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Public Employee Press
Italian Heritage Celebration Contributing
to America The
DC 37 Italian Heritage Committee kicked off its 11th annual celebration Oct. 5
with their traditional ribbon-cutting at union headquarters. It
feels a little like Italy here, said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts
at the opening ceremony. This union and the history of DC 37 were built
on the backs of Italian laborers. We should applaud them for giving us such a
great foundation to build on. That foundation was laid when millions
of Italians came to New York in a huge wave of immigration in the early 1900s.
Many of the women worked in the garment trades, and men in construction, where
they helped found and build powerful unions. As Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia
tried to base city hiring less on politics and more on qualifications, many from
the second generation entered the civil service andbecame the core of a number
of DC 37 locals. A proud tradition
Traffic Employees Local 1455 President Michael DeMarco, chair of the DC 37 Italian
Heritage Committee, acknowledged the hard work of thecommittee members at the
opening ceremony. Without them I wouldnt be standing here, he
said. The committee coordinated the annual dinner-dance at Russos
On The Bay, in Howard Beach, Queens on Oct. 14, and a tribute in the DC 37 lobby
to distinguished Italian-Americans in sports, music, film and science.
At the Saturday dinner-dance, after some brief welcoming remarks from Roberts
and DeMarco, about 400 union members and their families enjoyed an afternoon of
delicious appetizers, tasty dishes and dancing to help work off the hearty meal.
Numerous local presidents and former committee Co-chair Diane Savino, now
a state senator, joined the festivities. This is a tradition that
we are very proud to share with everyone and we hope that it continues for years
to come, said DeMarco. Alfredo
Alvarado | |