CSI/CUNY News Release
	For Immediate Release

Una Notte della Canzone

A Celebration of Italian American Heritage Month

Staten Island, NY – October 18, 2004 – The College of Staten Island celebrates Italian American Heritage by presenting an evening of culture, style and song, and honoring three outstanding individuals whose lives and contributions represent the notable service of Italians and Italian Americans to our borough, city and country.

The special evening, entitled Una Notte della Canzone, includes a performance of select Italian arias and popular songs on Friday, October 29, 2004 at 6:30 p.m. in the College’s Center for the Arts.

Honorees include Antonio Bandini, Consul General of Italy in New York City, The Honorable James Molinaro, 14th Borough President of Staten Island, and John Dabbene, Chairman of the Board of the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum on Staten Island.

Event chairs include Christine Cea; Norma D’Arrigo; Joe Franzese '88, chief financial officer of Fortis Financial Services on Madison Avenue in NYC; and John Mazza '85, president of ADAK Contractors and Consultants in Annadale, Staten Island.

Antonio Bandini is known for having greatly enhanced the relations between Italy and the U.S., underscoring the importance of Italian Americans in New York’s economy. Mr. Bandini has held his current post since 2003, but has been in the Italian diplomatic service since 1974. He has held positions with the United Nations Human Rights Commission and served as Ambassador to Eritrea, among others.

The Honorable James Molinaro is the Italian-American Borough President of Staten Island. For more than 25 years, Mr. Molinaro has served as an active leader in the New York political scene, serving as deputy borough president before his election to the office in 2001. He is a strong proponent of education and has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for all Staten Islanders.

John Dabbene has been active in both charitable and civic affairs in greater New York for more than 25 years. He is noted for his leadership role in our community, tirelessly enhancing and promoting a positive image for Italian Americans.

The celebration of Italian-American culture begins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 29th with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, with the Bronx Opera taking the stage at 8 p.m. Dessert with the cast members follows the performance. Tickets cost $125.00 per person, with the proceeds providing scholarships to CSI students for study opportunities in Florence, Italy next summer.

The college is also preparing a souvenir program for the memorable event. A full-page ad costs $100, a half-page ad $50, and quarter-page ad $25.

For more information, place ad or reserve tickets to this event, please contact the College of Staten Island advancement office at (718) 982-2365 or visit their website  www.csiadvancement.net.
 

The College of Staten Island (CSI) is a senior college of The City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s leading urban university. CSI offers 35 academic programs, 15 graduate degree programs, and challenging doctoral programs to 12,000 students.

The 204-acre landscaped campus of CSI, the largest in NYC, is fully accessible and contains an advanced, networked infrastructure to support technology-based teaching, learning, and research. For more information, visit www.csi.cuny.edu

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