[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 89 (Friday, June 28, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          A SALUTE TO JOE CRISCUOLO FOR HIS LEGACY OF SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 2002

  Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the outstanding 
record of public service of Joe Criscuolo, a noted social activist of 
the Atlanta area community and personal friend. Our community is deeply 
saddened by his unfortunate and recent demise.
  A man of humble beginnings, Joe Criscuolo, 84, grew up in New York 
during the Great Depression as a first generation Italian-American. The 
hardships endured by the Criscuolo family generated Joe's great sense 
of concern and sensitivity for issues of the working class. Mr. 
Criscuolo's youthful concerns would later evolve into a grand scale 
record of service and activism on behalf of marginalized groups 
spanning the course of his lifetime.
  Joe's high level of involvement in reform movements was matched by 
his wife Mrs. Goldy Criscuolo's equal zeal and service for progressive 
causes. Well into their senior years when most of their peers were 
enjoying retirement and the fruits of years of labor, they stood firmly 
together against the grain. Wherever people were oppressed, Joe and 
Goldy Criscuolo supplied infinite hours of service with no regard for 
gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or any other social 
characteristic. Louder than any vitriolic words or opposing groups, 
Joe's actions spoke volumes to the value of service. I have personally 
drawn strength and inspiration to wage unpopular fights from Mr. 
Criscuolo's unwavering altruism for people in need.
  A few of Mr. Criscuolo's momentous battles were the campaign to 
reform the Italian education system, the fight for the Equal Rights 
Amendment, and the movement against discrimination based on sexual 
orientation in the Dade County School System.
  Additionally, Joe Criscuolo and his wife were active members of the 
Atlanta Chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW); the 
Martin Luther King, Jr. March Committee; the Grady Coalition; the 
Atlanta chapter of ACT-UP (the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power); and 
the coalition to change the state flag among others. Joe recently 
worked to support Hate Crimes legislation, to prohibit predatory 
lending, and to ensure affordable public transportation for poor and 
working people.
  Mr. Criscuolo leaves to cherish his memory a devoted wife Mrs. Goldy 
Criscuolo; one son, Jim M. Criscuolo; a daughter-in-law, Candace 
Criscuolo; three grandchildren; two siblings; and a host of relatives, 
friends and other individuals whose lives have been touched in a 
positive way.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Joe Criscuolo's exemplary 
record of service, which is a model for us all. I ask my colleagues to 
join me in saluting Joe Criscuolo for his endurance, passion and will 
to go against the grain.