November/December 2013

November/December 2013
AVANTI
Antonio Meucci Lodge #213, OSIA • White Plains, NY
In This Issue:
Columbus Dinner. . . . . . . Cover
President’s Message. . . . . . . . 2
Events Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . 3
SnapShots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Wreath-Laying Ceremony . . . . 6
Drives for the Needy . . . . . . . . 6
2013 Columbus Dinner Dance Celebrates
the Migninis as Couple of the Year
.
Upcoming Events
November 13
Officers’ Meeting
November 26
General Meeting
December 7
Adult Christmas Party
December 11
Officers’ Meeting
December 15
Children’s Christmas Party
December 31
New Year’s Eve Party
January 8
Officers’ Meeting
January 28
General Meeting
THERE IS NO GENERAL
MEETING ON DECEMBER 25
It was Sis. Catherine and Bro. Lenny
Mignini’s night at the Villa Barone Manor in
Mahopac on Sunday, October 27 as Lodge
Members, family and friends gathered to honor the
duo as our 2013 Couple of the Year. With their
children and grandchildren looking on and even
participating in the ceremony, Sis. Catherine and
Bro. Lenny (above with daughter Annmarie and
grandson Kristian) accepted their awards from
event chairs Sisters Rose Tassone and Flavia
DiNota (pictured in inset photo). Among those who
came to congratulate the pair were Hon. Dan
Angiolillo; OSIA state officers Robert Ferrito
(Second Vice President), Michelle Ment (State
Corresponding Secretary), Cathy Lembo Lloyd
( State Trustee) and Mario Cermele (Arbitration
Commissioner); and OSIA Historian Lucy Codella.
The event closed out the Lodge’s October Heritage
and Culture Month’s activities, which began with the
4th Annual Columbus Day Festival at White Plains
High School and included our Annual Wreath-Lying
Ceremony at the Columbus Statue on North
Broadway in White Plains. The Lodge also once
again played host to the Westchester County
Executive Proclamation Ceremony officially
declaring October as Italian Heritage and Culture
Month in our area. It was a month filled with much
fun and festivities enjoyed by all.
A Message From Your
PRESIDENT
Teresa Riverso
Antonio Meucci Lodge #213
279 Maple Avenue
at Antonio Meucci Place
White Plains, New York 10606
(914) 761-9073
www.antoniomeuccilodge.com
OFFICERS 2013-2015
Teresa Riverso, President
(914) 997-7388 ▪ triverso@yahoo.com
Rose Tassone, 1st Vice Pres.
Flavia DiNota, 2nd Vice Pres.
Mario Cermele, Immediate Past President
Catherine Mignini, Orator
Rita Cestone, Recording Sec.
Annamaria Forte, Corresp. Sec.
Luigi DiNota, Financial Sec.
Anna Binasco, Treasurer
Vito Cirioni, Principal Trustee
Trustees
Tina Amato • Concetta Bevilacqua
Mary Borrelli • Rita Carolini
Sandy Farduchi • Lenny Mignini
Mary Morra • Paola Pesaturo
Maria Pippo • Domenico Riverso
Camille Tarone • Lucy Tocci
Nick Vaccarelli
Ceremonial Officers
Jean Borrelli-Ilardi • Cathy Grisanti
Sentinels
Tony Cestone • Tony DiMaria
Arbitration Committee
Joe Amato • Angela D’Ambrosio
Domenico D’Ambrosio • Michael DiSavino
Charles Guastella • Patricia Moore
Joseph Tassone • SantinaTassone
Benedetta Vaccarelli
Chaplain
Joe Tanzi
State Deputy
Joe Zingone
The Avanti is the official newsletter of the Antonio
Meucci Lodge #213 and is published bi-monthly in
January, March, May, July, September and November. Please submit all items for publication by
the next day after the General Meeting preceding
the month of publication. Contact Editor Maria
Riverso at (914) 997-7388.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We had a wonderful and very busy
October celebrating Italian Heritage and
Culture Month and as always, took great pride
in sharing our rich history and the
accomplishments of all Italian Americans with
everyone in the community. We started in
September with the White Plains Columbus
Day Festival. We all enjoyed the two-day
event, which had many of our Members working
very hard to help the White Plains Columbus
Day Parade Committee led by President
Frank Tarone and Vice President Paula
Pesaturo. Most of our Members were very
busy working our booth chaired by Sis. Rose
Tassone that sold baked goods. Thanks so
much to all those who baked for us too.
Members also worked the ticket booth and were
there just making sure everything went right.
You can see our wonderful photos of many of
our hard-working Meuccians on page 4.
The Festival was followed by our annual
Columbus Wreath-Laying Ceremony and
Breakfast on Sunday, October 6. Our guest
speaker Bro. Judge Dan Angiolillo reminded
us how proud we should be of our heritage. In
attendance were our Couple of the Year, Sis.
Catherine and Bro. Lenny Mignini, the
Columbus Day Festival scholarship recipients
and many local dignitaries. Afterwards,
Members and their families enjoyed a delicious
breakfast at the Lodge prepared by Sis.
Pamela Danza. Sincere appreciation to Sis.
Pamela for a great job and also to Sis. Rose
Tassone for organizing and producing the
ceremony.
On October 7, the Lodge hosted the
County Executive’s Proclamation Ceremony
organized by Bro. Prof. Carlo Sclafani. It
was wonderful to hear Hon. Rob Astorino
officially proclaim October as our month and
see all the outstanding students of the Italian
language from all over Westchester be
recognized for their efforts. Credit also goes to
the teachers for their patience and guidance in
passing on our language to future generations.
Thanks to all involved in this important event.
As he has done the past several years,
Prof. Sclafani spoke at our October General
Meeting on October 22. This year’s theme of
Italian Heritage and Culture Month was the
Year of Italian Culture in America, and the
professor talked about the many wonderful
events that were taking place throughout the
country in honor of this theme. Thank you,
2
Prof., for encouraging us to never lose sight of
our heritage and our accomplishments.
Our annual Columbus Day Dinner Dance
on Sunday, October 27 at the Villa Barone
Manor in Mahopac was just wonderful and we
couldn’t be happier at the turn-out. The
weather was beautiful this year, unlike last year
where we had to deal with Hurricane Sandy.
Our Couple of the Year, Sis. Catherine and
Bro. Leonardo Mignini, were surrounded by
their family and friends and we all enjoyed
seeing them receive their well-deserved
recognition for all the hard work they do for us.
I’d like to thank our event chairs, Sis. Flavia
DiNota and Sis. Rose Tassone, for all their
efforts in making this a memorable event. I
also have to thank Bro. Tony Amato for doing
such a fantastic job with the Dinner Journal.
We have a wonderful team on this event and
they work hard and the results really show.
I know this is a November event and we
usually just report the prior two month’s
activities but since it has already passed, I
wanted to thank Sis. Rita Cestone and Sis.
Catherine Mignini for organizing our beautiful
Italian Mass for our Deceased Members and
a great brunch after the Mass. We usually do a
breakfast but Sis. Rita chose to add some
additional delicious food items and voila, we
went from a breakfast to a brunch! Thank you
Sis. Rita and Sis. Catherine for always working
hard for us. And of course we cannot forget
Bro. Tony Cestone and Bro. Leonardo
Mignini, who always help their lovely wives.
Thanks, gentlemen!
We have a number of great events to
close out the year. Please make your
reservations for our Christmas Dinner Dance
and New Year’s Eve Party and of course for
your kids and grandkids for the Children’s
Christmas Party. I want to take this
opportunity to wish you all the best for the
holiday season. Bro. Domenico and I wish you
a Happy Thanksgiving, the Merriest of
Christmases and a Happy and Healthy New
Year. Hopefully, we will see you at our
December parties celebrating the latter
occasions. See you soon!
Fraternally yours and Sempre Avanti,
Teresa Riverso
AVANTI November/December 2013
EVENTS CALENDAR
ON, ABOUT AND AROUND THE LODGE
OFFICERS’ MEETINGS are on
WEDNESDAYS at 8:00 pm sharp.
(The 2nd Wednesday of every month.)
Sunday, December 15
Children’s Christmas Party
Calling all good little children or
grandchildren of Lodge
members between the ages of
infancy-9 years old! Santa, a
present, entertainment,
desserts and the chairperson’s
special surprise await you at
our annual holiday children’s
party at the Lodge. Please contact Sis. Patty Moore by
December 11th with the child’s name, age and gender
so that Santa knows what to bring each child in
attendance. Members are asked to donate baked
goods for our dessert table.
November 13 ▪ December 11 ▪ January 8
GENERAL MEETINGS are on
TUESDAYS at 8:00 pm sharp.
(The 4th Tuesday of every month.)
November 26 ▪ None in Dec. ▪ January 28
Contact: Sis. Rita Cestone, (914) 948-3608.
There is no General Meeting in December.
Sunday, November 24
Atlantic City Bus Trip
7:00 am
Try your luck at the TROPICANA
casino! The bus leaves the Lodge
at 8:00 am but not before you are
seated to a continental breakfast
beginning at 7:00 am. Lunch and
snacks are also provided and there
will be entertainment (singing, tombola and a movie) for a
big busload of fun. We’ll return to the Lodge around 8:00
pm. $40 pp, (casino will return $25). RSVP please.
Contact: Chairwoman Patty Moore, (914) 682-8549
(home) or (914) 837-5411 (cell) or email
psm219@gmail.com or Bro. Charles Guastella (914)
761-9228 (home). Please leave a call back number
when leaving a message.
Tuesday, December 31
New Year’s Eve Party
Contact: Pres. Teresa Riverso, (914) 997-7388.
Saturday, December 7
Adult Lodge Christmas Party
1:00 pm
7:00 pm
Eat, drink and be very merry with
your fellow Brothers and Sisters at La
Grotta Restaurant (formerly
Spiritoso’s Restaurant). Dress up in
your finest holiday apparel and enjoy
a dinner, beverages and dessert with
music provided by Don Felice.
Festivities will include raffles, singing
and an appearance by our own Antonio Meucci Men’s
Choir. $75 pp. Please RSVP to our chair Sis. Pamela
Danza or to Pres. Teresa Riverso at (914) 997-7388.
Contact: Chairwoman Pamela Danza, (914) 980-1055.
8:00 pm
Let’s all ring in the new year at the
Lodge! Enjoy a buffet dinner and
please bring your favorite dessert to
cover one table. Music will be
provided by our DJ. $35 pp. for
adults; children ages 10-15 pay
$15; children under 10 are free.
Please reserve beginning after Nov
20 with Sis. Flavia DiNota at (914) 769-8987 or Pres.
Teresa Riverso at (914) 997-7388.
Contact: Chairman Domenico Riverso, (914) 9977388.
Have an idea for an event or want to chair an event?
Let Pres. Teresa know! Call her at (914) 997-7388 or
email her at triverso@yahoo.com. All ideas are
WANTED:
PLEASE NOTE
• All events are held at the Lodge unless otherwise indicated.
• Members are NOT required to RSVP for general meetings. A
contact number is provided in case you have questions about the
meeting itself.
LOdGE MEMORABILIA
Photos, souvenirs, documents, records, etc., to help us
celebrate our centennial. Call Pres. Teresa Riverso at (914)
997-7388.
3
SNAPSHOTS
A LOOK AT LODGE LIFE AND EVENTS IN PHOTOS
White Plains Common Council Members Ben Boykin and Beth Smayda, Pres. Teresa
Riverso, Bro. Frank Tarone, The Hon. Mayor Tom Roach and Sis. Paula Pesaturo.
Columbus Day Festival
September 28-29
Many Meucci Members helped the
Parade Committee put on the Columbus
Day Festival at WPHS the last weekend
in September. Members took on many
tasks at the 4th annual festival, including
manning our baked goods booth and the
ticket booth. Visitors enjoyed the many
rides, games, food and vendor booths
and live entertainment, and the opening
ceremonies featured various local
dignitaries. Kudos to Bro. Frank Tarone,
and Sis. Paula Pesaturo, president and
vice president of the Committee,
respectively, on another successful year
with this event.
Tickets booth helpers Sis. Flavia DiNota,
Bro. Luigi DiNota and Sis. Luci Tocci.
Booth helpers Sis. Connie Bevilacqua, Bros. Charlie Tota
and Umberto Amato, Sis. Mary Morra and Sis. Mary Borrelli.
Booth helpers Sisters Sandy Farduchi, Luci Tocci, Camille Tarone,
Cathy Grisanti, Carmela Merenstein and a friend.
2013 Columbus Festival Scholarship Winners Cristina
Birritieri, Leonardo Fonzetti and Cristina Maida.
Photo Credits: Sis. Mary Morra
4
AVANTI November/December 2013
For the latest calendar information and photos of events, check out the calendar section of our
website at www.antoniomeuccilodge.com/calendar.htm.
COLUMBUS DAY DINNER DANCE HONORING THE MIGNINIS — OCTOBER 27
It was a grand evening at the Villa Barone
as we celebrated with our Couple of the
Year. Sis. Catherine and Bro. Lenny
Mignini were honored with their family
members at their side: daughter Annmarie
and her husband Marcus, their son Lenny
and his wife Andrea and their
grandchildren, Kristian and Kassandra.
The couple expressed their profound
gratitude to everyone who made this night
possible, especially the event chairs, and
had this to say:
“The night was priceless because of
you!! Our Meucci Family is the best
extended family anyone could ask for.
We would like to extend our deep
appreciation from the bottom of our
hearts for this memorable affair.”
5
IN THE NEWS
What’s Going On With Our Members
CONGRATULATIONS to Sis.
Franca and Bro. Tony
Capicotto, whose grandchildren
Brigida and Nicholas Capicotto
have each won the 2013 Casa
Calabria Lodge Scholarships.
MORE CONGRATULATIONS: To
Sis. Connie and Bro. Vinnie
Bevilaqua on the birth of their
great-grandson Matthew James.
The parents are James and
Jennifer Bevilaqua and the
grandparents are Richard and
Beth Bevilaqua. Little Matthew,
born on August 16th, and mom,
are doing great.
CONGRATULATIONS also to
Sis. Vincenzina Puja, whose
granddaughter Cristina Birritieri
was one of the winners of this
year’s Columbus Festival
Scholarships. (See her photo on
page 4 along with the other
Festival Scholarship winners.)
A SPEEDY RECOVERY to Bro.
Umberto Amato on his recent
surgery.
Have any news to share?
Call Pres. Teresa Riverso at
(914) 997-7388.
2013 Wreath-Laying Ceremony ● Cristoforo Colombo Statue, White Plains
Bros. Charlie Tota, Judge Daniel Angiolillo, and Lenny Mignini, and Sis. Catherine Mignini, Bro. Tony Amato, Pres. Teresa Riverso,
Bro. Frank Tarone and Sis. Rose Tassone (Event Chair) stand in front of the Columbus Statue at the October 6 ceremony.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE LODGE HOLIDAY DRIVES FOR THE NEEDY
Sis. Patty Moore will once again be leading the
Lodge’s two annual drives for the needy, the Toys for
Tots Campaign and the Gift Card Drive. At all the
meetings leading up to Christmas, Sis. Patty will be
taking donations to purchase gift cards at local
supermarkets. These will be donated to the Salvation
Army to feed local needy families.
She will also be placing collection boxes for new
unwrapped toys only please at the Lodge and Bro.
Frank Tarone’s Central Mowers on Central Avenue in
White Plains. Monetary donations are also being
accepted and Sis. Patty will purchase the toys on the
donor’s behalf. The deadline for contributing toys is
Friday, December 14th. All toys will be delivered to the
distribution center following the Children’s Christmas
Party on the 15th.
In the true spirit of Christmas, please remember that
it is better to give than receive. Sis. Patty can be
reached at (914) 682-8549 (home) or (914) 837-5411
(cell) or email psm219@gmail.com.
6
AVANTI November/December 2013
SUPPORT OUR
SPONSORS
Ad Space is Available!
Call Sis. Rita Cestone at (914) 948-3608.
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to International Guests
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(914) 644-8866
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www.homestayforlife.com
SALVATORE M. DI COSTANZO, ESQ.
a Partner with the firm of McMillan, Constabile, Maker & Perone, LLP
Elder Law, Estate Planning,
Medicaid Planning (Nursing Home and Home Care),
Asset Protection Planning, Estate Administration
Member, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
Past Chair, Westchester County Bar Assoc. Elder Law Committee
Executive Committee. New York State Bar Assoc. Elder Law Section
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www.McMillanConstabile.com
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Fax (914) 761-9156
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7
AVANTI
The Antonio Meucci Lodge #213
Order Sons of Italy in America
279 Maple Avenue
at Antonio Meucci Place
White Plains, New York 10606
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8
AVANTI November/December 2013