[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13465-13467]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2004 ELLIS ISLAND MEDALS OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2004

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 
2004 Ellis Island Medals of Honor recipients. The Ellis Island Medal of 
Honor commemorates and recognizes Americans of different ethnic 
backgrounds who have made a significant contribution to our society. 
These medals have been aptly named for Ellis Island, an endearing 
symbol of the immigrant roots and diversity that characterizes our 
great Nation.
  When the immigrant station at Ellis Island, New York, opened on 
January 1, 1892, it admitted 700 immigrants into the United States in 
just its first day of operation. By the time the center closed in 1954, 
17 Million immigrants had passed through its doors. The Ellis Island 
administration and staff, on average, processed up to 5,000 people per 
day. Many of these newcomers had little to no knowledge of English, 
hardly any money, and many arrived with only the clothes on their 
backs. They arrived risking their lives in exchange for freedom and a 
better way of life.
  America has always been a haven for immigrants from all over the 
world who have come to our shores with a common desire to forge a new 
life in a land of opportunity, liberty, and freedom--freedom from 
religious, economic, political or ethnic persecution. The Ellis Island 
Medal of Honor was created in 1986 to honor those individuals who 
through their own perseverance, sacrifice and success, helped build our 
great Country. By honoring these outstanding individuals, we honor all 
who share their origins and we acknowledge the contributions they and 
other groups have made to America. Six American Presidents, several 
Senators, Congressmen, Nobel Prize winners, distinguished athletes, 
artists, clergy, military leaders, and others from all walks of life 
have been past recipients of this distinguished award.
  Presented annually by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations 
(NECO), an umbrella group of more than 250 organizations that spans the 
spectrum of ethnic heritages, cultures and religions, the 2004 Ellis 
Island Medal of Honor recipients are once again a remarkable collection 
of individuals who have distinguished themselves as outstanding human 
beings and citizens of the United States. I once again commend NECO and 
its Chairman of the Board, my good friend William Denis Fugazy, for 
honoring these outstanding individuals, and for their tireless efforts 
to foster dialogue and build bridges between different ethnic groups, 
as well as promote unity and a sense of common purpose in our Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in 
recognizing the good works of NECO, and congratulate all of the 2004 
Ellis Island Medals of Honor recipients. I would like to have the text 
of NECO's press release on the May 15th award ceremony, and the names 
of this year's recipients, placed into the Congressional Record 
following my statement.

              Ellis Island Medals of Honor Awards Ceremony


  ELLIS ISLAND MEDALS OF HONOR AWARDS CEREMONY--NECO CHAIRMAN WILLIAM 
                  DENIS FUGAZY LEADS DRAMATIC CEREMONY

       Ellis Island, NY, May 15--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, whose date coincided with Armed Forces 
     Day, was dedicated to the men and women of our armed forces. 
     We would like to pay special tribute to the individuals 
     serving in the U.S. armed forces both here and abroad. 
     Several of the 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, the 
     recipients received their awards in the shadow of the 
     historic Great Hall, where the first footsteps towards a new 
     life were

[[Page 13466]]

     taken by the millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. in 
     the latter part of the nineteenth century.
       ``Today we honor great 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 cultural mosaic. To date, approximately 2000 
     American citizens have received medals.
       NECO is the largest organization of its kind in the U.S., 
     serving an umbrella group of over 250 ethnic organizations. 
     Its mandate is to preserve ethnic diversity; promote ethnic 
     and religious equality, tolerance and harmony; and to combat 
     injustice, hatred and bigotry. NECO has an additional 
     humanitarian mission: saving the lives of children with life-
     threatening medical conditions. NECO has founded The Forum's 
     Children Foundation, which brings children in need of life-
     saving surgery from developing nations 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 Medal of Honor recipients include six 
     presidents, entertainers, athletes, entrepreneurs, artists, 
     members of the clergy, business executives, Nobel Prize 
     winners and military leaders. Muhammed Ali, Frank Sinatra, 
     Coretta Scott King, Generals Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin 
     Powell, Dr. Michael DeBakey, Bob Hope and Elie Wiesel are 
     some of the distinguished citizens who have received the 
     Ellis Island Medal of Honor.


  congratulations to the 2004 ellis island medals of honor recipients.

       Naji N.Abumrad, M.D. FACS., Chairman--Dept. of Surgery, 
     Vanderbilt University Lebanese; Reem Acra, Fashion Designer, 
     Lebanese; Arthur C. Anton, Chairman, Anton's Cleaners, Inc., 
     Hellenic; Hon. Armand Arabian, Attorney, Arms Providers, 
     Inc., Armenian; Lee Archer, Lt. Col. (Ret), Tuskegee Airmen/
     WWII, African; Garo H. Armen, Ph.D., Chairman & CEO, 
     Antigenics, Armenian; Alfred S. Austin, CEO, A.S. Austin 
     Company, Inc., English/German; Endre Alexander Balazs, 
     Chairman, Matrix Biology Institute, Hungarian/Swedish; Dr. 
     Mark L. Barbasch, Physician/Humanitarian, Polish/Israeli; 
     John Berberian, President, Jon's Market Place, Armenian; 
     Nicholas Peter Bissias, President & CEO, Conrad's/Cable's 
     Corporations, Hellenic; Ernest Borgnine, Oscar Winning Actor, 
     Italian; Doug Brooks, President & CEO, Brinker International, 
     Ger/Eng/Ire/Scot; Wayne H. Brunetti, Chairman & CEO, Xcel 
     Energy Inc., Italian; John P. Cahill, Secretary to the Gov, 
     NYS Executive Chamber, Irish; Dr. George Peter Canellos, 
     Prof. Of Medicine, Harvard Medical School/Dana-Farber Cancer 
     Inst., Hellenic; Arcadio Casillas, President & CEO, Preferred 
     Compensation Corp., Cuban; Anthony N. Charaf, Senior Vice 
     President, Delta Airlines, Lebanese; Nicholas E. Chimicles, 
     Senior Partner, Chimicles & Tikellis LLP, Hellenic; Henry L. 
     Chung, Former President, Chinese Consolidated Benevolent 
     Association, Chinese; RADM Vivien S. Crea, Commander, U.S. 
     First Coast Guard District, German/Eng/Scottish; Haig R. 
     Dadourian, President, Dadourian Export Corp, Armenian; Mario 
     Daniele, Vice President, Robert Shulman Institute, Italian; 
     John A. Daskalakis, Managing General Partner, JonCin & Sons, 
     Ltd., Hellenic; His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Primate, 
     Greek Orthodox Church of Amer., Hellenic; Charles Duval, 
     President, Data Industries Ltd., African/French; Fawaz El 
     Khoury, President, CMRK, Inc., Lebanese; Spyros Enotiades, 
     Vice President, Clive Christian Dallas/Creative Design Cos., 
     Hellenic/Cypriot; Jeronimo M. Esteve, President, Headquarter 
     Toyota, Cuban; Thomas P. Fahey, Asst. Chief, NYC Police 
     Department, Irish; Richard D. Fain, Chairman & CEO, Royal 
     Caribbean Cruise Ltd., Lithuanian; Joseph R. Ficalora, 
     President & CEO, New York Community Bank, Italian; Michael 
     Ryan Flatley, ``Lord of the Dance,'' Irish; Kenneth 
     Frangadakis, DDS, Cupertino Dental Group, Hellenic; Charles 
     Patrick Gallagher, Chairman & CEO, Gallagher Enterprises, 
     LLC, Irish/German; Major Gen. Jon A. Gallinetti, Commander, 
     AA, Marie Corps Air Bases Western Area, German/Italian; 
     William (Josh) Gaspero, Writer/Publisher, Italian/English; 
     Francesco Giambelli, Restauranteur, Italian; Robert 
     Giannelli, Assistant Chief, Chief of Detective's Office--
     NYPD, Italian; Edmund Giegerich M.D., Exec. V.P. Medical 
     Affairs, Long Island College Hospital, German/Italian; Sidney 
     A. Goodman, Partner, The Goodman Group, Russ/Romanian/
     Lithuanian; Steven H. Grapstein, CFO, Kuo Investment Co., 
     Polish/Russian; Dr. Michael Grasso III, Chairman, Dept of 
     Urology, St. Vincent's Medical Center, Italian; Richard 
     Greco, Acting Dir. Private Sector Dev., Coalition Provisional 
     Authority, Italian; Pierson M. Grieve, Chairman & CEO, 
     Ecolab, Inc., Scottish/Eng/French; J. Barry Griswell, 
     Chairman, President & CEO, Principal Financial Group, Inc., 
     English/German; Edward Grzedzinski, CEO, Nova Information 
     Systems, Polish/Italian; George E. Hall, President, Clinton 
     Group, Inc., Irish/Scottish; William D. Harris, CEO, 2004 
     Republican Nat'l Convention, English/Welsh; Thomas L. 
     Harrison, Chairman & CEO, Diversified Agency Services Div., 
     German/Irish; Roberto R. Herencia, President, Banco Popular 
     North America, Puerto Rican; A. Barry Hirschfeld, President, 
     A.B. Hirschfeld Press, Russian; Arlene Hirschfeld, Community 
     Volunteer/Leader, Hung/Palestinian/Russ; Carole S.Hochman, 
     Chairman & President, Carole Hochman Designs Inc., Russian/
     Latvian; Diarmuid M. Hogan, President & CEO, Global Excess 
     Partners LLC, Irish; Stanley S. Hubbard, Chairman, Hubbard 
     Broadcasting Inc., English/Norwegian; Lt. Gen. Charles L. 
     Johnson, II, Commander, Electronics Systems Center, Irish/
     Italo/English; Barbara McNeill Jordan, Chairman, Claneil 
     Enterprises Inc., Scottish/English; Nicholas P. Koutsomitis, 
     President, Koutsomitis Architects PC, Hellenic; Charles 
     LaGanga, Managing Director, Direct Access Partners, LLC, 
     Italian; Margaret K. Lam, President & CEO, Prosperity 
     Resources Inter., Chinese; Richard John Lanigan, Secretary-
     Treasurer, Office & Prof Employees IU, Irish; Lawrence P. 
     Lataif, Esq., President, Lataif & Associates, Lebanese; 
     Frederick S. Lee, Chairman, Global Institute of Finance & 
     Banking, Korean; Patrick J. Lynch, President, Patrolmen's 
     Benevolent Assoc., Irish; Dr. Muhammed Majeed, Founder & CEO, 
     Sabinsa Corporation, Asian Indian; Sam Maloof, President, Sam 
     Maloof Woodworker Inc., Lebanese; Steve A. Manta, Manta 
     Industrial, Inc., Hellenic; Sandra March, Trustee, United 
     Federation of Teachers, Romanian/Russian; Sal Marchiano, 
     Sportscaster, WPIX-TV, Italian; Joseph A. Martinez, 
     President, Dynaric Inc., Cuban; Patrick McDonough, Managing 
     Director, Morgan Stanley, Irish/German; Jimmy Meng, 
     President, Queens Lumber Co., Chinese; Frank Mercado-Valdes, 
     President & CEO, Strategic Off Heritage Networks, Cuban/
     Puerto Rican/Jam; Michael J. Merlo, Sr. Vice President & 
     Chief Credit Officer, Signature Bank, Italian; Steven Mintz, 
     Chairman, Unifood Group of Companies, Russian/Polish; William 
     M. Mooney, Jr., Senior Vice President, Independence Community 
     Bank, Irish; Sam Z. Moore, Chairman & CEO, Thomas Nelson, 
     Inc., Lebanese; Joseph M. Murphy, Chairman, Country Bank, 
     Irish; LeRoy Neiman, Artist, Swedish; Mike North, 
     Broadcaster, WSCR--670AM (The Score), Italian/Irish; Roger 
     V.Ohanesian, MD, President & CEO, The Armenian EyeCare 
     Project, Armenian; George Pappas, President, MCS Advertising 
     Ltd., Hellenic; Thomas Passios, President & CEO, Pinnacle 
     Associates, Hellenic; Thomas H. Patchell, General Secretary 
     Treasurer, United Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters, 
     Irish; Muriel Petioni, MD, President & CEO, Friends of Harlem 
     Hospital Center, Caribbrean; Edward Pinkowski, President & 
     Founder, Pinkowski Institute, Polish; Joe Piscopo, Actor/
     Entertainer, Italian; Charles Louis Poulos, Entrepreneur/
     Civic Leader, Hellenic; Hon. Anthony J. Principi, Secretary 
     of Veterans Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
     Argentine/Italian; John Psarouthakis, Ph.D., Founder & 
     President, J.P. International, LLC, Hellenic; Dr. Kristjan T. 
     Ragnarsson, Dept. of Rehabilitation Medicine, Mount Sinai 
     School of Medicine, Icelandic; Carmine F. Ragucci, Chairman, 
     Worldwide Group, LLC, Italian; Gopal Raju, Chairman, Indian 
     American Center for Political Awareness, Asian Indian; Maria 
     Fiorini Ramirez, President/CEO, MFR, Inc., Italian; Lillian 
     Roberts, Executive Director, District Council 37--AFSCME, 
     AFL-CIO, African; Peter J.M. Romary, CEO, Tanner & Romary, 
     PA, English/French; Dr. Horst Kurt Saalbach, Chairman, FESTO 
     Corporation, German; John Salamone, Exec. Dir. & Chief Admin. 
     Officer, NIAF, Italian/German; Edward P. Salzano, Executive 
     VP/COO, LiDestri Foods, Italian; Stanley Selengut, President, 
     Maho Bay Camps, Inc., Harmony, Concordia, Russian/Austrian; 
     Joseph F. Seminara, Attorney, Kurzman, Karelson & Frank, 
     Italian; Nancy A. Shamow, Ph.D, Executive Director, Ascent 
     School, Russian; Woongkil Song, President, Fed. Korean Amer 
     Assoc. Greater NY, Korean; Gus Stavropoulos, President, 
     Wolverine Carbide Die Co., Hellenic; Carole Keeton Strayhorn, 
     Texas Comptroller, State of Texas, Irish/Scottish; Garrett A. 
     Sullivan, Ret. President & Vice Chair, Applied Digital 
     Solutions, Irish; Stanley R. Szemborski VADM USN, Principal 
     Deputy Director, Office Of The Secretary Of Defense, Polish; 
     Hon. William B. Taylor Jr., Afghanistan Coordinator, US 
     Department of State, Scottish/English; Sami E. Totah, 
     President, Oxbridge Group, Syrian/Lebanese/Israeli; Sava S. 
     Tshontikidis, President, Laurel Dodge, Inc., Turkish/
     Hellenic; Kaya Tuncer, Chairman & CEO, ESBAS Aegean Free 
     Zone, Dev. & Oper. Co.--Turkey, Turkish; Col. Tom L. Tyrrell 
     USMC (Ret), Exec. Director & CEO, Scottish/Native Amer.; 
     Charles J. Urstadt, Chairman & CEO, Urstadt Biddle Properties 
     Inc., German/Irish; Ronald L. Vaughn, PhD, President, The 
     University Of Tampa, Irish/German; James G. Veras, Exec. VP 
     Emeritus,

[[Page 13467]]

     World Environment Center, Hellenic; Raghavendra R. 
     Vijayanagar, MD, Director, Heart Institute Regional Medical 
     Center, Asian Indian; John P.Volandes, Co-Founder & Director, 
     Volmar Construction, Inc., Hellenic; Gus M. Vratsinas, 
     Chairman & CEO, VCC, Hellenic; John P. Walsh, Chairman & CEO, 
     Irish American Cultural Institute, Irish; Gerri Warren-
     Merrick, Vice Pres. Corp. Community Relations, Time Warner, 
     African; Col. Kewyn L. Williams, Commander, US Army Garrison, 
     African; Rev. Canon Frederick Boyd Williams, Rector, 
     Episcopal Church of the Intercession, African/Native Amer. 
     (Cherokee) Eng/Scottish; Warner Wolf, TV Sports Broadcaster, 
     Polish/English; Allen Wu Esq., Chairman, Wu & Kao, P.L.L.C., 
     Chinese; Jay S. Yadav, M.D., Director, Vascular Intervention, 
     Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Asian Indian; Jon H. Yeung, 
     Chairman & CEO, Youngtech, Inc., Chinese; Dae Kun Yoo, 
     President & CEO, Y.S. Farm Country, Korean; Kiyoon Yoon M.D., 
     Physician/Community Leader, Korean; Mike S. Zafirovski, 
     President & COO, Motorola, Inc., Macedonian; Barry L. Zaret, 
     M.D., Chief Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale University School 
     Of Medicine, Russian/Austrian; Frederick A. Zito, Aerospace 
     Engineer (Ret.), NASA, Italian.

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