Vol. 59 ▪ No. 9 Washington DC
September 2020 $2.00
An Italian American Gazette of the Greater Washington DC Area
The Electoral College: A Unique Way of Electing the U.S. President by Ciro De Falco During every presidential season there is much focus in the press on a candidate's path to winning the majority of the Electoral College. Unlike other major democracies, the United States has a unique way of electing its president. Instead of being decided by popular vote, he or she is chosen by the majority of the Electoral College. There is a lot of confusion both within the country and the rest of the world about how the longest living democracy in the history of the world can survive with such seemingly archaic system. What makes the system unique and seemingly archaic is that a candidate can win the popular vote while failing to obtain the majority of the Electoral College. This is not an abstract electoral scenario as it has happened five times in the 53 presidential elections held in the history of our country.
Un Mondo a misura di bambini 150 anni fa nasceva Maria Montessori di Generoso D’Agnese La sua vita doveva correre sui binari tecnologici e scientifici dello scibile umano. E per dare corpo ai propri sogni, Maria Montessori si era iscritta alla Facoltà di Ingegneria, accettando il trasferimento dalla tranquilla Chiaravalle - nelle Marche - alla brulicante Roma, capitale di un Regno d’Italia in grande fermento. Nata nel 1870 da Alessandro e da Renide Stoppani (ambedue impegnati nella politica), Maria crebbe figlia unica e nell’ambiente familiare liberale e tollerante crebbero le sue radici di altruismo. Iscritta nel 1875 in una scuola popolare di Roma, la bambina proseguì i suoi studi in una scuola tecnica e scientifica per approdare al diploma con le idee chiare e con l’animo intraprendente. Ma non c’erano spazi per le donne intraprendenti, in quegli ultimi anni dell’Ottocento italiano. Maria dovette suo malgrado ripiegare sulla medicina e sulla chirurgia, concentrandosi sulla psichiatria. La laurea per la prima donna italiana, arrivò nel 1896 e dopo altri quattro anni il primo lavoro le venne offerto nel manicomio di S.Maria della Pietà. La terribile esperienza, tra i diseredati del genere umane, toccò ancora di più la giovane dottoressa impressionata dalla concomitante presenza di bambini
Maria Montessori con semplici turbe di comportamento. Lasciati in stato di abbandono e trattati alla pari dei grandi (ovvero poco meglio delle bestie) i bambini colpirono l’acume professionale della ragazza marchigiana che a loro decise di votare la propria missione sanitaria. Maria Montessori iniziò allora la sua personale battaglia nei confronti dei più piccoli disadattati battendosi per i loro diritti nei congressi scientifici di inizio Novecento. Allo stesso tempo, estese la sua attenzione anche ai bambini normali decidendo di incidere in modo energico sull’organizzazione delle Segue a pagina 2
Jill Biden’s Italian Roots: Grandfather was Sicilian
Joe Biden, Donald Trump Drafting the constitution in Philadelphia in 1787, the “founding fathers” were divided on how to elect the president. Some delegates wanted voters to elect the president directly, while others were against majoritarianism. At the time of the convention no other country elected its chief executive directly and so this Continued on page 3
by Nancy DeSanti
With the 2020 U.S. presidential campaigns in full swing and the focus on the two presidential candidates, many people are learning for the first time about the Italian heritage of Jill Biden, wife of candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden. Mrs. Biden’s grandfather was Domenico Giacoppa, whose name was changed to Dominic Jacobs when he came through Ellis Island—a common practice in those days. Giacoppa emigrated from Sicily. Her Continued on page 4
INSIDE
Dr. Jill Biden
Anthony Martignetti 3
Surprising Sicilian Wines 4
Lawyer Ugo Carusi 7
Address service requested Voce Italiana Holy Rosary Church 595 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001-2703
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150 anni fa nasceva Maria Montessori Segue dalla prima pagina
scuole italiane. Ottenuta l’incarico di Professoressa di Antropologia pedagogica, la giovane marchigiana decise di proporre un nuovo metodo educativo e di farlo attraverso una scuola privata. Il 6 gennaio del 1907, in via dei Marsi 58, nel quartiere romano di San Lorenzo, segnato da una povertà assoluta, aprì la Casa dei Bambini (per ospiti da 3 a 6 anni) e in pochi anni le “case” si moltiplicarono. I suoi libri, dopo l’apertura della casa di Milano iniziarono a circolare fuori dai confini nazionali. “Il metodo della pedagogia scientifica” e “L’autoeducazione nella scuola elementare” approdarono con grande clamore anche negli Stati Uniti, rivelando un approccio che non era mai stato preso in considerazione. L’entusiasmo per il “metodo Montessori” divenne grande: ovunque grazie all’ambiente preparato e agli oggetti interessati, si ripeteva il miracolo della concentrazione, della quiete individuale, dell’elevato standard di socializzazione e di scambio. Maria Montessori aveva “liberato” i bambini dal giogo della vecchia educazione. Il successo di questo sistema educativo non si sarebbe più fermato. Nominata nel 1922 ispettrice scolastica del Regno
Maria Montessori d’Italia, la psichiatra fu accolta con grande onore nella Casa Bianca, ospite di Margaret, figlia del presidente Woodrow Wilson; la “Montessori Educational Association” fu sponsorizzata con entusiasmo da uomini del calibro di Alexander Graham Bell, certificando un metodo che negli anni avrebbe prodotto più di 5000 scuole private e oltre 200 scuole pubbliche nonché numerose scuole di specializzazione. Avversata da tutti i regimi totalitaristici le scuole “Montessori” furono chiuse durante gli anni bui della Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Anche la psichiatra fu costretta dal regime fascista a cambiare la propria residenza spostandosi prima a Barcellona e dopo in Olanda. Internata nei campi di concentramento tedeschi nel 1940, la Montessori fu liberata grazie alle
trattative politiche, ma fu costretta a lasciare il Vecchio Continente per trasferirsi in India dove aprì sua prima scuola asiatica nella città di Adyar. Tornata in Europa nel 1947 la grande pedagogista scelse di vivere i suoi ultimi anni a Nordwijk aan Zee, in Olanda dove morì il 6 maggio del 1952. Alla sua scuola studiarono nomi altisonanti della Pedagogia mondiale, quali Anna Freud, Jean Piaget, Alfred Adler, and Erik Erikson. Tra i suoi numerosi libri ”Il segreto dell’infanzia“, “La mente del bambino”, “La formazione dell’uomo” ancora oggi rimangono dei veri caposaldi del percorso formativo. Ben più scomoda invece fu la sua personalità. Né laica e né soltanto cattolica, Montessori fu prima corteggiata dal regime fascista e poi osteggiata. Iscrittasi alla Società teofisica nata negli Stati Uniti, divenne quasi una guru dell’educazione infantile
e ritornata in Italia, dopo la fine della seconda guerra mondiale fu acclamata dal Parlamento. Ma la sua risposta a tanto clamore non smentì la sua eccezionalità: “Io vi indico il bambino, la sua ricchezza interiore e voi non lo vedete. Preferite guardare il mio dito che lo indica, ammirarlo, dire che è bello!...”
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The Lido Civic Club of Washington D.C. 1929-2020 Our 91st Year Metropolitan Washington’s Premier Italian-American Business and Professional Men’s Organization
Vincenzo Fragomeni, President Richard DiPippo, Vice President Arthur J. Del Buono, Treasurer Damian Gallina, Secretary Philip Finelli, Public Affairs John Dovi, Sergeant at Arms www.lidoclub.org
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The T.V. Ad that Helped Popularize ‟Ethnic Identity” Anthony Martignetti, the boy who ran home for his mom’s spaghetti dinner
Major national newspapers, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, recently reported at length on the death of 63-year old Anthony Martignetti, an Italian immigrant from Candida, a town in the region of Campania. Who was Martignetti and what brought him national fame? A casting scout for a television commercial happened to see 12year old Anthony in Boston's Italian neighborhood in the late '60s. That chance meeting resulted in a starring role for Anthony in an iconic commercial for Prince spaghetti. Anyone growing up in the late 1960searly 1970s no doubt remembers the ad: an Italian mother in Boston's North End opens the kitchen window and calls out, "Anthony! Anthony!" A young boy is seen running home as fast as he can, knowing his mother was serving his favorite spaghetti.
For many Italian American viewers, the sight of that mother and little boy, who looked like their own family members, struck a chord. It gave them a feeling of acceptance into the fabric of American society. Yet, it also solidified their ethnic identity. The ad was so effective that it won a Clio award for excellence. But its influence went beyond the ad world. During an era of social upheaval, the commercial told viewers that it's ok to embrace your ethicity, it's ok to celebrate your differences, that assimilation doesn't mean negating your identity. Prof. Jackson Lears of Rutgers University told the Washington Post that the ad epitomizes notions of ethnic identity. The family is "not eating Campbell's soup," he said. "They're eating spaghetti!" The ad ran for 13 years. The Prince spaghetti company was founded in 1912 by three Sicilian immigrants. The name came from their storefront
James W. Cocco, CPA LLC Certified Public Accountant Taxation Specialist
Anthony Martignetti at age 12 address: 92 Prince Street, in Boston's North End. The company is now part of Riviana Foods, which also produces San Giorgio and Ronzoni pastas. Martignetti continued to live and work in the Boston area. The cause of his death has not yet been determined. --Voce Italiana
11325 Random Hills Road, Suite 360 Fairfax, VA 22030 (703) 980-6575 jim@jwcoccocpallc.com
The Electoral College: A Unique Way of Electing the U.S. President
Continued from page 1
was considered uncharted territory; there was also concern that voters in such a vast country could not be fully informed about the candidates; and some feared that allowing majority popular rule might lead the new country astray. Out of this debate came the compromise based on the idea of electoral intermediaries. So they included in Article II of the U.S. Constitution a provision for election of the president through the Electoral College. The three-fifths compromise But determining exactly how many electors to allocate to each state quickly became a sticking point. Here the divide was between slave-owning and nonslave owning states. The issue under debate was whether and how to count slaves in the distribution of seats in the House of Representatives, which was the basis for determining and allocating electors. In 1787, 40 percent of people living in Southern states were black slaves who could not vote. Therefore, distributing seats on the basis of eligible voters, free white residents, was not acceptable to those states with a large slave population. The solution to this problem was the infamous “three-fifths compromise” in
Electoral votes allocated to each state and to the District of Columbia for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, based on populations from the 2010 Census (Total: 538) which black slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a (voting) person for the purpose of allocating representatives and electors. Under this scheme, southern states would receive more representatives than if the formula were based solely on eligible voters. While in retrospect this agreement has received criticism for treating white and black people differently, it ensured that southern states would ratify the constitution. A major goal of the constitutional convention was to unify
the thirteen colonies under a single charter and a central government. Electoral vote allocation The Electoral College agreement calls for the creation every four years of a temporary group of electors equal to the total amount of representatives in Congress. At present, there are 538 electors and in order to win the presidency a candidate needs a majority of 270. These electors are nominated by political parties in each state and it is for these elector-candidates rather
than the president and vice presidential nominees for whom the people vote. In turn, these electors are expected to vote for the candidate of the party that won the popular vote in that state. Notwithstanding this expectation, there have been instances where more than one or two of the “unfaithful” electors have voted for a different candidate than the one to whom they were pledged. However, this has never influenced the outcome of an election. Changing the Electoral College? Attempts to change or eliminate the Electoral College have been tried but failed. But the criticism has intensified since two of the five instances where the candidate was elected by the Electoral College, after failing to receive the majority of the popular vote, have occurred in this century: two of the last three presidents were elected in this fashion. Opinion polls indicate that the majority of Americans favor changing or eliminating the Electoral College. But vested interest in the current system is extremely strong. However, should the experience of the last twenty years continue in the next couple of decades, some type of change of the current system will most likely become inevitable.
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The Surprising Wines of Sicily
THE CULTURE OF WINE
Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Italy, and the world by Vittorio Vettori As we know, every region of Italy produces wine, diverse from the wines of other regions. We often read, or hear about the wines of Tuscany, of Piedmont, and of the Veneto, but not much is said of the wines of the other Italian regions, which produce splendid, impressive and surprising wines. Take Sicily. Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is one of the oldest wine- producing areas in Italy, and the world. The Greeks, about 3.000 years ago, had named Italy “Enotria” – the land of wine – because of Sicily’s abundance of vineyards and the richness of its wines. The dry, warm climate of the island, with much sunshine and moderate rainfall is ideal for wine production. Plus, Sicily enjoys the breeze of the Mediterranean Sea, which imparts its beneficial maritime elements to the vineyards. Today Sicily boasts one of Italy’s most dynamic wine industries with many splendid modern wines: dry, lively and lovely, which have made a positive and surprising impact on markets around the world, and among numerous wine lovers. It is true, Marsala wine, popular throughout Italy and Europe since the 18th Century, has proudly put the wines of Sicily on the map of the world's best
wines. But today we must recognize other impressive wines of Sicily. Nero d’Avola, for example. Nero d’Avola grapes are the most widely planted red grapes in Sicily. They produce a wine of deep color and flavor with moderate structure, and soft to medium tannins. This wine, Nero d’Avola, is the new “noisy Sicilian baby” in the market, and best of all, is quite available and affordable. Nerello Mascalese is another favorite wine of this magnificent island, a “child” of the volcanic soil of Mount Etna. It is a dry, soft, pleasant wine, with a good vein of acidity. Lovely. Grillo and Inzolia are two very popular white wines of Sicily: they are refreshing, stylish, delightful and food friendly. Two well known brands of Sicilian wines are Corvo di Salaparuta and Regaleali. These wines, basically ordinary wines, red and white, with their consistent quality, have become best sellers abroad, and are among the world's most loved wines. Etna Bianco and Etna Rosso are also two new exciting and affordable wines. Both are the “youthful sons” of the island, reflecting tradition and innovation. Cerasuolo di Vittoria is another Sicilian wine worth trying: it is a blend
of Nero D’Avola and Frappato grapes. A dry, youthful, red wine with a bright cherry flavor. A very enjoyable wine. Worth mentioning is a wonderful masterpiece of wine, from International grape variety: Planeta Chardonnay, a single varietal Chardonnay. It is an iconic wine of Sicily that has conquered the heart of Chardonnay lovers around the world. A little expensive, but worth every penny. And let’s not forget the spectacular, aristocratic wine Duca Enrico, a real Sicilian gem, produced with 100 percent selected Nero D’Avola native grapes. Certainly not an ordinary wine, it's the pride of Sicily around the world. A wine for special occasions. Faro wine is another proud “son” of Sicily: an ancient wine, but still very much “alive” today. An interesting red wine produced with predominantly Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccino and Nocera grapes . This is only a glimpse of the vast selection of the wines of Sicily. But before we depart from this brief panorama
A Casa Italiana torna il laboratorio radiofonico Dopo la bella esperienza della scorsa stagione, la Casa Italiana ripropone il corso di giornalismo radiofonico rivolto ai giovani aspiranti reporter della comunità italiana di Washington. Il laboratorio – coordinato dalle giornaliste Manuela Cavalieri e Donatella Mulvoni – è rivolto ai ragazzi di età compresa tra i 12 e i 16 anni. “La scorsa edizione – spiega Paola Corneo, direttrice della Casa Italiana Ente Promotore – ci ha dato la possibilità di scoprire un gruppo di studenti affiatato, curioso e intraprendente. Ecco perché abbiamo deciso di riproporre l’esperimento anche quest’anno”. Il prezioso lavoro della classe pilota è disponibile negli archivi del primo podcast in lingua italiana della capitale - “Radio DìDC” – a cui è possibile
accedere direttamente dal sito www. casaitalianaentepromotore.org. Intanto a partire dal prossimo 14 ottobre, una nuova squadra di giornalisti in erba si cimenterà con il mondo della
of Sicilian wines, we need to mention Zibibbo wine: simply magnificent, luscious and admirable. Unfortunately, this wine is enjoyed mainly by the locals, and a few lucky visitors. Now, let's go on a tour of Sicily, enjoy the stupendous island, its friendly people, and its delicious, luscious, modern, ancient and rare wines. Salute!
utilizzare gli strumenti del mestiere. A questo ciclo di lezioni seguirà un segmento pratico. Gli studenti scenderanno in campo e realizzeranno una serie di interviste guidati e sostenuti dalle insegnanti. Anche quest’anno ci saranno tanti ospiti e personaggi interessanti della vivace comunità della Circoscrizione Consolare di Washington, DC. Le trasmissioni realizzate saranno ancora una volta ospitate dalle frequenze dell’emittente italiana Radio MPA, una delle più seguite della provincia di Salerno, disponibile anche in streaming online. Le puntate, poi, arricchiranno la sezione podcast della Casa Italiana. radio. Il progetto si svilupperà in due Per informazioni ed iscrizioni: info@ sezioni. Il primo segmento - via Zoom casaitalianaente.org. - sarà peculiarmente teorico e didattico. Gli studenti impareranno i fondamenti del giornalismo e scopriranno come
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Sunday Mass at Holy Rosary Church Continues with Limitations
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
A second Sunday mass is added for the month of September With the steady increase in attendance at the live Sunday mass at Holy Rosary Church, a second mass will be held during the month of September. The new Sunday mass schedule is: 10:00 a.m. (Note the change from 10:30 a.m.), in Italian; and 12:00 noon in English. The schedule will be reevaluated at the end of September, based on attendance levels. The number of attendees at each mass is Two masses will be held in September: 10:00 limited, in accordance to guidelines from the a.m. in Italian, and 12:00 noon in English.
Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. To attend the live mass, register by contacting the parish office at 202-638-0165. Reserve by the Thursday before the Sunday mass you wish to attend. Masks or appropriate face coverings are required, as is the use of hand sanitizer, located at the entrance to the church. Sunday masses will continue to be streamed on the Holy Rosary Church Facebook page.
September 20, 2020. The Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society will host a Zoom meeting with Joseph (Sonny) Scafetta, Jr., about Italian-American pro-baseball players with roots in Abruzzo.. October 3, 2020. The blessing of pets in honor of St. Francis. October 19, 2020. Italian American Open 2020, Westwood Country Club, Vienna, Va. A Lido Civic Club fundraiser for Casa Italiana and other civic programs. October 31, 2020. NIAF Virtual Gala honoring Dr. Anthony Fauci and others.
Jill Biden’s Italian Roots: Her Grandfather Was Born in Sicily grandparents lived in a modest house; her grandfather made deliveries for a furniture store in New Jersey, and loved to fish off a bridge in South Jersey. She recalls seeing dozens of rockfish on their kitchen counters after a good haul. Her late parents, Donald Jacobs and Bonny Jean Godfrey, were from different sides of the track. Her maternal grandparents owned a drugstore where her grandfather was the pharmacist. They were solidly middle-class and both were college graduates. The idea of their daughter marrying the son of an immigrant did not appeal to them. In the end, however, Mrs. Biden said her parents followed their hearts and eloped. For the first year of their long marriage, they lived separately and secretly as husband and wife. Mrs. Biden has said that despite her maternal grandmother’s initial lack of confidence in her father, he became a successful man. He served in the Navy during World War II and used the G.I. Bill to pay his way through business school. He eventually became a bank manager and bought a nice home in Pennsylvania, while his wife cared for Jill and their four other daughters. As Mrs. Biden said in her 2018 book: “We lived the American Dream, a life where military service guaranteed educational opportunities and where, in one generation, the son of an immigrant could join the middle class.” She went on to say: ”My parents’ love story, and the sweet life they built
Photo by Tony Powell. for the Emassy of Italy
Continued from page 1
Dr. Jill Biden, Mrs. Laura Denise Bisogniero, Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, 2013
together, has always seemed like destiny to me. But fate didn’t change the course of my dad’s path. He was able to provide a better standard of living for us because America offered him the opportunities he needed to do so. I see reflections of his grit and determination every semester in the faces of my community college students (at Northern Virginia Community College). His America is still their America; a place where you can work hard and make a difference for yourself and your family.” When Mrs. Biden was the Second Lady, she and her husband the Vice President were invited by then-Italian Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero to attend an Opera Night event at the Italian Embassy in 2013, as part of the Year
of Italian Culture in the United States. Joe Biden was quoted as saying, “Every year is the year of the Italian in my house,” he told the crowd, “I’m always referred to as an Irish politician — but I was smart enough to marry Dominic Giacoppa’s granddaughter.” He added, “There’s only one office my wife Jill ever aspired for me to hold:
Ambassador to Italy.” In 2009, Irish Catholic Joe Biden became the first non-Italian to win an award from the Sons of Italy Foundation. He joked that his name has “something missing there – it’s a vowel,” and spoke about growing up in Delaware, adding that “my self-consciousness about not being Italian goes all the way back to my childhood,” Describing his friends in grade school, Biden listed ten boys with Italian names and eight more on his high school football team. Then, he named nine staffers who helped him run for public office, and the names of the two priests closest to him, all of them with Italian names, and of course, his wife Jill Giacoppa Biden. Mrs. Biden’s Italian heritage was noted in an August 20, 2020 article in Oggi magazine. The article mentions that Dominic Giacoppa was born in 1898 and died in 1984, and that he was from Gesso, near Messina. It concludes by saying, “In Italia è venuta col marito nel 2011 per i nostri primi 150 anni: probabilmente le piacerebbe tornare da First Lady, Donald Trump permettendo. A mangiare la pignolata messinese, magari.”
Brian R. Della Rocca, LL.M. (Taxation) Partner - Compass Law Partners
Phone 240-454-1013 Web: www.Compass-Law.com Email: BDellaRocca@Compass-Law.com 48 Maryland Ave. Suite 400, Annapolis, MD 21401 51 Monroe Street, Suite 408, Rockville, Maryland 20850
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Founded in 1960 An Italian American Gazette of the Greater Washington D.C. Area 595 Third Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Editor-in-Chief: Fr. Ezio Marchetto, C.S. Executive Editor: Francesco Isgrò, Esq. Photographer: Marcella Finelli Correspondent: Generoso D'Agnese Contributors: Ciro De Falco, Nancy De Santi, Daniela Enriquez Advertising: Lucia Portanova 202-638-0165 Mailing: Joan Dodaro, Martha Finelli, Rosa Mayer
Voce Italiana
The Pleasures of the Passing of Time This month I will turn 65. We are all and I ache more easily, but at the same familiar with the Italian expression “Eh! time I find myself more and more busy La vecchiaia è una brutta carogna!” and motivated. I simply cannot fathom Answered by, “There is only one way slowing down voluntarily. Someone once sent me a cartoon not to get old!” Sixty-five used to be the “pension with this saying: “God put me on this age,” when you qualify for Social earth to accomplish a certain amount Security, Medicare, and so on. The of goals. Right now I am so far behind reality is that, today, the majority of that I will never die!” But reality always people continue to work, be active and catches up with us. What I appreciate about the passing productive well after reaching “pension of time is the experience age.” There are those, of that the years have gifted course who look forward to What I apprecime. To be able to learn retirement. I have a friend who for many years worked ate most about the from my mistakes so that in an office and finally passing of time is I can avoid repeating them, and to put into retired. A few weeks later, the experience that practice what was I met him and asked: ”So, successful in the past how is retirement?” He the years have benefits of getting old.are answered: “Life in jeans!” gifted me. Another element that He was free from having to makes my “age” more put on a suit every day and gratifying is the many he could slow down and friends that I have acquired. As a priest relax. However, after a few months of life in jeans, he went back to work as a for 38 years, I have worked in different parishes and missions and in each and part-timer. Of course I am not thinking of every one of them I have friends with retiring; I am too busy to even consider whom I keep in touch. The gift of experience and friends, it. Obviously, there are moments when I realize that the years are passing by. then, is what makes the passing of the I have already lived many more years years enjoyable and something to look than my father did; when I receive the forward to. I would like to close with list of priests of my religious family who a sentence that I once saw in a store passed away in a specific month, I am window: “People don’t stop playing always surprised at how many of them because they get old; they get old because they stop playing.” So, keep the I knew. I realize that I get tired a little sooner game going, because I am playing! --Fr. Ezio Marchetto
Pope Francis Tweets "The current pandemic has highlighted our interdependence: we are all linked to each other, for better of for worse. Therefore, to come out of this crisis better than before, we have to do so together, all of us, in solidarity."
Community Announcement: Funds Available to Help Members Impacted by Coronavirus Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center, Inc. has established a #WeAreOneCommunity Coronavirus Emergency Fund. Contributions will benefit members of the Italian American/Italian community in our metro area who may need financial assistance at this difficult time. To date, more than $6,000 has been
donated. To make a contribution, please donate at the #WeAreOneCommunity GoFundMe account. Or, write a check payable to CISC, Inc., indicating its purpose, and mail to: CISC, Inc., 595 Third St. NW, Washington DC 20001. To request assistance, contact the Coronavirus Charity Committee at: dsantoli@ioniallc.com. Confidentially will be strictly maintained.
Voce Italiana Needs Your Support As with all printed media, the cost to produce, print, and mail Voce Italiana have increased. We rely on subscribers and advertisers to keep the paper in operation. If you have not yet paid for your 2020 subscription, please do so, with a $20 annual contribution. f you would like to be a Patron, please remit $50. Your name will appear as a Patron in the December 2020 issue of Voce Italiana.
Voce Italiana
Your Italian American Community News Subscription: $20.00 per year (10 issues) Patron subscription: $50 Please make check payable to “Voce Italiana.” Mail to:
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Ugo Carusi: “Laborer For Humanity”
FACES IN HISTORY
Italian American lawyer served four U.S. Presidents and eight Attorneys General in 40-year career
by Elizabeth DiGregorio “When I saw [what] those Italian families in Vermont could do in a single generation, I was convinced that America is the place for men with the will to work hard.” Ugo Carusi interview, the Washington Post, August 5, 1948.
the National University Law School, now George Washington University Law School, graduating in 1931 as class valedictorian. He came to D.C. expecting to stay for four years but remained for nearly 40 years serving four U.S. Presidents
“The name of Ugo Carusi with its foreign ring belongs to a very American gentleman who is executive assistant to the Attorney General…. He is a short, hazel-eyed, reticent man, who smiles easily from a sense of friendliness, but wishes it clearly understood that he is not the headwaters of the department but merely the channel to the Attorney General.” Delia Pynchon, the Washington Star, June, 1937. But, Ugo Carusi did leave his mark in Washington, D.C., post-World War II Europe, and on the countless generations whose families were part of the post-war wave of 400,000 Displaced Persons and other refugees who eventually became American citizens. Ugo Carusi was born in Carrara, Italy on March 17, 1902 to Italian born and naturalized American citizens, Eugenio and Eva Bertoli Carusi. The family lived in Barre, Vermont. Eugenio, an accomplished marble stone carver and business man, died when Carusi was 13. As the senior male in a family of six, Carusi went to work as a newsboy for three years until he became ill during the influenza epidemic of 1918. Working hard and excelling at school, he secured a job with the Vermont Attorney General’s office while still in high school. In 1925, he moved to Washington, D.C., taking a federal job as confidential secretary and assistant to fellow Vermonter and U.S. Attorney General, John Garibaldi Sargent. While working he also attended GINO MARINUCCI, C.P.A., P.C. CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS “SINCE 1975 YOUR SMALL BUSINESS SPECIALIST” ACCOUNTING ● TAX PLANNING TAX PREPARATION ● SOFTWARE SUPPORT COMPLETE PAYROLL SERVICE (301) 942-2266
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Above, Ugo Carusi. Right, Carusi greets a displaced Armenian family after WWII. and eight U.S. Attorneys General. From 1942 to 1944, as World War II raged across Europe, Carusi, executive assistant to Attorney General Francis Biddle was the voice of the Administration on regular Friday, short-wave broadcasts. Carusi presented the American viewpoint and encouraged partisan activities. His messages proved to be among the most influential sent by home-front Italian Americans to Italy. In his book, The Humble and the Heroic, Salvatore J. LaGumina affirms Carusi's influence, quoting columnist Drew Pearson, “One Italian army colonel now a prisoner of war in a camp near St. Louis, has revealed that he surrendered, with his entire force, as a direct result of Carusi’s radio appeal to the Italians in Tunisia to lay down their arms to the Allies. “Not a shot was fired,” the colonel reported…Another Italian officer in the same camp revealed that he had been learning English by translating Carusi’s shortwave broadcast scripts.” In 1945, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed Carusi as U.S.
Carusi was once asked how to treat Displaced Persons (DPs). In his reply, Carusi described them as strong willed, hard-working people looking for a better life; regular people who needed help to integrate into American society. He urged people to look in the mirror to see what DPSs looked like, the only difference, he said, would be “your luck and theirs.”
(“Everybody’s Etiquette,” This Week Magazine, 1949. Vermont Historical Society)
Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization. In 1948, President Harry S. Truman shifted him to the State Department, naming him Chairman of the Displaced Persons Commission and tasking him with resettling 400,000 Displaced Persons to the U.S. Carusi not only provided leadership but also took a personal interest in the resettlement projects. The President also tapped him to administer the War Brides Act that brought 75,000 World War II brides to the U.S. In 1948, Truman signed The Displaced Persons Act, despite its imperfections: it appropriated a fraction of the funds needed to fund the initial quota of 205,000 Displaced Persons, set up strict entry requirements, negatively impacted Jewish refugees who had survived the Holocaust and excluded many displaced persons of the Catholic faith. Truman sparred with Congress for
two years demanding full funding and fixes to the Act. Arguing the Administration’s position before Congress was Ugo Carusi. Despite some congressional opposition, the Senate passed the Amendments in 1950, clearing the way for the fully funded entry of 400,000 persons and the removal of the restrictive language against Displaced Persons. Carusi was the “go-to” person for refugee relief issues. In the early 1950’s he served as President Truman’s U.S. Representative to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In 1956 President Eisenhower appointed him to the Committee for Hungarian Refugee Relief. And, in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson tapped him to help assess the refugee issues in Vietnam. In 1958, Carusi joined the staff of Vermont Senator George D. Aiken, serving until 1963 when he officially retired for the “third and last time.” Carusi’s fascinating life is not limited to his notable professional accomplishments. He was a student of music, familiar with the works of all Italian composers, and he used his tenor voice to sing operas in Italian. He had a good sense of humor and was a great mimic, especially of Mussolini. He was described as a “ teetotaler, doesn’t smoke, and has never been heard to utter a swear word.” He loved golf, baseball and bowling, and was active in many civic groups and Italian heritage societies: Carusi was a founding member of the Lido Civic Club, serving as President in 1932 and 1942. Carusi married twice to women who also worked in the Justice Department in D.C. Edith Warner Carusi died in childbirth along with their day-old son in 1935. Eight years later, he married Anita Shaeffer Carusi. The childless couple made their home in D.C.’s Spring Valley neighborhood. Mrs. Carusi died in 1984. Carusi died at home in 1994, at age 92. He is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery in D.C.
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Washington DC, September 2020
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