[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 30, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1612-E1613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING ANTHONY RICCIO FOR HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 
                               COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 30, 2008

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, today, as the Societa' Santa Maria 
Maddalena marks its 110th Anniversary, New Haven's Italian- American 
community also gathers to honor one of its most outstanding citizens, 
celebrated author and community leader, Anthony Riccio. It is my 
privilege to rise today to join them in recognizing Anthony for his 
many outstanding contributions to our community.
  Since I was a child, Societa' Santa Maria Maddalena--and all of the 
Italian societies--have been a part of my life. People across the 
country struggle to create a sense of community, a sense of belonging. 
The Italian societies have played an important role in forging strong 
bonds in our community and have been charged with both preserving and 
celebrating our rich heritage and strong traditions. Perhaps most 
important was the support that they provided to families and those 
newly immigrating to America. Society members helped them to find 
employment and housing, educate themselves and their children, to 
become productive and active members of the community, giving them a 
voice and the opportunity to realize the American Dream. It has been 
through that sense of community--that extended family--that Italian-
Americans have flourished and generation after generation share a 
special pride in their Italian roots.
  Each year, the Societa' Santa Maria Maddalena honors an individual 
whose contributions to the community have furthered this mission. 
Anthony Riccio has most certainly done much to capture and record the 
history of the Italian-American experience, particularly in New Haven. 
His passion for culture and tradition began as a child. As so many of 
us did, Anthony would spend many hours with his grandmother and she 
would often receive letters from her family still in Italy. Anthony 
vividly recounts his memories of their walks through the neighborhood 
to find someone who could translate them. His enthusiasm and desire to 
understand Italian culture and history only grew as he got older.
  As an undergraduate Anthony was given an opportunity that would later 
provide inspiration for his work as an author. Anthony spent two 
summers studying art history in Italy and traveled to southern Italy to 
find his family. As he traveled to the village of his ancestors, he 
marveled at the similarities between the villages and towns of Italy 
and that of his own

[[Page E1613]]

hometown neighborhood. After studying in Italy for several years, 
Anthony returned to the United States and began working with senior 
citizens in Boston's North End, many of whom were immigrants from 
Italy. His passion for Italian history only strengthened as he spent 
more time with them and he began to record their conversations to be 
sure that the stories were captured accurately. Anthony's first book, 
Boston's North End: Images and Recollections of an Italian American 
Neighborhood, was a compilation of those stories and its success led to 
his second book, The Italian American Experience in New Haven. 
Collections of photographs and oral histories, each brings a unique 
perspective of the Italian American experience in these two cities and 
his hometown of New Haven could not be more proud.
  Today, as he is recognized by the Societa' Santa Maria Maddalena, I 
am honored to join all of those who have gathered this evening in 
extending my sincere thanks and appreciation to Anthony Riccio for his 
many invaluable contributions to our community. I would also like to 
extend my best wishes to him, his wife Dorothy, and his daughter, 
Annalisa, on this very special occasion.

                          ____________________