the Frappaolo brothers, Eugene Picone, and Alessandro Volpe recruited members for the Order Sons of Italy in America; and

WHEREAS, Today, OSIA has more than 600,000 members and a network of over 700 chapters coast to coast, making it the leading service and advocacy organization for the nation’s 26 million people of Italian descent; and

WHEREAS, This remarkable organization’s philanthropic arm, the Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF), was established by OSIA in 1959; to date, over $120 million has been given to scholarships, medical research, cultural preservation, disaster relief and other projects; its anti-defamation arm, the Commission for Social Justice (CSJ), is committed to fighting racism, prejudice and the stereotyping of all races, religions and cultures; and

WHEREAS, The Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge #321 was built on the original Order Sons of Italy in America principles of liberty, equality and fraternity; it affectionately offers assistance to all and keeps alive the traditions of its ancestors; and

WHEREAS, Born on March 12, 1863, the Italian poet and patriot, Gabriele D'Annunzio (1863-1938) was known for his famous speeches at Quarto dei Mille and from the steps of Rome's Capitoline Hill; an active participant in World War I, he flew over Trieste (1915) and Vienna (1918) and lost the sight of an eye after a crash; ultimately, he became one of the most prolific writers of modern Italian literature; and

WHEREAS, The Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge received its charter on March 28, 1915 with Cassella Germano as its first Venerable; during this time, meetings were held at several locations throughout the City of Schenectady including Redmon’s Hall on Ferry Street, the Marconi Center on Park Place and a site at 415 Liberty Street; in 1952, the membership voted to purchase the two-story Liberty Street building which was mortgaged for $9,000; four years later, on October 13, 1956, at a Columbus Day celebration, the mortgage was burned; in 1965, the Liberty Street building underwent a massive expansion to 3,000 square feet with a seating capacity of 350 people; to accommodate its increasing membership, in March, 2007, the Lodge closed on the building that remains its present location at 2984 Hamburg Street in the Town of Rotterdam; presently, the Lodge boasts more than 500 members; and

WHEREAS, Today, after 100 years of invaluable service to local, state, and international charities along with scholarships and community outreach programs, and under the able leadership of its current President, Louis Fazzone, the Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge is a true asset to the community and continues to generously serve Schenectady County and beyond; and

WHEREAS, From its first major fundraising operation in 1956 when the Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge raised over $300,000 in gifts to the local community including the Red Cross, scholarship recipients, museum support, Boy Scout and Girl Scout activities, Little League baseball and many other organizations, this remarkable organization continues today to donate to and volunteer for causes concerning Alzheimer’s Disease, autism, arthritis, bone marrow, cancer research, Cooley’s Anemia, diabetes, the Commission For Social Justice, the Garibaldi Di Meucci Museum, Gift of Sight, the American Heart Association, the Northeast Children’s Association, Wounded Warriors, and Schenectady City Mission, to name a few; and

WHEREAS, In addition, Lodge #321 raised and contributed $5,630 to earthquake victims in Italy; in the fall of 2011, when Rotterdam Junction was devastated by tropical storms Irene and Lee, the Lodge stepped up to the plate literally by preparing, delivering and serving 120 pounds of pasta, 300 meatballs, 30 pounds of sausage, 60 loaves of bread and 4 large sheet cakes, enough food to serve over 350 volunteers; and

WHEREAS, The success of the Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge is in direct correlation to the efforts of its members, past and present, whose involvement is, and always has been, characterized by an impressive commitment, an unbridled enthusiasm, and an uncompromising standard of excellence in all endeavors on behalf of the organization and the community it serves; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organizations 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 100th Anniversary of the Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge #321, Order Sons of Italy in America; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the Gabriele D’Annunzio Lodge, Order Sons of Italy in America, Rotterdam, New York.