NIAF 31st Anniversary Awards Gala and Annual Convention
October 20-21, 2006

Held at the luxurious Hilton Washington & Towers in the nation’s capital, NIAF’s yearly national gathering -- an event that attracts over 3,000 people -- features two days of events for young and old. Some of the weekend’s highlights include:

• An addition to NIAF’s weekend festivities is the first Piazza d’Italia, a two-day event celebrating the culture of Italy’s world-famous pedestrian squares. Piazza d’Italia will offer various wine and food tastings, a fashion presentation, musical performances, and a cooking demonstration by Fabrizio Bottero, executive chef for Cuisinart and Waring’s Professional Food Service Division, among other attractions. Find more information right away!

• U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito Jr., will join other renowned legal professionals to participate in a panel discussion about “Judicial Independence” sponsored by the NIAF Institute for International Law and the National Italian American Bar Association (NIABA). Our list of panelists, in addition to registration information, can be found without leaving your desk.

• NIAF’s annual gala and convention have a long history as a family affair and 2006 is no different. The new Renaissance Kids’ Club is being offered to children and teens ages 7-17. Beginning on Friday evening, October 20, Renaissance Kids’ Club is free for children of gala attendees, but space is limited. For details, availability, and registration, contact Serena Cantoni via e-mail at serena@niaf.org.

• The weekend’s main attraction is the NIAF 31st Anniversary Gala Awards Dinner. The finale will feature a number of celebrity supporters and other successful Italian-Americans. NIAF will honor a variety of Italian Americans for outstanding achievements in business, entertainment, law, and philanthropy at our 31st Anniversary Gala Awards Dinner. Learn who is involved and how you can participate today.

NIAF and Maserati USA Launch Promotion

World-renowned Italian auto maker Maserati has teamed up with NIAF to raffle off a brand new Maserati Quattroporte. The raffle will be held on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 following the NIAF Gala Convention weekend in Washington, D.C. (Winner need not be present to win.) The latest version of the Quattroporte was unveiled in the United States in 2003. It has made cameos in the HBO series “Entourage” and is often the luxury car of choice for former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (source).

 

Visit us for your chance to own a touch of the allure of the Maserati Quattroporte.

Thirteenth Annual NIAF Youth Retreat Just as Successful as Previous 12

The City of Brotherly Love hosted this year’s NIAF Youth Retreat and, as its nickname suggests, Philadelphia truly welcomed the 50 participants with open arms. The Sheraton Society Hill Hotel, located in one of Philadelphia’s most attractive Center City neighborhoods, acted as home-base for the retreat, housing the participants and hosting the Saturday morning seminars on Italian-American history and Italian citizenship.

A Friday evening dinner was held at Aldo Lamberti’s Positano Coast Ristorante, a beautiful slice of Italy’s Amalfi Coast in the heart of urban America. Saturday’s schedule included a tour of the historic neighborhood of Tacony, which was originally settled by immigrants from the southwest region of Calabria. The weekend concluded on Sunday morning with a “Chef’s Tour” of Philadelphia’s famous Italian market. Historian Louise Cianfero-Simpson led the group on an hour and ½ walk through the open-air markets and tiny shops.

Inside Italy:

The Italian Serie A soccer league swung into action on Saturday, September 9 as the first games of the season got underway. Last year’s league champions picked up where they left off – winning. On Saturday, Inter Milan beat Fiorentina 3-2, AS Rome notched a 2-nil blanking of Livorno, while AC Milan topped Lazio 2-1. The start of the season had been eagerly anticipated, especially after it had been delayed for two weeks due to the legalities involving the match-fixing scandal. For all the Italian football news, notes, stats and scores, visit the official league Web site.

 

For the latest NIAF news and in-depth details of all the Foundation offers, be sure to visit our Web site: www.niaf.org

Jeffrey DiNunzio
eNewsletter Coordinator
enews@niaf.org