FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

(Washington, D.C. — March 18, 2008) Joe Natoli, senior vice president and CFO of the University of Miami, will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award for Business at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Ambassador’s Ball. The event with be held at the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa the evening of April 4, 2008, and features a 7 p.m. cocktail reception followed by dinner and an awards program. This year’s event is being hosted by Italy’s Ambassador to the United States H.E. Giovanni Castellaneta and Mrs. Lila Castellaneta.

David Lawrence Jr., former publisher of The Miami Herald, who worked closely with Natoli during his tenure as president of The Miami Herald Publishing Company, will present the award to Natoli. Lawrence, a longtime respected community leader, now heads the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation.

“Joe Natoli’s dedication to public service is filled with innumerable achievements. His work is a direct reflection of NIAF’s mission. It is truly an honor to recognize his work at this year’s Ambassador’s Ball,” Arthur J. Furia, Esq., NIAF regional vice president for the Southeast, said.

A Brooklyn native, Natoli moved to South Florida as a teenager. Following college, Natoli joined Knight Ridder, the parent company of The Miami Herald, as a staff accountant. At the age of 28, he was named the paper’s controller and became its general manager at age 38, and president one year later. In 2001, he relocated from Miami to California, where he served as publisher of the San Jose Mercury News and in 2004 to Philadelphia to serve as publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News. In 2006, he returned to Miami to join the University of Miami as its CFO.

Natoli has worked to improve communities in Miami, San Jose, and Philadelphia, focusing on children’s causes. He has supported Miami Children’s Hospital, the YMCA, March of Dimes, Beacon Council, and Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. He currently sits on the boards of the Miami-Dade County United Way, the Orange Bowl Committee and Perry Ellis.

During the Ambassador’s Ball, NIAF will pay tribute to prominent individuals, several of whom are Florida residents. Eros Ramazzotti, one of Italy’s most popular singers and songwriters, will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award in Music. He will also perform at the Ball.

Also at the Ambassador’s Ball, Paolo Zegna, chairman of Ermenegildo Zegna Group, will accept a NIAF Special Achievement Award in Fashion on behalf of the Zegna Family. Joseph C. Amaturo, general partner with the Amaturo Group Ltd., will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award for Humanitarian Services; Frank R. Nero, president and CEO of the Beacon Council, will receive the Foundation’s Special Award for Public Service; Camillo Ricordi, M.D., professor of surgery and bioengineering and director of the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami, will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award in Medicine and John F. Scarpa, co-founder of American Cellular Network Corporation, will receive a NIAF Special Achievement Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit.

Tickets begin at $250 per person. To purchase tickets, contact Carolyn Laurenzano at 202/939-3114 or carolyn@niaf.org. For more information on the Ambassador’s Ball visit www.niaf.org/ambassador

NIAF is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to preserving the heritage of Italian Americans. To learn about our programs/events, visit www.niaf.org.