PEP, December 2008: DC 37 celebrates Italian Heritage

Over 400 union members, with their families and friends, came together Oct. 18 to join in District Council 37’s 13th gala celebration of Italian Heritage Month. The annual extravaganza started with an abbondanza of delicious Italian food and moved on to an afternoon of dancing.

In keeping with the traditions of the event, DC 37 Italian Heritage Committee Chair Michael DeMarco welcomed the committee’s guests to Russo’s on the Bay in Queens and kept the speeches short.

“I want to thank our committee for working so hard to put on such a fantastic event,” said DeMarco, who is the president of New York City Traffic Employees Local 1455. “They come through for us every year to make sure that everyone has a good time. We couldn’t do this without them,” he said.

The committee began the month Oct. 1 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a program on Italian Americans in film (see story in box) at DC 37 headquarters in Manhattan.

“Today we’re all Italian American,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts. “The contributions made by the Italian American community to the labor movement in this country have been impressive, and the contributions of Italian American leaders and members to the growth of District Council 37 in particular have been extremely important.”

“It’s always an honor to be able to come here and share a nice afternoon with so many good friends,” said DC 37 Secretary and Local 1070 President Cliff Koppelman, who recalled growing up and listening to the mellow sounds of Frank Sinatra.

After the welcoming remarks and introduction of honored guests at the affair, the music was pumped up and participants danced the afternoon away.

— Alfredo Alvarado

Italian Americans on the big screen

Al Pacino, Sylvester Stallone and Frank Sinatra are just a few of the distinguished Italian American actors who have put their stamp on American film. Homage was paid to these icons of the silver screen Oct. 1 during the opening night of Italian Heritage Month at DC 37.

Participants were treated to a half-hour film montage highlighting scenes from classic Italian and American films featuring some of these legendary actors. The video was produced by Local 153 member Joe Lopez and Renee Conde, a Legal Assistant in the DC 37’s Municipal Employees Legal Service, working with members of the union’s Italian Heritage Committee.

“Whether it’s Rocky Balboa running the steps of City Hall in Philadelphia, Tony Manero strutting his stuff in a Brooklyn disco, or Michael Corleone taking over the family business, these images — etched in the collective memory of moviegoers around the world — wouldn’t have been possible without proud Italian Americans making them a reality,” said Lopez.

An Editorial Assistant at Public Employee Press, Lopez studied video editing at Iona College, where he majored in television production. He is a film buff who attends the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and several other film festivals around the country whenever he can.

Lopez assembled the film montage at home, using Final Cut Pro to edit the video.

For its debut, the packed gallery at the opening gave the Lopez and Conde film two thumbs up.

— A.A.