Photo Courtesy of the Queens Borough President’s Office
St. John’s University and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz last week hosted a celebration of Italian-American heritage on the school’s Utopia Parkway campus.
Katz presented citations of honor to five Italian Americans “in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the community”: Dr. Robert Mangione, provost of St. John’s University (third from l.); J. P. DiTroia, president of the U.S. Columbariam at Fresh Pond Crematory (fourth from l.); Italian-American leader Tony DiPiazza (fourth from r.); Carolyn Reres, state president of the New York Grand Lodge of the Order of Sons of Italy in America (third from r.); and Queens Poet Laureate Maria Lisella. Also shown are Joseph Sciame, vice president for Community Relations and Chair of the Italian Cultural Center at St. John’s (second from l.);, and Chiara Saulle, vice consul of the Italian Consulate in New York (far l.).
