[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 43 (Wednesday, April 13, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E644-E645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO THE ORDER SONS OF ITALY IN AMERICA ON THEIR 100TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 13, 2005

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the 
Order Sons of Italy in America in celebration of their 100th 
anniversary in June 2005. The OSIA is the largest and longest 
established organization for men and women of Italian heritage in the 
United States.
  Established in 1905 as a mutual aid society for early Italian 
immigrants, the OSIA has grown to more than 100,000 members nationwide 
and 2,500 in Maryland. The OSIA is dedicated to preserving Italian-
American traditions and culture among the estimated 26 million people 
of Italian descent living in the United States. I want to commend S. 
Joseph Avara of Baltimore, past president of the OSIA

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who did so much to bring financial stability and order to the Maryland 
Lodge.
  The OSIA also is a charitable organization, raising millions of 
dollars for Alzheimer's Disease and Cooley's Anemia, a severe blood 
disorder that affects those of Mediterranean descent. In addition, the 
OSIA has also raised a significant amount of money for the March of 
Dimes.
  Italian-Americans have made enormous contributions to our nation--
from serving in the armed forces to achievements in science and 
medicine to public service. I urge my colleagues in the U.S. House of 
Representatives to join me in saluting the OSIA for its work to ensure 
that all Americans appreciate the contributions made to our nation by 
the Italian-American community.

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