Cav. Anthony Pangaro, Chair
Ettore Santucci, Director, President
Susan Angelastro, Director
Comm. Emilio Bizzi, Director
Alberto Fornaro, Director
Alessandro Rollo, Director
December 10, 2016
Carissimi amici,
italianissimo! 2016 has become part of the history of the Friends of the Italian Cultural Center of Boston.
We are very grateful to FICCB’s supporters for your attendance on November 19 and for the positive energy you brought with you. Our special thanks go to all of the sponsors, patrons, donors and volunteers who made italianissimo! 2016 a success.
A special debt of gratitude is due to our own Organizing Committee for a tremendous job in putting italianissimo! 2106 together. Thank you also to the Italian Consulate General for its support of FICCB, going back to Giuseppe Pastorelli, now in Toronto, who will always be our inspiration.
We are happy to have been able to honor our second year’s Menino Award Winners, Federico Cortese, Director of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Silvio Micali, Professor of Engineering at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and to have had Mrs. Angela Menino and her daughter, Mrs. Susan Fenton, present. And, of course, we thank Eataly for hosting a wonderful party in the ideal setting before its opening to the general public.
The level of enthusiasm evidenced in this, the fifth italianissimo! was orders of magnitude greater and broader than in the past. The Board sees this as a powerful expression that moves us forward with the mission of FICCB:
· to think, talk and dream about Boston’s Italian-American culture and the future of our relationship with Italy
· to create a novel Italian cultural center, first a “virtual” one and eventually a physical one, to preserve our rich Italian heritage and forge a strong, united community of italophiles
· to promote a forward-looking, fresh take on the Italian-American identity, one that is both deeply rooted in history and firmly planted in the 21st century
· to celebrate all of the contributions Italians have made and continue to make in art, science and culture, academia, enterprise and innovation, philanthropy and community service.
The Board is committed to faithful stewardship of each of these goals. FICCB’s objective is to be a leader in planning and executing subject-oriented programming for the Italian and Italian-American communities in Boston and New England. The financial resources that the community has entrusted to us are significant and have built a strong foundation. We are anxious to collaborate with organizations which have a similar mindset and with all those who, with a love for all things Italian, want to roll up their sleeves.
italianissimo! 2016 was active proof of the inclusiveness of FICCB. Being an italophile is a frame of mind, not an ethnic identity; because you don’t have to be of Italian descent to yearn to appreciate the Renaissance masters, learn the Italian language, enjoy opera, or understand the economic ties between Italy and the U.S. The proceeds from italianissimo! 2016 will help FICCB support programs, from teaching Italian to public lectures, concerts and art exhibits; from honoring Italians in enterprise, science, the humanities and innovation to celebrations of Italian heritage and folklore; from providing services to Italian-American communities to organizing social events. We strive to be relevant and open to younger voices and to recognize and support Italians and Italian-Americans of all ages who are a positive force in Boston and New England and are re-inventing our future.
We will keep you informed and expect to call upon you in the coming months. We hope that you will continue to respond affirmatively.
A presto.
For the Board of the Friends of the Italian Cultural Center of Boston, Inc.
Anthony Pangaro, Chair
Ettore Santucci, President