[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1445]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF LAZAR AND FRANCIA PIRO

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DENNIS A. CARDOZA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 2, 2005

  Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is with the greatest pleasure that I 
rise today to honor Lazar and Francia Piro on the occasion of their 
40th Wedding Anniversary.
  Lazar Piro and Francia Yacou met in Beirut, Lebanon in the early 
1960's and married soon after on January 31, 1965. They began a family 
in 1966 with the birth of their daughter Caroline. Their family quickly 
grew with the births of their two sons, George in 1967, and Serj in 
1968. Ten years later, in July 1979, the Piros left Lebanon for 
Turlock, California where Lazar's brother and Francia's sisters 
resided. Shortly after arriving in the United States, the family moved 
again as Lazar took a job with a dental company in Des Moines, Iowa in 
1980. The family resided in Iowa until 1985, at which time Lazar 
decided to start his own business and return to California. Twenty 
years later, Piro Trading International remains a thriving family 
business in Stanislaus County.
  In addition to creating and maintaining a successful family business, 
Lazar and Francia raised three successful children. All three of their 
children obtained college educations, each having attended California 
State University, Stanislaus. Caroline, who now works with her father 
in the family business, currently resides in Turlock with her husband 
Sam and their 12-year-old son George. Serj also resides in Turlock, 
where he is a Territory Manager for a pharmaceutical company. George, a 
FBI agent, now lives in Herndon, Virginia with his wife Mona and their 
two sons Lazar, 12 and Marcus, 9.
  Throughout the years, the Piros have been admired for their strong 
relationship, and respected for their commitment to the community. 
Francia has dedicated her life to her husband and family, as a devoted 
wife and mother of three. With her support and companionship, Lazar 
remains deeply involved in the community. Since settling down in 
Turlock, he has dedicated himself to the Assyrian community having 
founded an organization aimed at providing aid to those in need. He 
currently participates in many committees and boards throughout the 
County, including the Assyrian National Council of Stanislaus County.
  It is my honor and privilege to join Lazar and Francia's family and 
friends in recognizing the very special and momentous occasion of their 
40th Wedding Anniversary. Our community benefits greatly from the 
splendid example they have set. Marriages such as theirs form a sound 
foundation for our country, and contribute greatly toward making this a 
better world in which we live. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in 
offering Mr. and Mrs. Lazar and Francia Piro best wishes for continued 
happiness.

                          ____________________