[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 81 (Friday, June 19, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1185-E1186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              ELLIS ISLAND MEDALS OF HONOR AWARDS CEREMONY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 19, 1998

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

  Ellis Island Medals of Honor Awards Ceremony--NECO Chairman William 
Denis Fugazy Leads Dramatic Ceremony Dedicatd to Late Medal Recipient, 
               Eric Breindel and Linda Eastman McCartney

       Ellis Island, NY, May 9--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 Senator George Mitchell; New York 
     Times photojournalist Dith Pran; College Football's All-Time 
     Winningest Coach Eddie Robinson; and the U.S. Olympic Women's 
     Hockey Team 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 Eric Breindel, a 1994 Ellis Island Medal recipient and 
     Linda Eastman McCartney.
       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, approximately 1000 
     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 250 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.


              1998 Ellis Island Medal of Honor Recipients

       Anthony S. Abbate, Italian, Business Leader.
       Hon. Gary L. Ackerman, Eastern European, Member of 
     Congress.
       William H. Adkins, African, Business Leader.
       Antigone Agris, Hellenic, Business Leader.
       Ace (Armando) Alagna, Italian, Publisher.
       John B. Alfieri, Esq., Italian, Attorney.
       John A. Allison IV, Scottish/Irish, Business Leader.
       John A. Amos, African, Actor/Playwright.
       Ernie Anastos, Hellenic, News Journalist/Author.
       Thomas V. Angott, Italian, Business Leader.
       Michael S. Ansari, Iranian, Business Leader.
       Norman R. Augustine, German, Business Leader/Educator.
       William J. Avery, Irish/Welsh, Business Leader.
       Farhad Azima, Persian, Business Leader.
       Brian M. Barefoot, English/German, Community Leader.
       Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Armenian, Religious Leader.
       George D. Behrakis, Hellenic, Business Leader.
       Hon. Joseph W. Bellacosa, Italian, Judge of the Court of 
     Appeals.
       Francis X. Bellotti, Italian, Attorney.
       Eric A. Benhamou, French, Business Leader.
       Michael Berry, Esq., Lebanese, Community Leader.
       Albert C. Bersticker, German, Corporate Executive.
       Elias Betzios, Hellenic, Community Leader.
       Thomas R. Bolling, Swedish, Business Leader.
       Frank J. Branchini, Irish/Italian, Business Leader.
       John G. Breen, Scottish/Irish, Business Leader.
       Duncan A. Bruce, Scottish, Author/Community Leader.
       Michael G. Cantonis, Hellenic, Business Leader.
       Louis J. Cappelli, Italian, Business Leader.
       Hon. Richard Conway Casey, Irish, United States District 
     Court Judge.
       Robert B. Catell, Italian, Business Leader.
       William Cavanaugh III, Irish, Business Leader.
       Jerry D. Choate, English, Business/Community Leader.
       Christopher Christodoulu, Cypriot, Educator/Lecturer.
       Dr. Kenneth A. Ciongoli, Italian, Community Leader.
       E. Virgil Conway, Irish, Public Official.
       Dr. Takey Crist, Hellenic, Community Leader/Educator.
       Karen Davis, Swiss/German, Philanthropic Leader.
       Diane H. Dayson, African, Business Leader.
       Theodore Deikel, Russian, Business Leader.
       George J. Delaney, Irish, Business Leader.
       Hon. Gustave Diamond, Hellenic, Justice.
       Jim Donald, Irish, Business Leader.
       Lewis Robert Elias, M.D., Lenanese, Medical Practitioner.
       Victor Elmaleh, Moroccan, Business Leader.
       Pamela Fiori, Italian, Journalist.
       Brian T. Gilson, Norwegian/German/Italian, Business Leader.
       Richard H. Girgenti, Italian, Attorney.
       Bernice Gottlieb, Austrian/Hungarian, Advocate for 
     Children.
       Charlie N. Hall, Sr., African, Labor Leader.
       James F. Hardymon, English, Business Leader.
       Derek C. Hathaway, English, Business/Community Leader.
       William Hetzler, German, Community Leader.
       John A. Holy, Slovak, Publisher.
       Vahakn S. Hovnanian, Armenian, Business/Community Leader.
       Darrell Edward Issa, Lebanese, Business Leader.

[[Page E1186]]

       Robert M. Johnson, Swedish/English, Business Leader.
       Mitchell J. Joseph, Italian, Business Leader.
       Thomas Peter Kazas, Hellenic, Business Leader.
       Hon. John F. Keenan, French Canadian/Irish, U.S. District 
     Judge.
       Andrew Sokchu Kim, Korean, Business/Community Leader.
       A. Eugene Kohn, European, Architect.
       Alexander R. Koproski, Polish, Business/Community Leader.
       Haralambos S. Kostakopoulos, Ph.D., Hellenic, Business 
     Leader.
       Thomas C. Kyrus, Cypriot, Business/Community Leader.
       Vincent V. LaBruna, DDS, Italian, Community Leader/
     Educator.
       Lee Liu, Chinese, Business Leader.
       Dr. Pamela Loren, Argentinean/English, Business Leader.
       William Losapio, Italian, Business Leader.
       Alan Barry Lubin, Russian, Labor Leader/Educator.
       Leon Machiz, Russian, Business Leader.
       Hon. Carolyn B. Maloney, English/Irish/French, Member of 
     Congress.
       Joseph L. Mancino, Italian, Business Leader.
       Frank G. Mancuso, Italian, Business Leader.
       John Willard Marriott Jr., English, Business Leader.
       Anthony A. Massaro, Italian, Business Leader.
       Fernando Mateo, Hispanic, Community Leader.
       Joseph M. Mattone, Esq., Italian, Business Leader.
       Col. William Surles McArthur, Jr., Scottish, Astronaut.
       Linda Eastman McCartney, (Posthumous).
       Michael R. McCoy, Irish, Business Leader.
       Bryan M. McGuire, Irish, Business Leader.
       Josie Anderson McMillian, African, Labor Leader.
       James R. Mellor, English, Business Leader.
       Hon. Robert Menendez, Cuban, Member of Congress.
       Arthur L. Mercante, Italian, Community Leader.
       Lee Miglin, (Posthumous).
       Alan B. Miller, Russian, Business Leader.
       Hon. Patsy T. Mink, Japanese, Member of Congress.
       Hon. George Mitchell, Lebanese/Irish, Senator.
       Tita Scandalis Monti, Hellenic, Community Leader/
     Philanthropist.
       William D. Moses, Syrian, Business/Community Leader.
       Thomas J. Murphy, Irish, Community Leader.
       Mary Murphy, Irish, Television Journalist.
       John Francis O'Brien, Irish/Italian, Business Leader.
       Cmdr. Timothy Stuart O'Leary, USN, Irish/Croat, Naval 
     Officer.
       Harry J. Pappas, Hellenic, Business Leader.
       Carl F. Pascarella, Italian, Business Leader.
       Nicholas Anthony Penachio, Italian, Business Leader.
       James George Petheriotes, Hellenic, Community/Business 
     Leader.
       William G. Poist, German, Business Leader.
       Dith Pran, Cambodian, Photojournalist/Lecturer.
       Leslie C. Quick, III, Irish, Business Leader.
       Bradford J. Race, Jr., Irish/English, Secretary to the 
     Governor.
       John G. Rangos, Sr., Hellenic, Business Leader.
       Michael T. Reddy, Irish, Business Leader.
       Ronald K. Richey, Swedish/Scottish/Irish/German, Business 
     Leader.
       P. Anthony Ridder, German/French, Business Leader.
       John J. Rigas, Hellenic, Business Leader.
       Eddie Robinson, African, College Football's All-Time 
     Winningest Coach.
       Edward J. Robson, English, Business Leader.
       Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhD, Eastern European, Surgeon/
     Scientist.
       Robert J. Rotatori, Esq., Italian, Attorney/Educator.
       Dr. John W. Ryan, Irish, Educator.
       Philip Adeeb Salem, MD, Lebanese, Educator/Research 
     Scientist.
       Joseph D. Sargent, CLU, Irish/English, Business Leader.
       George D. Schwab, PH.D, Latvian, Foreign Policy Leader.
       Steven Seagal, French Canadian/Italian, Actor/producer.
       Tosano J. Simonetti, Italian, Business Leader.
       Amb. Richard Sklar, Russian/Hungarian, Ambassador to the 
     U.N.
       Orin R. Smith, English, Business Leader.
       Philip J. Smith, Irish, Business Leader.
       William S. Stavropoulos, Hellenic, Business Leader.
       Michael R. Steed, Irish, Business Leader.
       Pergrouhi (Najarian) Svajian, PhD., Armenian, Educator.
       Laszlo N. Tauber, M.D., Hungarian, Surgeon/Real Estate 
     Investor/Philanthropist.
       Hon. Nicholas Tsoucalas, Hellenic, Judge.
       Vincent Viola, Italian, Business Leader.
       Randi Weingarten, Russian/German, Labor Leader/Educator.
       Melvyn I. Weiss, Esq., Russian/Hungarian, Attorney.
       H. Daniel Wenstrup, Danish, Business Leader.
       Siggi B. Wilzig, German/Prussian, Business Leader/Holocaust 
     Lecturer.
       Margaret W. Wong, Chinese, Community Leader.
       John B. Yasinsky, Lithuanian, Business Leader.
       Zachariah P. Zachariah, M.D., Asian Indian, Physician/
     Community Leader.
       Robert Thomas Zito, Italian, Business Leader.
       Past Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients have included 
     several U.S. Presidents, entertainers, athletes, 
     entrepreneurs, religious leaders and business executives, 
     such as William Clinton, 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 1998 Ellis Island Medal of Honor 
     Recipients.