[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 16, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1762-E1763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              1997 ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 1997

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following:

       Ellis Island, NY, May 4.--Standing on the hallowed grounds 
     of Ellis Island--the portal through which 17 million 
     immigrants entered the United States--a cast of ethnic 
     Americans who have made significant contributions to the life 
     of this nation, among them President William Jefferson 
     Clinton, NYS Attorney General Dennis Vacco, National Football 
     League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Little Caeser 
     Enterprises Chairman Michael Illitch, today were presented 
     with the coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor at an 
     emotionally uplifting ceremony.
       NECO's annual medal ceremony and reception on Ellis Island 
     in New York Harbor is the Nation's largest celebration of 
     ethnic pride. This year's event was dedicated to the memory 
     of Albert Shanker, a 1995 Ellis Island Medal recipient and 
     former President of the American Federation of Teachers and a 
     Vice President of the AFL-CIO.
       Representing a rainbow of ethnic origins, this year's 
     recipients received their awards in the shadow of the 
     historic Great Hall, where the first footsteps were taken by 
     the millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. in the latter 
     part of the nineteenth century.
       ``Today we honor great ethnic Americans who, through their 
     achievements and contributions, and in the spirit of their 
     ethnic origins, have enriched this country and have become 
     role models for future generations,'' said NECO Chairman 
     William Denis Fugazy. ``In addition, we honor the immigrant 
     experience--those who passed through this Great Hall decades 
     ago, and the new immigrants who arrive on American soil 
     seeking opportunity.''
       Mr. Fugazy added, ``It doesn't matter how you got here or 
     if you already were here. Ellis Island is a symbol of the 
     freedom, diversity and opportunity--ingredients inherent in 
     the fabric of this nation. Although many recipients have no 
     familial ties to Ellis Island, their ancestors share similar 
     histories of struggle and hope for a better life here.
       Established in 1986 by NECO, the Ellis Island Medals of 
     Honor pay tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise 
     America's unique cultural mosaic. To date, some 700 ethnic 
     American citizens and native Americans have received medals.
       NECO is the largest organization of its kind in the U.S. 
     serving as an umbrella group for 75 ethnic organizations and 
     whose mandate is to preserve ethnic diversity, promote ethnic 
     and religious equality, tolerance and harmony, and to combat 
     injustice, hatred, and bigotry.
       Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients are selected each 
     year through a national nomination process. Screening 
     committees from NECO's member organizations select the final 
     nominees, who are then considered by the Board of Directors.
       Past Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients have included 
     several U.S. Presidents, entertainers, athletes, 
     entrepreneurs, religious leaders and business executives, 
     such as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, George 
     Bush, Richard Nixon, George Pataki, Mario Cuomo, Bob Hope, 
     Frank Sinatra, Michael Douglas, Gloria Estefan, Coretta Scott 
     King, Rosa Parks, Elie Wiesel, Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, 
     General Norman Schwarzkopf, Barbara Walters, Terry Anderson 
     and Dr. Michael DeBakey.
       Congratulations to the 1997 Ellis Island Medal of Honor 
     recipients.
       Beny Alagem, Israeli, business leader; Manfred Alstadt, 
     German, business leader; Denis Andreuzzi, Italian, business 
     leader; Stuart Appelbaum, Lithuanian/Russian, labor leader; 
     Edward F. Arrigoni, Italian, business leader; Ralph A. 
     Balzano, Italian, government official; Raphael Baron, 
     Russian, business leader; Herbert F. Boeckmann, II, German, 
     entrepreneur; William Bolster, English/Irish, media 
     executive; J. Frank Brown, Irish, business leader; Young In 
     Chung, Korean, community leader; William Jefferson Clinton, 
     President of the United States; Hon. Nicholas Coffinas, 
     Hellenic, community leader; Joseph M. Cohen, Polish/Russian, 
     business leader; Geneos Pete Cokinos, Hellenic, oil producer.
       Jerry Colangelo, Italian, business leader; Hon. Martin E. 
     Connor, Irish, NYS senate minority leader; Daniel F. Cremins, 
     Irish, business leader; Sr. Catherine Crumlish, RSM, Irish, 
     community leader; Richard E. Dauch, German, manufacturing 
     leader; J. Morton Davis, Hungarian/Polish, business leader/
     author; Hon. Vincent A. Delorio, Italian, attorney; Ralph 
     Destino, Italian, business leader; George Douris, Hellenic, 
     business/community leader posthumous; Irma B. Elder, Syrian/
     Mexican, business/community leader; Dr. Saul J. Farber, 
     Lithuanian, physician/educator; Ralph D. Farkas, Israeli/
     Czech, business leader; George Filios, Hellenic, business 
     leader; Michael C. Finnegan, Esq., Irish, business/government 
     leader; Edward Fredkin, Russian, scientist.
       Peter C. Gazes, MD, Hellenic, physician/educator; Peter A. 
     Georgescu, Romanian, business leader; Kenneth J. Gorman, 
     Irish, business leader; Salvatore, ``Sonny'' Grosso, Italian, 
     television & movie producer; Rajat Gupta, Asian Indian, 
     business leader; Marife Hernandez, Hispanic, civic leader; 
     Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, German/Irish, president 
     emeritus U. of Notre Dame; Thomas Y. Hobart, Jr., English/
     German/Italian, labor leader; Harry G. Hohn, German/Irish, 
     business leader; Hirair Hovnanian, Armenian, business/
     community leader; Thomas M. Hricik, Slovak, fraternalist; 
     Denis M. Hughes, Irish/Italian, labor leader; Michael 
     Ilitch, Macedonian, business/community leader; Elham 
     Jabiru-Shayota, Chaldean, business leader; Caroline R. 
     Jones, African, business leader.
       Myong Y. Juch, Korean, business/community leader; Charles 
     Kanakis, Jr., MD, Hellenic, physician/community leader; 
     Constantine N. Kangles, Esq., Hellenic, attorney/publisher/
     community leader; Adib Kassis, Lebanese, business/community 
     leader; Henry Kaufman, German, business leader; John H. 
     Klein, German/Irish, business leader; Herbert V. Kohler, Jr., 
     Austrian, business leader; Kamil Kubik, Czech, artist; 
     Andreas C. Kyprianides, Cypriot, community leader;

[[Page E1763]]

     John Lam, Chinese, business leader; Hon. John J. 
     Leskovyansky, Slovak, community leader; Pamela Anagnos 
     Liapakis, Hellenic, business leader; David W. Longaberger, 
     German/Scottish, business leader; Earle I. Mack, Russian/
     German, government official; Tony J. Mafoud, Lebanese, 
     business leader.
       Leonard A. Mancusi, Italian, public official; Ronald Joseph 
     Mannino, Italian, business leader; William J. Marino, 
     Italian/Eng/Ire/Scot, business leader; William T. McCaffrey, 
     Irish, business leader; Jim McCann, Irish, business leader; 
     Hon. William A. McClain, African, religious/legal/community 
     leader; Norman P. McClelland, Irish, business leader; Edward 
     J. McElroy, Irish/Italian, labor leader; Michael A. McManus, 
     Jr., Irish, business leader; Jerry D. McMorris, Italian/
     Irish, business leader; Dennis Mehiel, Hellenic, business 
     leader; Robert Meister, Russian, business leader; Frank 
     Mercede, Italian, real estate developer; Ernest S. Micek, 
     Polish, business leader; Nicholas G. Moore, Irish, 
     business leader;
       Nikos Mouyiaris, Cypriot, business leader; Paul H. Mullan, 
     Irish, business leader; Thomas V. Murphy, Irish, educator/
     labor leader; Andrew Patrick O'Rourke, Irish, community 
     leader; Frank A. Olson, Swedish, business leader; Hon. Louis 
     J. Papan, Hellenic, member, California State Assembly; 
     Panayiotis Papanicolaou, Cypriot, community leader; Philip E. 
     Parker, Esq., Irish, business leader; Hon. Jeanine F. Pirro, 
     Lebanese, chief law enforcement official; Carlos P. Portes, 
     Cuban, community leader; Patrick J. Purcell, Irish, 
     publisher; Nido R. Qubein, Lebanese, international 
     consultant/author; James H. Quello, Italian, business leader; 
     Stewart Rahr, Russian, business leader; Daniel Rappaport, 
     German/Greek/Russian/Turkish, business leader; James A. 
     Regas, Hellenic, business/community leader.
       Walter G. Rich, Scottish/Irish/English, business leader; 
     Dennis Rivera, Puerto Rican/Irish, labor leader; Valerie B. 
     Salembier, Russian, business leader; Naseeb M. Saliba, 
     Lebanese, business leader; Marvin Samson, Russian, business 
     leader; Dr. Joseph V. Scelsa, Italian, educator. Richard Dale 
     Schultz, German/Irish, business leader/educator; Karen 
     Silberman Scott, Russian, media executive; Hon. Peter 
     Secchia, Italian, business leader; John J. Shalam, Middle 
     Eastern, business leader; Michael J. Sherman, Eastern 
     European, business leader; Stephen B. Siegel, Russian, 
     business leader; Albert J. Simmons, African, business leader/
     community activist; Anwar Soliman, Egyptian, business leader.
       Hon. John D. Spencer, Irish, mayor; Nicholas Anthony 
     Spilotro, Italian, labor leader; H.E. Archbishop Spyridon, 
     Hellenic, religious leader; Jose Suquet, Cuban, business 
     leader; Dennis D. Swanson, Swedish/German/Irish/English, 
     business leader; Paul Tagliabue, Italian, business leader; 
     Martin James Tandler, Czech, business leader; George 
     Tenet, Hellenic, CIA Director; Michael E. Tennenbaum, 
     German/Russian, business/community leader; Albert N. 
     Thompson, African, business leader; Hon. Vito Titone, 
     Italian, judge; Thomas Ralph Tizzio, Italian, business 
     leader.
       Robert J. Tomsich, Sloven, business leader; Louis R. 
     Tomson, Eastern European, State executive; Richard 
     Torrenzano, Italian, business leader; Savas C. Tsivicos, 
     Cypriot, business/community leader; James G. Tsunis, 
     Hellenic, business leader; Charles Uribe, Chilean, business 
     leader; Hon. Dennis C. Vacco, Italian, NYS attorney general; 
     Peter L. Venetis, Hellenic, business leader; Herbert N. 
     Wallace, Esq., Latvian/Russian, attorney/business leader; 
     Iris Walshin, Austrian/Russian/German, business leader; Scott 
     R. Watterson, Danish/Eng/Welsh, business leader; Sam Hanna 
     Zakhem, Lebanese, Ambassador.

     

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