FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact:   Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org

(WASHINGTON, DC — May 2, 2005) Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, chairman of FIAT SpA and chairman of Confindustria, will be honored Tuesday evening, May 10 at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Gala Benefit Dinner at the Westin Excelsior Hotel on the Via Veneto in Rome, Italy. The evening begins at 7:30 PM with a reception followed by dinner at 8:30 PM.

Montezemolo will receive the NIAF U.S./Italy Friendship Award for his corporate accomplishments in leading Italians and Americans into the 21st century. Montezemolo has played a major role in Ferrari for more than 30 years. After his graduate studies at Rome’s La Sapienza and Columbia University in New York, Montezemolo was drafted into Ferrari by FIAT in 1973. A year later he assumed control of the Ferrari F1 team and guided them to F1 World titles with Niki Lauda in 1975 and 1977. He became the youngest senior manager in the history of the company while he headed all FIAT competition activities. Between 1977 and 1981, he was senior vice president of external relations of the FIAT Group. Later he ran the publishing company Itedi SpA which includes La Stampa, the daily newspaper. He also served as managing director of the drinks company, Cinzano International SpA and Azzurra, the first Italian yacht to take part in the America’s Cup, while also presiding over Turin’s Juventus football team. From 1986 to 1990, he was director of the Organizing Committee of the 1990 Italian World Cup Football Championship. Since 1991, Montezemolo has been chairman and CEO of Ferrari S.p.A. Since 1999, Ferrari Formula 1 racing team has won six consecutive Constructors’ World Championships and, from 2000, five Drivers’ World titles with Michael Schumacher.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, prominent Italians and Italian Americans in business, the arts, government, and entertainment are among the guest attending the gala.

The NIAF gala dinner is held in conjunction with the Foundation’s May 10-11 International Legal Conference, Common Legal Issues Facing Italy & America: Corporate Governance and Intellectual Property. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is the keynote speaker. Michael Greco, president-elect, American Bar Association (ABA), and Giovanni Prezioso, general counsel, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as internationally known lawyers and jurists from Italy and the U.S. will participate in the conference. The conference will focus on issues that challenge today’s legal community. For more information, contact: Kristi Pappalardo at 202/939-3109 or kristina@niaf.org

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC and dedicated to promoting business, cultural and political exchange between Italy and the United States.