Andretti Steers the Columbus Day Parade
And with Deputy Prime Minister Fini the Columbus Day Will Reflect the Growing US-Italy Partnership

By Francesca Di Meglio

Gianfranco Fini

Produced by the Columbus Citizens Foundation (CCF), the 60th annual Columbus Day Parade in New York City on October 11 will reflect the ever-growing partnership between Italy and the United States. As a result of mutual cultural interests and Italy’s desire to form economic ties with the Italian American market, Italian groups have become more and more involved with the yearly celebration that today includes a weekend full of events – from exhibits to formal dinners. “Italians do lots of business with the United States, and New York City is seen by the Italians as the cultural center of the country,” says Louis Tallarini, general chairman of Columbus Weekend 2004.
This year legendary racecar driver Mario Andretti, who was born in Montona, Italy and has lived in the United States since 1955, will serve as grand marshal while Deputy Prime Minister of Italy Gianfranco Fini will be a special honored guest.
Andretti will cruise down Fifth Avenue in a 2005 Murcie?lago Spyder provided by Italian automaker Lamborghini. Several other Lamborghinis will also be featured as well as a number of racecars from Andretti’s history making career. The Indianapolis 500 Museum’s Brawner-Hawk Ford, which Andretti drove to victory at the Indy 500 in 1969, will be among the vintage vehicles. The parade will also showcase classic Italian sports cars such as the 1947 Savonuzzi Streamliner and 1948 Nuvolari Spyder.
Some of the parade cars will also be on display, along with an exhibit about Andretti’s career and another about the 2005 ski championships in the Italian region of Lombardy, in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall from October 4 to 8. “We're going to be build an Italian ski village in Grand Central," said CCF’s president Lawrence Auriana.
Furthermore, the Italian Army band will perform a concert for the public at the train station on October 8 before marching in the parade three days later. Other parts of Italy, including Calabria, Lombardy, Piemonte, Benevento and Sicily will have floats and other presence in the parade.
"This year New Yorkers will definitely know it's Columbus Day," said Mr. Auriana. “Columbus Day is going to be special for one very important reason. We've evolved from a Columbus Day parade to an entire weekend.”
True to form, the parade will also put a spotlight on important Italian Americans. Honorees include Physician and ear surgery specialist Richard J. Bellucci, construction industry leader Pasquale P. Diccianni and President and Chairman of New York Community Bankcorp, Inc., Joseph R. Ficalora. Italian American favorites Maria Bartiromo and Tony Danza, whose new morning talk show recently debuted, will be hosting the parade for NBC in New York. (The parade will also be televised in Providence, Hartford, New Haven, Philadelphia and on the Italian-language station RAI International.)
On October 9, a formal charity dinner will be served at the Waldorf Astoria. Proceeds from all the weekend’s events will go toward the CCF’s scholarship funds. Last year, the group raised a grand total of $3.3 million.
Although the parade has been a New York tradition since 1929, Columbus Day has only been a federal holiday since 1984 when then-President Ronald Reagan signed a special proclamation. The mission of CCF founders Generoso Pope and Judge S. Samuel Di Falco was to preserve Italian American heritage – and the group’s enduring parade continues to do just that, members say.
The message every year is to show that Italian Americans are proud of their heritage, says Tallarini. But he adds that the group’s ultimate mission, especially recently, is “to promote the real image of Italian Americans and not the stereotypes produced by the media to make money.”