FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Dara Liotta, (center), accepting a NIAF scholarship from Frank Guarini (left), NIAF chairman, and Stephen Aiello(right), NIAF board of director, at NIAF’s media networking dinner on Thursday, April 29, 2004, at the Columbus Club in New York City.

The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) hosted its fourth annual media networking dinner in New York City on April 29 for Italian American and Italian journalists to meet and network with their colleagues. The event also served to introduce NIAF as the total source for information, issues, concerns and events in the Italian American community and internationally. Bob Leverone, vice president, television, at CBS MarketWatch; and Linda Stasi, columnist and commentator at the New York Post and NY-1-TV; co-chaired the evening. The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, NY-1, Business Week, Associated Press, CBS MarketWatch, New York Daily News, CBS News, Fox News, Barron’s Magazine, Il Sole 24 Ore, La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, and ANSA are some of the 40 media outlets that were represented by Italian American journalists.

During the media reception, language specialist and former NIAF grant recipient, Tom Means, led a lively 20-minute Italian language lesson to a standing room only crowd. The lesson was offered to promote the study of Italian language, a major initiative of the Foundation.

Stephen Aiello, senior consultant at Hill & Knowlton, who chairs the NIAF public affairs committee, opened the evening and emphasized the importance of taking a break from our stressful schedules to have an enjoyable evening together and a delicious Italian meal.

(L-R) Frank Guarini, NIAF chairman; Linda Stasi, columnist, New York Post, and commentator, NY1; Stephen Aiello, NIAF board of director; and Bob Leverone, vice president, television, CBS MarketWatch; at NIAF’s media networking dinner on Thursday, April 29, 2004, at the Columbus Club in New York City.

NIAF Chairman Frank J. Guarini; NIAF Board Members Ken Aspromonte, John Calvelli, Domenic Massaro , Salvatore Salibello and Salvatore Zizza; and NIAF area coordinators, mingled with the guests and discussed NIAF’s programs. NIAF scholarship recipient, Dara Liotta, a second year medical student at Columbia University, expressed her thanks to NIAF for her recent award. The NIAF dinner was underwritten by Hill & Knowlton, a leading international communications consultancy.

NIAF began its major initiative of media networking meetings in 1996 in Washington, DC at the Foundation’s headquarters. Since that time, NIAF has sponsored 24 dinners and luncheons across the U.S. in the following cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, El Paso, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, Philadelphia, Providence (RI), West Hartford (CT) ,Washington, DC, New York City, Miami Beach, and Tampa (FL).

Similar events are scheduled in Boston (May 12) and Miami (June 3). NIAF is also planning a media event in Rome, Italy for Italian journalists to meet and network.