The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is hosting its annual New York Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on Thursday, April 20, 2023. The gala will be held at the historic New York City Venue and will feature Italian food, beverage, and many other cultural experiences. During the event NIAF will celebrate and honor notable and impactful members of the Italian community. This year, they are honoring Angelo Vivolo, Beth T. Mazzeo, Silvio Petriello.
Hosted by a celebrity ambassador of NIAF, Joe Piscopo, guests will meet at 6:30pm for a cocktail reception then move into the main ballroom at 7:30pm for dinner and award ceremony. The event will also feature live entertainment from international recording artist Chris Macchio.
Here is all that you need to know about the gala’s honorees:
Angelo Vivolo
(Photo Credit: noiaw.org)
Philanthropist, entrepreneur, and advocate for educational opportunities, Angelo Vivolo proudly promotes and supports his Italian heritage and culture. Vivolo is currently the president of Columbus Heritage Coalition to preserve the legacy of Christopher Columbus. He was elected president of the National Columbus Education Foundation which was funded by 5 of the most influential Italian American organizations in the country. Vivolo had the honor of meeting with and directing the dining services for Pope Benedict and Pope Francis during their visits to New York. In education, Angelo Viviolo serves on the Board of Directors of John Cabot University in Rome and has also been elected to the board of trustees for the City University of New York.
Beth T. Mazzeo
Beth Mazzeo is currently the special advisor and former Chief Administrative Officer of Bloomberg LP. While serving as the Chief Administrative Officer, she was responsible for the company’s global support team with more than 40,000 client firms and 20,000 employees. Her department alone had 1,700 people, all of whom were responsible for Bloomberg’s global real estate and facilities portfolio, supply chain, security, and expenses. She was also responsible for the technical customer and employee support and infrastructure. Outside of Bloomberg LP, she served as a member of Villanova’s Board of Trustees since 2013 and served as the Vice Chair for the last two years.
(Photo Credit: VSB via Facebook)
Silvio Petriello
(Photo Credit: CBRE)
Silvio Petriello is the Vice Chairman of CBRE, the leading provider of commercial real estate services. In the New York offices, he co-heads the company’s Alternative Investments Practice that helps the financial services sector. Petriello grew up in Eastchester, New York in Westchester County and is a first generation Italian American. He is also an active member of the Real Estate Board of New York and was honored by CBRE as Mentor of the Year for his work with young professionals.
Tony Lo Bianco
Tony Lo Bianco has had an extensive acting career spanning over 68 years, and still going strong. As an actor, he has performed in over 100 films, TV shows, and on-stage performances. The Brooklyn, New York native is best known for his roles in the 5 Academy Award Winning movies, "The French Connection," as well as playing Rocky Marciano in the television show "Marciano." Outside of his acting career, Lo Bianco has served as the National Spokesperson for the Order of Sons of Italy. You will be able to see him on screen in "Somewhere in Queens" with Ray Romano.
(Photo Credit: Tony Lo Bianco via Facebook)
For more information and tickets to the evening’s event go to www.NIAF.org/NYC
AJ Forrisi
Assistant Editor for America Domani, AJ Forrisi is a Brooklyn-based writer and photographer. His work focuses on food, travel, sports, landscapes, and urban scenes. You can find him on Instagram @aj.photo.works.