[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 75 (Thursday, June 11, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1117-E1119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SALUTING THE 1998 ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL OF HONOR AWARDS
______
HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 11, 1998
Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday May 9th four of our
distinguished colleagues together with more than 130 other outstanding
Americans were awarded the 1998 Ellis Island Medal of Honor at a gala
ceremony on Ellis Island. The ceremony and the medals are sponsored by
the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, Inc. (NECO), the
nation's largest ethnic organization, representing more than 5 million
families and hundreds of organizations.
The Ellis Island Medals of Honor have been awarded in each of the
past twelve years to those Americans who have made outstanding
contributions to our nation's identity, while preserving the distinct
values and heritage of their ancestors. This year I am especially proud
to note that Reps. Gary Ackerman (Eastern Europe), Carolyn Maloney
(English, Irish/French), Robert Menendez (Cuban), and Patsy Mink
(Japanese) were among the awardees.
I am proud to be a Medal recipient, as is President Clinton and five
other United States Presidents. The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is
aptly named, for the island is a symbol of the diversity of our
nation's people--a people whose genius, culture, artistry and thought
have joined to form a single mosaic of many cultures and ancestral
backgrounds. It is from this diversity that the United States is still
a beacon of hope for so many and the greatest democracy the world has
ever known.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay a special tribute to the one man who
is responsible for the Ellis Island Medals of Honor and someone who has
dedicated his life to developing and strengthening bonds between people
of all ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds, Willian Denis Fugazy.
At this point in the Record, I wish to include the entire list of the
Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients and congratulate each of them.
Ellis Island Medal of Honor Awards--1998 Medalists
Anthony S. Abbate, President & CEO, Interchange State Bank,
Saddle Brook, NJ--Italian; Gary L. Ackerman, Congressman,
United States House of Representatives, Bayside, NY--Eastern
European; William H. Adkins, President & CEO, Palanker
Chevrolet Inc. West Babylon, NY--African; Antigone Agris,
Publisher, Hellenic Chronicle, Framingham, MA--Hellenic; Ace
(Armando) Alaga, Publisher, Italian Tribune News, Newark,
NJ--Italian; John B. Alfieri, Esq. Senior Partner, Alfieri,
Frohman & Primoff, LLP, New York, NY--Italian; John A.
Allison IV, Chairman & CEO, BB&T Corporation, Winston-Salem,
NC--Scottish/Irish; John A. Amos, President & CEO, Halley's
Comet Company, Califon, NJ--African; Ernie Anastos, News
Anchor, UPN 9/WWOR-TV, Secaucus, NJ--Hellenic; Thomas V.
Angott, Chairman, C.F. Burger Creamery, Detroit, MI--Italian;
Michael S. Ansari, Chairman & CEO, MIC Industries, Inc.,
Reston, VA--Iranian; Norman R. Augustine, Chairman of the
Board, retired, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD--
German; William J. Avery, Chairman & CEO, Crown, Cork & Seal
Company, Inc., Philadelphia, PA--Irish/Welsch; Farhad Azima,
Chairman, Aviation Leasing Group, Kansas City, MO--Persian;
[[Page E1118]]
and Brian M. Barefoot, Executive Vice President, Paine Webber
Inc. New York, NY-- English/German.
Archbishop Khajag Barasmian, Primate, Diocease of the
American Church of Am., New York, NY--Armenian; George D.
Behrakis, Judge, President & CEO, Muro Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
Tewksbury, MA--Hellenic; Joseph W. Bellacosa, Judge, New York
State Court of Appeals, Albany, NY--Italian; Francis X.
Bellotti, Attorney, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky &
Popeo, PC, Boston, MA--Italian; Eric A. Behamou, President,
CEO & Chairman, 3 Com Corporation, Santa Clara, CA--French;
Michael Berry, Esq., Attorney, Berry, Francis, Seifman,
Salamey & Harris, Dearborn, MI--Lebanese; Albert C.
Bersticker, Chairman & CEO, Ferro Corporation, Cleveland,
OH--German; Elias Betzios, President, Continental Food
Products, Inc, Flushing, NY--Hellenic; Frank J. Branchini,
President, & CEO, Group Health Incorporated, New York, NY--
Irish/Italian; John G. Breen, Chairman & CEO, The Sherwin-
Williams Company, Cleveland, OH--Scottish/Irish; and Duncan
A. Bruce, Author & Community Leader, New York, NY--Stottish.
Michael G. Cantonis, President, Acme Sponge & Chamois Co.,
Inc., Tarpon Springs, FL--Hellenic; Louis J. Cappelli,
Chairman, Sterling National Bank, New York, NY--Italian;
Richard Conway Casey, United States District Court Judge,
United States District Court, White Plains, NY--Irish; Robert
B. Catell, Chairman, President & CEO, KeySpan Energy Company,
Brooklyn, NY--Italian; William Cavanaugh III, President &
CEO, Carolina Power & Light Co., Raleigh, NC--Irish; Jerry D.
Choate, Chairman & CEO, Allstate Insurance, Northbrook, IL--
English; Christopher Christodoulou, President, Creative Color
Lithographers, Inc./Graphic Arts Laboratory/ELAS Travel,
Garwood, NJ--Cypriot; Kenneth A. Ciongoli, President,
Neurological Association of UT/NIAF, Burlington, VT--Italian;
E. Virgil Conway, Chairman, Metropolitan Transportation
Authority, New York, NY--Irish; Takey Crist, President and
Medical Director; Honorary Consul, Crist Clinic for Women;
Republic of Cyprus, Jacksonville, NC--Cypriot; and Karen
Davis, President, Commonwealth Fund, New York, NY--Swiss/
German.
Diane H. Dayson, Superintendent, Department of Interior--
National Park Service, New York, NY--African; Theodore
Deikel, Chairman & CEO, Fingerhut Companies, Inc.,
Minnetonka, MN--Russian; George J. Delaney, President, Summit
Resources, Inc., Briarcliff Manor, NY--Irish; Gustave
Diamond, United States District Judge, United States District
Court, Pittsburgh, PA--Hellenic; Jim Donald, Chairman,
President & CEO, Pathmark Stores Inc., Carteret, NJ--Irish;
Lewis Robert Elias, MD, Cardiologist, Senior Member, South
Florida Cardiology Associates, Bal Harbour, FL--Lebanese;
Victor Elmaleh, Chairman, World-Wide Holdings Corporation,
New York, NY--Moroccan; Pamela Fiori, Editor in Chief, Town
and Country Magazine, New York, NY--Italian; Brian T. Gilson,
President, Minnesota Diversified Industries, St. Paul, MN--
Norwegian/German/Italian; Richard H. Girgenti, Esq.,
Principal, KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, New York, NY--Italian; and
Bernice Gottlieb, President, Hudson Shores Realtors,
Irvington, NY--Austrian/Hungarian.
Charlie N. Hall, Sr., President, Local #108 R, W & D Store
Union, Irvington, NJ--African; James F. Hardymon, Chairman &
CEO, Textron, Inc., Providence, RI--English; Derek C.
Hathaway, Chairman & CEO, Harsco, Camp Hill, PA--English;
William Hetzler, President & Owner, Bill Hetzler Holding,
Atlantic Beach Estates, NY--German; John A. Holy, President,
Slovak American Publishing Co., Clifton, NJ--Slovak; Vahak S.
Hovnanian, Chairman & President, V.S. Hovnanian Group &
Hovbilth--Armenian; Darrell Edward Issa, President & CEO,
Directed Electronics, Inc., Vista, CA--Lebanese; Robert M.
Johnson, Chairman & CEO, Bowne & Co., Inc., New York, NY--
Swedish/English; Mitchell J. Joseph, Chairman & CEO, The
Joseph Company, Laguna Niguel, CA--Italian; Thomas Peter
Kazas, President, Hometown Coffee Company, Pittsburgh, PA--
Hellenic; John F. Keenan, US District Judge, U.S. District
Court, New York, NY--French Canadian/Irish; Andrew Sokchu
Kim, President, LISA Page/Codwell Communications Inc.,
Roslyn, NY--Korean; A. Eugene Kohn, President, Kohn Pedersen
Fox Associates, New York, NY--European; Alexander R.
Koproski, CEO, Al Koproski Realty, Stamford, CT--Polish;
Haralambos S. Kostakopoulos, Ph.D., President & CEO, First
Savings Bank of Little Falls, Little Falls, NJ--Hellenic; and
Thomas C. Kyrus, President, Kyrus Enterprises, Naples, FL--
Cypriot.
Vincent V. LaBruna, DDS, President, Vincent V. LaBruna DDS,
PC, New York, NY--Italian; Lee Liu, Chairman & CEO, IES
Industries Inc., Cedar Rapids, IA--Chinese; Dr. Pamela Loren,
Chairman & CEO, Loren Communications Intl., Ltd., New York,
NY--Argentinean/English; William Losapio, President,
Gregory's Restaurant, White Plains, NY--Italian; Alan Barry
Lubin, Executive Vice President, NYS United Teachers, Albany,
NY--Russian; Leon Machiz, Chairman & CEO, Avnet Inc., Great
Neck, NY--English/Irish/French; Carolyn B. Maloney,
Congresswoman, United States House of Representatives, New
York, NY--English/Irish/French; Joseph L. Mancino, Chairman,
President & CEO, The Roslyn Savings Bank, Roslyn, NY--
Italian; Frank G. Mancuso, Chairman & CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-
Mayer Inc., Santa Monica, CA--Italian; John Willard Marriott
Jr., Chairman & CEO, Marriott Internatinal, Inc., Washington,
DC--English; Anthony A. Massaro, Chairman & CEO, The Lincoln
Electric Company, Cleveland, OH--Italian; Fernando Mateo,
Founder & Chairman, Goods for Guns Foundation, New York, NY--
Hispanic; and Joseph M. Mattone, Esq., Chairman & CEO,
Mattone Group, Ltd., College Point, NY--Italian
William Surles McArthur, Jr., Colonel, NASA, Houston, TX--
Scottish; Linda Eastman McCartney, (posthumously)
Photographer, Animal Activist, Writer, Singer, Musician, AZ,
CA, UK; Michael R. McCoy, Executive Vice President & COO,
Geotek Communications Inc., Montvale, NJ--Irish; Bryan N.
McGuire, General Manager, ``21'' Club, New York, NY--Irish;
Josie Anderson McMillian, President, New York Metro Area
Postal Union, New York, NY--African; James R. Mellor, Former
Chairman & CEO, General Dynamics, Falls Church, VA--English;
Robert Menendez, Congressman, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC--Cuban; Arthur L. Mercante, Deputy
Commissioner, Town of Hempstead, Garden City, NY--Italian;
Lee Miglin, (posthumously) Former Chairman, Miglin-Beitler
Company, Chicago, IL--Lithuanian; Alan B. Miller, President &
Chairman, Universal Health Service, Inc., King of Prussia,
PA--Russian; Patsy T. Mink, Congresswoman, United States
House of Representatives, Washington, DC--Japanese; and
Senator George Mitchell, Chairman, Peace Talks in Northern
Ireland, Washington, DC--Lebanese/Irish.
Tita Scandalis Monti, President & Founder, Don Monti
Memorial Research Foundation, Sands Point, NY--Hellenic;
William D. Moses, President & CEO, Recovery Network, Santa
Monica, CA--Syrian; Mary Murphy, Anchor and Correspondent,
WPIX-TV New York, NY--Irish; Thomas J. Murphy, Chairman, NYS
Dormitory Authority, Albany, NY--Irish; John Francis,
O'Brien, President & CEO, Allmerica Financial Corporation,
Worcester, MA--Irish/Italian; Timothy Stuart O'Leary, USN,
Director, United States Navy Office of Information, East, New
York, NY--Irish/Croat; Harry J. Pappas, President & CEO,
Pappas Telecasting Companies, Visalia, CA--Hellenic; Carl F.
Pascarella, President & CEO, Visa, USA, San Francisco, CA--
Italian; Nicholas Anthony Penachio, President, Nick Penachio
Co., Inc., New York, NY--Italian; and James George
Petheriotes, Co-Owner, Petheriotes Brothers Coffee Company,
Houston, TX--Hellenic.
William G. Poist, President & CEO, Commonwealth Energy
System, Cambridge, MA--German; Dith Pran, Photojournalist,
The New York Times, Woodbridge, NJ--Cambodian; Leslie C.
Quick, III, President, United States Clearing Corporation--
Fleet Securities Inc., New York, NY--Irish; Bradford J. Race,
Jr., Secretary to the Governor, State of New York, Albany,
NY--Irish/English; John G. Rangos, Sr., USA Waste Services,
Pittsburgh, PA--Hellenic; Michael T. Reddy, Chairman & CEO,
EDS Global Securities Industry Group, New York, NY--Irish;
Ronald K. Richey, Chairman, Torchmark Corporation,
Birmingham, AL--Swedish/Scottish/Irish/German; P. Anthony
Ridder, Chairman & CEO, Knight-Ridder, Miami, FL--German/
French; John J. Rigas, Chairman, President & CEO, Adelphia
Communications Corporation, Coudersport, PA--Hellenic; Eddie
Robsinson, Senior Advisor to the President for Institutional
Advancement, Grambling State University, Grambling, LA--
African; and Edward J. Robson, Chairman, Robson Communities,
Sun Lakes, AZ--English.
Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, Ph.D., Chief of Surgery, National
Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD--Eastern European; Robert J.
Rotatori, Esq., Attorney, Gold, Rotatori & Schwartz Co.,
Cleveland, OH--Italian; Dr. John W. Ryan, Chancellor, State
University of New York, Albany, NY--Irish; Philip Adeeb
Salem, MD, Director of Cancer Research, St. Luke's Episcopal
Hospital, Houston, TX--Lebanese; Joseph D. Sargent, CLU,
President & CEO, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America,
New York, NY--Irish/English; George D. Schwab, PH.D.,
President, National Committee on American Foreign Policy, New
York, NY--Latvian; Steven Seagal, President, Seagal-Nasso
Productions, Inc., Los Angeles, CA--French Canadian/Italian;
Tosano J. Simonetti, Vice President of Security, MacAndrews &
Forbes, New York, NY--Italian; Richard Sklar, United States
Representative for United Nations Management, United States
Mission to the United Nations, New York, NY--Russian/
Hungarian; Orin R. Smith, Chairman & CEO, Engelhard
Corporation, Iselin, NJ--English; and Philip J. Smith,
President, The Shubert Organization, Inc., New York, NY--
Irish.
William S. Stavropoulos, President & CEO, The DOW Chemical
Company, Midland, MI--Hellenic; Michael R. Steed, Senior Vice
President ULLICO, Inc., Washington, DC--Irish, Pergrouhi
(Najarian) Svajian, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Brooklyn
College, Brooklyn, NY--Armenian; Laszlo N. Vauber, M.D.,
F.A.C.S., F.I.C.S., Clinical Professor of Surgery, Chairman
Emeritus of Surgery, Jefferson Memorial Hospital, Alexandria,
VA--Hungarian; Nicholas Tsoucalas, Senior Judge, United
States Court of International Trade, New York, NY--Hellenic;
1998 United States Olympic Women's Hockey Team, USA; and
Vincent Viola, Owner & CEO, Pioneer Group, New York, NY--
Italian.
Randi Weingarten, President, United Federation of Teachers,
New York, NY--Russian/German; Melvyn I. Weiss, Esq., Senior
Partner, Milberg, Weiss, Bershad, Hynes &
[[Page E1119]]
Lerach LLP, New York, NY--Russian/Hungarian; H. Daniel
Wenstrup, President & CEO, CHEMCENTRAL Corporation, Bedford
Park, IL--Danish; Siggi B. Wilzig, Chairman & CEO, The Trust
Company of New Jersey, Jersey City, NJ--German/Prussian;
Margaret W. Wong, Managing Partner, Margaret W. Wong &
Associates Co., Cleveland, OH--Chinese; John B. Yasinsky,
Chairman & CEO, GenCorp, Fairlawn, OH--Lithuanian; Zachariah
P. Zachariah, MD, Director of Cardiology, Holy Cross
Hospital, Fort Lauderdale, FL--Asian Indian; and Robert
Thomas Zito, Senior Vice President of Communications, New
York Stock Exchange, New York, NY--Italian.
____________________