- Dan St. Paul is an Italian-American national headlining comedian and the author of his own one-man show “Diary of an Immigrant’s Son”. Having appeared on ABC, NBC, FOX, and Comedy Central, Dan has opened for such celebrities as Ringo Starr, Natalie Cole, and Smokey Robinson. Corporate clients include Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Genentech, AT&T, Blue Cross, and many more. He customizes material for each client and event. His work is on display at www.danstpaul.com.
- Robert Davi will headline our annual Friday Night Entertainment, performing “Davi Sings Sinatra: A Tribute to Sinatra, The Great American Songbook and America.” Davi (“Die Hard,” “Licence to Kill” and “Profiler”) returns to his musical roots backed by a 30-piece orchestra to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the gala at which NIAF honored Frank Sinatra, presenting him with the NIAF Award for Humanitarian Service in recognition of his philanthropy. Tickets are $70 per person for gala attendees/$90 for non-gala attendees.
- Emmy Award-winning actor Joe Pantoliano, founder of the founder of No Kidding, Me Too!, a nonprofit that works to remove the stigma attached to mental illness, and Nicholas P. Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, will speak during The Victoria J. Mastrobuono Education Luncheon on Friday, October 22, 2010. Pantoliano (“The Matrix,” “Memento”) is working to empower those with brain disorders to seek treatment and become productive members of society. Valvano is the brother of former North Carolina State Basketball Coach Jim Valvano, who with ESPN founded the V Foundation to eradicate the disease that is now run by his brother.
- “Let’s Talk About It!,” a Friday, October 22 free conference on women’s health, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. features panelists Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health; surgeon Ignazio Marino, a member of the Italian Senate; NIAF Board Member Linda Carlozzi, a breast cancer survivor; and Dr. Antonio Giordano, president and founder of the Sbarro Health Research Organization and a professor of molecular biology at Temple University, all discussing the latest in preventative strategies for breast cancer, including the newest recommendations for diet, lifestyle and mammography screenings. Learn more at www.niaf.org/galaconference.
- On Friday, October 22, 2010 from 4-5 p.m. on the Expo Italia Center Stage, author Mark Rotella will discuss his new book, “Amore: The Story of Italian American Song.” Described as his “personal and deeply felt Italian American Top 40,” each chapter is devoted to a different classic song, from Enrico Caruso to Sinatra to Dion. A question-and-answer session will follow.
- Expo Italia, a two-day exhibition on October 22-23, 2010, held in the Washington Hilton’s new expo hall. Attendees can sample fine wine, gelato and other Italian treats as well as bid on the silent auction showcase, or shop in the NIAF “Via Condotti,” a row of exclusive salon boutiques featuring Alitalia Airlines, Bruno Cipriani, wines by Franco Nuschese-Georgetown Entertainment Group, Perillo Tours, Poltrona Frau Furniture and Saks Fifth Avenue. For more information or to register your company for a booth please contact Beatrice Santacroce at 202-939-3120 or beatrice@niaf.org.
- On Saturday, October 23, 2010, join NIAF, gala guests, and Hall of Famers including Yogi Berra, Tommy Lasorda, Mike Piazza and other all-time greats for "Talking Points," an entertaining discussion on the latest sports topics by some of today’s leading sports personalities. Panelists for the event include ESPN National Correspondent and NFL insider Sal Paolantonio, ESPN’s host of “Around the Horn” Tony Reali, and Univision República Deportiva host Fernando Fiore. To learn more, visit www.niaf.org/galaluncheons.
- This year, NIAF’s national convention will feature a special Live Auction from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday, October 23, 2010. While bidding on our silent Auction Showcase will occur throughout the convention weekend in the Expo Italia Foyer, our live auction on the Expo Italia Center Stage is a rare opportunity to bid on the most exclusive travel, sports and retail packages. Visit www.niaf.org/auction to learn more.
- ITC Wine Tasting; Expo Italia Back Pavilion
Saturday, 11:00am-12:00pm
“Indulge in the Real Flavors of Italy without a Ticket!” An Italian Wine & Food Seminar presented by the Italian Trade Commission. The ITC invites you to experience first hand what Product of Italy represents in terms of unparalleled taste and quality. Seminar speaker, Lou di Palo, will present a palate pleasing selection of Italian cheese, cured meat and gourmet specialty items all paired with Italian Wine. Lou will provide easy entertaining and pairing suggestions guaranteed to make your next gathering a smashing success. CLICK HERE for more information.
- On Saturday, October 23, 2010 from 10-11 a.m. on the Expo Italia Center Stage, noted poet and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts Dana Gioia will keynote “Dumbing Down Our Public Culture: Why the Arts Matter to America.” Gioia will examine how today’s popular culture has evolved from embracing artists, writers and musicians to following generic “entertainers” – and the effect of that evolution on society at large. A question-and-answer session will also follow.
- On Friday, October 22, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, guests can view “Journey of Hope: Joe Leone’s L’Aquila Earthquake Relief Fund.” The film details efforts by New Jersey businessman Joe Leone Introna, to ultimately raise more than $90,000 for the victims of Italy’s 2009 earthquake in Abruzzo.
- Also on Friday, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., NIAF will screen, “No Kidding, Me 2!!”, a groundbreaking documentary by Italian American actor and director Joe Pantoliano (“Memento,” “The Matrix”) detailing his own battle with clinical depression and the struggles of five other people, each with a different mental illness.
- On Saturday, October 23, 2010 from noon to 2 p.m. NIAF will screen “Crimebuster: A Son’s Search for His Father,” a NIAF grant-winning documentary. Created by photojournalist Lou DeMatteis, the film traces the career of his father, Louis B. DeMatteis, a ground-breaking Italian American judge and district attorney in California.
- During NIAF’s gala dinner on Saturday, October 23, 2010, guests will view "It Happened in Italy: Untold Stories of How the People of Italy Defied the Horrors of the Holocaust," a short film by author Elizabeth Bettina detailing how Italian treatment of Jews during World War II saved many lives. Bettina will also give two talks on the subject during NIAF’s Convention and Gala Weekend with Vincent Marmorale, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the New York State Council for the Social Studies, from 3-4 p.m. on Friday, October 22 and 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 23, 2010 on the Expo Italia Center Stage.
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