FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

(WASHINGTON, DC – March 27, 2002) To kick – off this year’s NIAF media activities, the Foundation hosted its second media networking dinner for American journalists of Italian heritage and Italian correspondents in New York City on Thursday, March 7 at the Columbus Club. Richard Benedetto, of USA Today and Ron Insana of CNBC co-hosted the event.

A total of 37 attended the dinner with 25 journalists from the print and electronic media including: The Wall Street Journal; The New York Times; Business Week; Barron’s Magazine; The New York Post; Time Magazine; USA Today; Newsday; Ladies’ Home Journal; HBO; CNBC; Fox- 5 NY; WLIW; People Magazine; Rolling Stone Magazine; ANSA Italian News Agency; Milano Finanza L’Espresso; America Oggi, and AGL Newspapers.

Frank Guarini, NIAF chairman and Joseph R. Cerrell, NIAF president along with several members on the NIAF board of directors including Stephen Aiello; Ken Aspromonte; Dominic Massaro; Salvatore Salibello, and Richard Torrenzano were present.

This year, the NIAF asked each journalist to bring along a colleague to learn more about the NIAF and important Italian American issues. The Foundation also invited a recent scholarship recipient, Lilly Rose Broccia, a Ph.D. student in Italian at Columbia University who received the NIAF/Frances M. Rello Scholarship. Broccia spoke to the group about how the scholarship helped further her goals.

During the event, guests met one another and were introduced to Guarini, Cerrell and the NIAF leadership. At dinner, Guarini welcomed everyone, commented on several Italian American issues and asked Cerrell to give an overview of the Foundation’s initiatives and have everyone introduce themselves. John Salamone, NIAF executive director, spoke briefly on the goal of our media networking dinners and urged the journalist to use the NIAF as a one-stop shop for contacts and information. Co-hosts Richard Benedetto, USA Today, and Ron Insana of CNBC, briefed the journalists on their involvement and relationship with the Foundation. Elissa Ruffino, NIAF director of public relations, closed the evening with a special thank you. She highlighted two initiatives: a directory of Italian American journalists and upcoming programs at the National Press Foundation to further serve the journalists.

The NIAF has scheduled similar events in Los Angeles on May 1 and in Phoenix on May 3.

(L to R, back row) Frank J. Guarini, NIAF chairman; Charles Gasperino of The Wall Sreet Journal; Stephen Aiello, NIAF board of directors; Richard Benedetto of USA Today; and Joseph R. Cerrell, NIAF president (front row) Amy Cortese of The New York Times and Sheridan Prasso of Business Week