New York’s NIAF Gala Celebrates Italian Culture

With over 25 million Italian Americans in the United States, the Italian-American community has a significant presence. A strong community needs strong leadership, and that’s exactly what the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) provides. One of the Foundation’s most important evenings all year is its New York Gala. The evening is a chance for Italians, Italian-Americans, and Italophiles to gather to celebrate the best that the Italian culture has to offer and to recognize the achievements of the Italian community in the U.S.

NIAF Board Member Charles Turano with NIAF President John Viola.

Mike Piazza and Bobby Valentine.

Chief Judge of the State of New York Janet DiFiore with New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The Sicilian Tenors.

The event will be held at Cipriani 42nd Steeet. Cipriani’s, as it’s commonly known, is an upscale restaurant located in the heart of Manhattan. The restaurant is renaissance inspired with its marble columns, high ceilings, and beautiful lighting. The event has consistently sold out over the past few years, and this year is no exception.

Attendees for the 2017 New York Gala include top business and political leaders from both the United States and Italy.

This year’s honorees include Shirley and Vernon Hill II (Founders of Metro Bank), Maria T. Vullo (Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services), Vincent A. Cino (Chairman of Jackson Lewis P.C.), Rossella Rago (host of the popular cooking show Cooking With Nonna), Anthony Cammarata Jr. (Managing Director of Goldman Sachs and member of the Corporate Services and Real Estate global management team), and Anthony Scaramucci (founder of global investment firm SkyBridge Capital).

In previous years, NIAF has hosted guests such Martin Scorsese, Sophia Loren, Al Pacino, Luciano Pavarotti, Giorgio Armani, Danny DeVito, Alan Alda, Maria Bartiromo, Mike Piazza, Joe Piscopo, and New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo who will be in attendance again this year to present the Mario M. Cuomo Award in Public Service.

For entertainment, guests will have the pleasure of seeing both The Sicilian Tenors and Alfio perform. The Sicilian Tenors include Aaron Caruso, Elio Scaccio, and Sam Vitale, and as the group’s name suggests, the three singers are all tenors. They sing interpretations of famous music ranging from Hollywood and Broadway soundtracks to Italy’s soundtrack.

Additionally, Alfio will be performing at the Gala. Alfio is an Australian of Italian decent who is classically trained and has a sound similar to Andrea Bocelli and Michael Buble. He performs an eclectic mix of classics, pop, and originals compositions.

For more information about the Gala, please visit the NIAF website.