[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E629-E630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING PETER LOJACONO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 26, 2006

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, this Sunday, April 30, the Federation of 
Italian-American Societies of Western New York will hold its annual 
celebration. Following Sunday Mass at historic St. Anthony of Padua 
Church in the shadow of Buffalo City Hall, celebrants will gather at 
Buffalo's Adam's Mark Hotel to mark this celebration.
  At this event, a truly unique person will be honored with the 
Association's God, Family and Country award. That person is Peter 
LoJacono, and I am proud, Mr. Speaker, to rise to honor Peter today.
  Peter LoJacono is a lifelong resident of Western New York, having 
been graduated from St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute and, later, from 
my own alma mater, Buffalo State College. Peter has taught Italian and 
Spanish at Hutchison Technical High School in the Buffalo Public School 
system for 18 years, where he has demonstrated a commitment to his 
students that is second to none.

[[Page E630]]

  As many people know, Mr. Speaker, Buffalo is an area rich in cultural 
diversity, and Buffalo's Italian American community is a critical 
component of that diverse tapestry. Peter's leadership within our 
community is strong, serving on the Board of Directors of the Italian 
Heritage Festival of Buffalo, where literally tens of thousands of 
Western New Yorkers enjoy all things Italian along Hertel Avenue in 
Buffalo each summer. A longtime member of the Romulus Club and the 
Knights of Columbus, Peter also serves as president of the Buffalo- 
Torremaggiore Sister Cities Association, encouraging the continuation 
of shared cultural exchange between Buffalo and its sister Italian 
city. Peter is a faithful communicant of St. Anthony of Padua Church in 
Buffalo, where he performs in the choir and is a leader within the 
parish.
  While Peter's commitment to his community and to his faith is clear; 
most notable, however, and almost certainly his most significant point 
of pride, is his family. Peter's wife Francine and children Sarina and 
Marco are his clear pride and joy, and their life remains full of the 
richness and wonder that any couple with a young family could hope to 
enjoy.
  Mr. Speaker, America is a wonderful country where immigrant people 
who came before us populated communities like Buffalo and Western New 
York, hoping for a better life than the one they left behind. My 
people, coming from Ireland, did it, and Peter LoJacono's people did it 
when they came from Italy. People like Peter realize the sacrifice that 
his forebears made so that he could live the vaunted American Dream, 
and his contribution to the community he lives is can never be 
overstated. On behalf of the entire membership of the House of 
Representatives, I want to thank Peter LoJacono for his ongoing 
contributions to our community, and I want to thank you, Mr. Speaker, 
for this opportunity to honor Peter here.

                          ____________________