FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Elissa Ruffino, 202-939-3106, elissa@niaf.org

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October 16-18, 2015 – Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C.

2015 NIAF Gala Honorees

Amato L. Berardi, founder of Berardi & Associates Inc., and former member of the Italian Parliament, who will receive the NIAF 40^th Anniversary Award for Leadership and Service

Richard E. Caruso, Ph.D., founder and director of Integra LifeSciences, who will receive the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Business and Health

Connie Francis, Italian American musical legend, who will be inducted into the Italian American Hall of Fame

Mario Gabelli, founder, chairman and CEO of GAMCO Investors Inc., who will receive the NIAF 40^th Anniversary Award for Leadership and Service

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., who will receive the NIAF Special Achievement Award in International Business

Franco Nuschese, president of Georgetown Entertainment Group LLC, who will receive the NIAF 40^th Anniversary Award for Leadership and Service

Steve Perillo, president and owner of Perillo Tours, who will receive the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Business

Alfred M. Rotondaro, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former NIAF executive director, who will receive the Italian American Community Leadership Award

Josephine J. (Gargiulo) Templeton, M.D., trustee of the John Templeton Foundation, who will receive the NIAF Special Achievement Award in Philanthropy.

NIAF Board member and Emmy Award-winning Fox News Anchor and Global Markets Editor Maria Bartiromo and SNL legend, NIAF Celebrity Ambassador, actor, entertainer and radio host Joe Piscopo, will co-host one of the most popular black-tie galas in our nation’s capital. This year’s honorary chair of the Foundation’s 40^th Anniversary Celebrations is Patricia de Stacy Harrison, NIAF vice chair and president and CEO of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. NIAF Board of Director John J. Cafaro serves as Gala Dinner Chairman. Honorable Claudio Bisogniero, Italy’s Ambassador to the United States, will lead the Italian Delegation.

Gala Weekend Attendees:

Danny Aiello – Actor

Raffaele Aiello – Chairman & CEO of SNAV SPA / MSC Group – Board Member of Naples Port Authority

Samuel A. Alito Jr. – Supreme Court Justice

Hon. Valentina Aprea – Region of Lombardia’s Education Training and Employment Councilwoman

Piero Barone –Tenor, Il Volo              

Ignazio Boscetto –Tenor, Il Volo

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio – Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA

Aaron Caruso – The Sicilian Tenors

Paolo Catalfamo – Italy’s Consul General of the Republic of Mauritius

Paolo Cioffi – Chairman Don Carlo Biscuits – Playtime Biscuits

Matilda Raffa Cuomo – Former First Lady of New York State and Founder & Chairperson of Mentoring USA

Benedetto De Petrillo – Chairman of De Petrillo Fashion Group

Andrea De Simone – CEO of Sapori D’Italia  – Prosciutti Crudi D’Italia

Gianni Di Giovanni – CEO of AGI (Italian Press Agency)

Anthony Fauci – Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Alessandro Gabarra – Chairman of Sapori D’Italia – Prosciutti Crudi D’Italia

Dominick Gambino – Founder and CEO of Tony’s Finer Food Chicago

Vittorio Genna – Executive Vice President of ALA S.p.A.

Gianluca Ginoble – Baritone, Il Volo

Joe Heck – U.S. Congressman          

Patrizia Marin – President of Marco Polo Experience

Tom Marino – U.S. Congressman

Nicola Mastromartino – Founder & CEO of Caffè Motta SPA – MODERNA SPA – VéGé Group Supermarkets

Pasqualino Monti – President of the Port Authority of Rome-Civitavecchia-Gaeta

Chazz Palminteri – Actor

Vinny Pastore – Actor

Mike Piazza – Twelve-time MLB All-Star

Mike Pompeo – U.S. Congressman

Lawrence Romo – Director of the Selective Service System

Carlo Rotunno – Singer of the Italian Anthem

Alfonso Ruffo – NIAF Regional Vice President for Southern Italy, Editor of Il Denaro

Giorgio Santambrogio – CEO of VéGé Group

Elio Scaccio  – The Sicialian Tenors

Annabella Sciorra – Actress and Producer

Paolo Scudieri – CEO of Adler Group

Tom Sinatra – Performer

Sabrina Tedeschi – Vice President of Famiglie dell’Amarone d’Arte

Rocco Totino – Partner of Grassi & Co New York

Senator Renato Turano – U.S. Representative of the Italian Senate

Giada Valenti –  Singer and songwriter

Fabrizio Vinaccia – Institutional Affairs Senior Vice President of MBDA Italia S.p.A

Sam Vitale – The Sicilian Tenors

Lorenzo Zurino – CEO of THE ONE COMPANY – Chief of Italian Delegation