[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 121 (Friday, September 5, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1698-E1699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ELLIS ISLAND MEDALS OF HONOR AWARDS CEREMONY--NECO CHAIRMAN WILLIAM
DENIS FUGAZY LEADS DRAMATIC CEREMONY
______
HON. DAN BURTON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 4, 2003
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following:
Ellis Island, NY, May 17.--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 were presented with the coveted Ellis Island
Medal of Honor at an emotionally uplifting ceremony. This
year's event was dedicated to our armed forces.
This year's ceremony date coincides with National Armed
Forces Day. As such, we would like to pay special tribute to
the men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces both here
and abroad. Several of our Medalists also serve in the armed
forces; many more are honored veterans.
NECO's annual medal ceremony and reception on Ellis Island
in New York Harbor is the Nation's largest celebration of
ethnic pride. 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.''
Established in 1986 by NECO, the Ellis Island Medals of
Honor pay tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise
America's unique culture mosaic. To date, approximately 2000
American citizens have received medals.
NECO is the largest organization of its kind in the U.S.
serving as an umbrella group for over 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.
NECO has a new goal in its humanitarian mission: saving the
lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
NECO has founded The Forum's Children Foundation, which
brings children from developing nations in need of life-
saving surgery to the United States for treatment.
Ellis Island Medals 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 Medals 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, Dr. Michael DeBakey, Senator John McCain,
Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General Janet Reno.
Congratulations to the 2003 Ellis Island Medals of Honor Recipients
Ruth J. Abram, President, Lower East Side Tenement Museum,
Romanian/Irish/Russian; Danny Aiello, Actor, Italian; Hon.
Hagop S. Akiskal, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, University
of California at San Diego, Armenian; Hon. William Vollie
Alexander, Managing Partner, Alexander & Associates,
Scottish/English/Irish; Menelaos Anastasios Aliapoulios,
M.D., Medical Director, General Electric Company, Hellenic;
Hon. Hushang Ansary, Parman Group, Iranian; Angela Susan
Anton, CEO & Publisher, Long Island Community Newspapers,
Czechoslovakian/Italian; William Austin, Chairman & CEO,
Starkey Laboratories Inc., English; Robert P. Badavas, Chief
Operating Officer, Atlas Venture, Hellenic; Peter Balakian,
Professor, Colgate University, Armenian; Roger Ballou,
President & CEO, CDI Corporation, English/Scottish/French;
Salvatore A. Balsamo, Chairman, Tac World Wide Companies,
Italian; Peggy L.S. Barmore, Assistant to the President,
NYSUT, African/Irish; Peter J. Barris, Managing General
Partner, New Enterprise Associates, Hellenic; Anthony J.
Bifaro, Assistant to the President, NYSUT, Italian; Michael
Bolton, Bolton Music Company, Russian/English; Capt. Craig E.
Bone, Commanding Officer & Commander of the Port NY & NJ,
Coast Guard Activities, English/Irish/German; George
Boyadjieff, Chairman, Varco International, Inc., Bulgarian/
Russian; Albert A. Boyajian, President & CEO, Global
Bakeries, Inc., Armenian; Roscoe C. Brown, Jr., President
Emeritus, Bronx Community College--CUNY, African; Bishop
William Brown, Pastor, Founder & Chairman, Salvation &
Deliverance Church, South African; John A. Canning, Jr.,
President, Madison Dearborn Partners, Irish/Italian; Terrel
L. Cass, President & General Manager, WLIW 21--NY Public
Television, Irish/English; Myron Z. Chlavin, CEO, Desser Tire
& Rubber Co., Austrian/Latvian; Msgr. Eugene V. Clark,
Rector, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Irish/Dutch; Maj. Gen.
Richard S. Colt, Commander, 77th Regional Support Command US
Army Reserve, Scottish; Francis X. Comerford, President &
General Manager, WNBC, Irish/Italian; Leo P. Condakes,
President, Peter Condakes Co., Hellenic; Alexander A. Conti,
Financial Representative, Northwestern Mutual Financial
Network, Italian; Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr., President & CEO,
FelCor Lodging Trust Inc., English; Thomas M. Coughlin,
President & CEO, Wal-Mart Stores & Sam's Clubs USA, Irish;
Hon. Anthony J. Cutrona, Supreme Court Justice--NYS Supreme
Court, 2nd Judicial Department, Italian.
Salvatore A. Davino, President, Fidelity Land Development
Corp., Italian; Commander Carlos Del Toro, US Naval Forces,
Cuban; Vincent DeMentri, Anchor/Correspondent, WPIX-TV,
Italian; John E. Durante, President, Rockledge Equities,
Italian; Umberto P. Fedeli, Jr., President & CEO, The Fedeli
Group, Italian; Charles A. Feghali, President, Interstate
Resources, Inc., Lebanese; John J. Flynn, President, Int'l
Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsworkers, Irish; Colonel
Warren J. Foersch, Commander, First Marine Corps District--US
Marines, French/German/Irish; Hon. James S. Gallas, US
Magistrate Judge, US District Court--Northern District of
Ohio, Eastern Division, Hellenic; Luther R. Gatling,
President, Budget & Credit Counseling Services, Inc.,
African; Richard A. Goldstein, Chairman & CEO, International
Flavors & Fragrances Inc., Russian; Hon. Joseph G. Golia,
Associate Justice, Appellate Term, 2nd & 11th Judicial
District, Supreme Court of the State of NY, Italian; John
George Gonis, D.D.S., Chairman & President, Dental
Associates, LTD, Hellenic; Andy Granatelli, Former CEO &
President (Retired), STP Corporation, Italian; James T.
Hackett, Chairman, President & CEO, Ocean Energy, Inc.,
Irish/German; Val J. Halamandaris, Esq., President, National
Association for Homecare & Hospice, Hellenic; Thomas E.
Hales, Chairman, President & CEO, Union State Bank, Italian/
Irish; Taek Sun Han, Founder & CEO, Han Yang Supermarket/Han
Yang Cultural Center/Morning Glory Stationery World, South
Korean; Michael J. Handy, Director, Mayor's Office of
Veterans Affairs, African/English/Native American; Russell
Hotzler, Interim President, York College, CUNY, Italian/
German; Sayed Jemal Houssein-Afghani, Inc., Humanitarian,
Afghan/English; Ronald C. Jones, Secretary, United Federation
of Teachers, Italian.
Georgia Kaloidis, CEO, Diskal, Inc., Hellenic; Frank S.
Kamberos, Former VP Operations, Treasure Island Foods, Inc.,
Hellenic;
[[Page E1699]]
I. Pano Karatassos, Founder/President, Buckhead Life
Restaurant Group, Hellenic; Bruce E. Karatz, Chairman & CEO,
KB Home, Russian; Elaine Kaufman, President, Elaine's
Restaurant, Russian; Stella Kim, Executive Vice President, By
Design, L.L.C., South Korean; Michael B. Kitchen, President &
CEO, CUNA Mutual Group, Canadian; Thomas M. Lamberti, Esq.,
Partner, Putney, Twonbly, Hall & Hirson, LLP, Italian; Lou
Lamoriello, President, CEO & General Manager, New Jersey
Devils, CEO, NJ Nets, Italian; Henri Landwirth, Founder &
Chairman, Give Kids the World & Dignity-U-Wear Foundation
Inc., Belgian/Polish; Stewart F. Lane, President, Theatre
Venture, Inc., Russian/Polish; A. Alexander Lari, Founder &
Chairman, Claremont Group, LLC, Iranian; Denis Leary,
President, The Leary Firefighters Foundation, Irish; Chung
Wha Lee, President, Lee Chung Wha Diamond Corporation,
Korean; Howard H. Lee, President & CEO, World Journal,
Chinese; Simon S. Lee, CEO & President, STG, Inc., South
Korean; James P. Lemonias, Chairman & CEO, Whitman
Company, Inc., Hellenic; Lt. Gen. William J. Lennox, Jr.,
Superintendent US Military Academy, Scottish/Irish; Hon.
Phil Leventis, State Senator, State of South Carolina,
Hellenic; Michael Yi-Sheng Liao, VP/Chief Information
Officer, GM Asset Management, Chinese; Tony Lo Bianco,
Actor, Director and Producer, Italian; Richard A.
Loughlin, Vice Chairman, Willis, Irish; Constantine S.
Macricostas, Chairman, Founder, Photronics, Hellenic;
Sheldon Harris Malinou, DDS, Assistant to the Director,
Cabrini Medical Center, Russian/Ukrainian; Anastasios E.
Manessis, President, Manessis Marketing Corp., Hellenic;
Puzant A. Markarian, Principal (Retired), Arlington
Textiles, Inc., Armenian; John L. Marks, Chairman & CEO,
Mark IV Realty, Inc., Hellenic.
Patrick F. Martin, Chairman, President & CEO, StorageTek,
Irish; Stanley Matthews, Founder, Matthews Diner & Pancake
House, Hellenic; Hon. Roslynn R. Mauskopf, US Attorney,
Eastern District, New York, Czechoslovakian; Hon. James E.
McGreevey, Governor--State of New Jersey, Irish; Raymond
Melville, Assistant Business Manager, Local Union #3,
I.B.E.W., Irish; Robert G. Miller, Chairman & CEO, Rite Aid
Corporation, Russian/English; Veronica Montgomery-Costa,
President, Local 372 NYC Board of Education Employees Union,
African; Patrick J. Moore, President & CEO, Smurfit-Stone
Container Corporation, Irish/Scottish/Swedish; Donal J.
Murphy, President, D.J. Murphy Assoc, Irish; Albin D. Obal,
President, Condor Contracting Company, Inc., Owner, Midland
Enterprises, Polish; James E. O'Connor, Chairman & CEO,
Republic Services, Inc., Irish; James F. Orr, Chairman,
President & CEO, Convergys Corporation, Scottish/Irish/
English/German; Nacy Panzica, Chairman, Panzica Construction
Company, Italian; Steven Peter Papadatos, President,
Papadatos Associatesn PC Architects, Hellenic; Frank
Pellegrino, Sr., CEO, Rao's Specialty Foods, Italian; Stan
Pelofsky, M.D., President, Neuroscience Speciahsts, Polish.
James Tung Chiang Pi, President, Pi Trading Company, Inc.,
Chinese; John Politis, President & CEO, Apartment Realty
Group, Inc., Hellenic; Gerry Puccio, Sr., Founder, Rockleigh
Country Club/CEO Carrin on Real Estate & Investment Group,
Italian; Lewis S. Ranieri, Founder & Chairman, Hyperion
Partners, LLP, Italian; Subash Razdan, Advisor, Procurement
Advisory Council, Coca Cola Company, Indian; Paul V. Reilly,
President, Chairman & CEO, Mail-Well, Inc., Irish; Mary Lou
Retton, U.S. Olympic Gold Medallist, Italian; Richard
Romanoff, President, Nebraskaland, Inc., Russian; E. John
Rumpakis, Owner, N.E.W.S., Hellenic; Michael Schenkler,
Pubhsher, Queens Tribune, Russian/Polish; Martin Scorsese,
President, Cappa Productions, Italian; Myron P. Shevell,
Chairman & CEO, New England Motor Freight Inc./The Shevell
Group, Russian/German; David J. Shitn, Chairman CEO,
Riverside Park, Inc./Kiku Restaurant Inc., Korean; Richard
Silverman, Vice-Chairman, Fleet National Bank N.A., Romanian/
English; Hon. Nirmal K. Sinha, Commissioner Ohio Civil
Rights, Assistant Director Department of Pubhc Utilities,
Columbus, Ohio, Indian; Curtis Shwa, Founder and President,
The Alliance of Guardian Angels, Itahan/Polish; Thomas A.
Smith, President & CEO, Oglethorpe Power Corporation,
Norwegian/Scottish/German; Ralph Snyderman, M.D., Chancellor
for Health Affairs, President and CEO, Duke University Health
System, Russian; Rajesh K. Soin, Chairman & CEO, Soin
International, Indian.
Hon. Maria Sotiropoulos, Protocol Officer, The White House/
US Department, of State, Cypriot; Sy Sternberg, Chairman &
CEO, New York Life Insurance Company, Romanian/Polish/
Lithuanian; Nicolas Tabbal, M.D., F.A.C.S., Plastic Surgeon,
Manhattan Eye Ear & Throat Hosp-NYU, Lebanese; Hon. Patrick
N. Theros, Ambassador, President & Executive Director, US
Qatar Business Council, Hellenic; Demetrios E. Tsintolas,
President, Tsintolas Realty Company, Hellenic; Ben Vereen,
Vereen Productions, Afiican; Nicholas S. Vidalakis,
CoFounder, Chairman & CEO, VFP LLC, Hellenic; Vuksan
Vuksanaj, President, New York Travel Agency, Inc., Albanian;
Mike Wallace, Senior Correspondent, CBS News/60 Minutes,
Russian; Donald Washkewicz, President & CEO, Parker-Hannifin
Corporation, Polish/Czechoslovakian; Hon. Jim Wright, Speaker
of the House 1987-1989, Texas Christian University,
Australian/Irish/Scottish; Jeffrey Yarmuth, President & COO,
Sonny's Franchise Co., Russian/Polish; Pan A. Yotopoulos,
Distinguished Professor, University of Florence, Hellenic;
Xenophon Zapis, Radio Broadcaster, Zapis Communications
Corporation, Hellenic; Detective Sergeant Wallace R. Zeins,
Commanding Officer, Manhattan Night Watch, NYPD, Russian.
____________________