[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 147 (Thursday, November 14, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2002-E2003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ELLIS ISLAND MEDALS OF HONOR AWARDS CEREMONY--NECO CHAIRMAN WILLIAM
DENIS FUGAZY LEADS DRAMATIC CEREMONY
______
HON. DAN BURTON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, On behalf of Ellis Island Medals
of Honor Ceremonies, I am submitting the following statement for the
Record.
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 was dedicated to the
memory of those individuals whose lives were lost on
September 11, 2001.
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, this
year's recipients received their awards in the shadow of the
historic Great Hall, where the first footsteps were taken by
the millions of immigrants who entered the U.S. in the latter
part of the nineteenth century. ``Today we honor great ethnic
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.''
Mr. Fugazy added, ``it doesn't matter how you got here or
if you already were here. Ellis Island is a symbol of the
freedom, diversity and opportunity ingredients inherent in
the fabric of this nation. Although many recipients have no
familial ties to Ellis Island, their ancestors share similar
histories of struggle and hope for a better life here.''
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 1500
American citizens have received medals.
NECO is the largest organization of its kind in the U.S.
serving as an umbrella group for over 250 ethnic
organizations and whose mandate is to preserve ethnic
diversity, promote ethnic and religious equality, tolerance
and harmony, and to combat injustice, hatred and bigotry.
NECO has a new goal in its humanitarian mission: saving the
lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
NECO has founded The Forum's Children Foundation, which
brings children from developing nations needing life-saving
surgery 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 Directors.
Past Ellis Island Medals of Honor recipients have included
several U.S. Presidents, entertainers, athletes,
entrepreneurs, religious leaders and business executives,
such as William Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald
Ford, George Bush, Richard Nixon, George Pataki, Mario Cuomo,
Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Michael Douglas, Gloria Estefan,
Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Elie Wiesel, Muhammad Ali,
Mickey Mantle, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Barbara Walters,
Terry Anderson, Dr. Michael DeBakey, Senator John McCain,
Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General Janet Reno.
Congratulations to the 2002 Ellis Island Medals of Honor
Recipients:
Abel Abrahamsen, Chairman Emeritus/Co-Founder, Norwegian
Immigration Assoc., Norwegian; William Achenbaum, President,
S/A Associates, Russian; Elias S. Adamopoulos, M.D.,
President, Piraeus Realty Corp., Hellenic; Hector Alcalde,
Chairman & CEO, Alcalde & Fay, Spanish; Kurt Aschermann, Sr.
Vice President, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, German/
Austrian/Italian; Lawrence Auriana, Chairman, Federated
Kaufman Fund, Italian; Kenneth E. Behring, CEO & Founder,
Wheelchair Foundation, German; Hon. Cornelius Blackshear,
Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, African; Barbara Blair, CEO,
Cyberstaff, Russian; Michael J. Brescia, M.D., Sr. V.P. &
Exec. Med. Dir., Calvary Hospital, Italian; Lt. Gen. Bryan D.
Brown, Commanding General, US Army Special Operations
Command, Irish; Jeanette Grasselli Brown, Chair, Ohio Board
of Regents, Hungarian; Maurice A. Buckley, President & CEO,
Irish Chamber of Commerce in the USA, English/Irish; Preston
C. Caruthers, General Partner, Carfam II Associates, L.P.,
Scottish/English; Steven W. Casteel, Assist. Admin. For
Intelligence, US Dept of Justice, Dutch; Peter Castellana,
Jr., President & CEO, Western Beef, Inc., Irish/Italian;
Joseph R. Cerrell, Chairman & CEO, Cerrell Associates, Inc.,
Italian/French; Stephen Cherpelis, CEO, Stephen Cherpelis
Enterprises, Inc., Hellenic; Hon. Michael Chertoff, Assistant
Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal
Division, Russian/Polish; Stanley M. Chesley, Attorney,
Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley Co., Ukrainian; Michael
V. Ciresi, Partner & Chairman, Robins, Kaplan, Miller &
Ciresi L.L.P., Italian; Anthony S. Colavita, Esq., Attorney
and Councilman, Italian/Irish; William J. Collis, M.D.,
Founder & Ophthalmic Surgeon, Kentucky Eye Institute,
Hellenic; Martin E. Cooperman, Managing Partner, Grant
Thornton, Russian/Polish; Salvatore J. Cumella, M.D.,
Executive Producer/President ``Women to Women'' Radio Show,
Cumella Professional Services Inc., Italian; John C. Cushman
III, Chairman, Cushman & Wakefield, Inc., English/Dutch.
Lucia Grieco Danzi, 100 years old, Italian; Oscar Davis,
Chairman, Hayward Industries, Inc., Hungarian; Gen. Raymond
G. Davis, USMC, United States Marine Corps, Scottish/German;
Joseph J. DePaolo, President & CEO, Signature Bank, Italian;
Thomas B. Doolan, President & CEO, TBD & Associates Inc.,
Irish; Harry A. Dorian Esq., Armenian; Thomas C. Eakin,
President, Ohio Baseball Hall of Fame, Scottish/Irish/
English; Marvin E. Eisenstadt, President, Cumberland Packing
Corp., Russian; Terrence A. Elkes, Principal, Apollo Partners
LLC, Russian/Polish; Eugene C. Enlow, Chairman & CEO,
Atlantic Detroit Diesel-Allison, German; Joseph Anthony
Esposito, President & CEO, eResearch Technology, Italian;
John H. Eyler, Jr., Chairman & CEO, Toys `R' Us, Inc.,
English/German/Irish; John Joseph Fareri, President, Fareri
Associates, L.P., Italian; George N. Faris, Chairman & CEO,
American International, Petroleum Corporation, Lebanese; John
P. Ferguson, President & CEO, Hackensack University Medical
Center, Irish/Italian, Scottish; John Fitzpatrick, CEO,
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Fitzpatrick Hotel Group N.A., Irish; Dewey Fong, Deputy
Chief, New York City Police Department, Chinese; Hon. Vito J.
Fossella, Member of Congress, U.S. House of Representatives,
Italian/Irish; Daniel Frasca, Executive Director of Finance &
Administration, New York State United Teachers, Italian;
Louis J. Freeh, Sr. Vice Chairman, MBNA, America, Italian/
Irish/German; Clifford H. Friedman, Senior Managing Director,
Constellation Ventures, Russian.
Andre P. Gambucci, Consultant to the President, The Acordia
Cos Wells Fargo, Italian; Joe Garagiola, Former Baseball
Player, TV Announcer, Joe G. Enterprises, Italian; Michael
Gewitz, M.D., Professor & Director. Dept. of Pediatrics,
Children's Hospital At Westchester Med. Center, Russian/
Austrian/Slovakian; George Gialamas, President & CEO,
Gialamas Company, Hellenic; Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor,
CUNY, Romanian/Polish/Austrian; John B. Goodman, Chairman,
The Goodman Group, Russian/Romanian/Lithuanian; C. Flemming
Heilmann, Principal, Banyan Projects, Danish; Werner F.
Hiller, Founder & President, The Hiller Family Foundation,
German; John H. Hong, President, Hanmi Realty, Korean; Myung
Mike Hong, Chairman & CEO, Dura Coat Products, Inc., South
Korean; Professor James Jacobson, Associate Professor of
Education, Saint Peter's College, Finnish; Eugenia Janke,
Chairman, Tolstoy Foundation, Russian; Kaija R. Kalervo,
President, American Finnish Community Club, Inc., Finnish;
Professor Andrew G. Kampiziones, Professor of Philosophy,
Francis Marion State University, Hellenic; Hon. Marcy Kaptur,
Member of Congress-9th District U.S. House of
Representatives, Polish; James G. Kennedy, President, James
G. Kennedy & Co., Inc., Irish/French; Joseph Kisup Kim,
President, Kim's Jewelers, Korean; William C. Korner,
President & CEO, Prinexus, Scottish/English; Gust C. Kraras,
President & CEO, KCK & GCM, Inc., Hellenic; Kent Kresa,
Chairman & CEO, Northrop Grumman Corp., German; Robert I.
Kuperman, Chairman & CEO, DDB/New York, Russian.
Joseph R. Lagana, President & CEO, United States
Information Systems, Inc., Italian; Joseph J. Lagano,
President & Founder, J. Lagano Family Foundation, Italian;
Louis E. Lataif, Dean--School of Management, Boston
University, Lebanese; Br. Robert E. Lavelle, C.S.C,
Headmaster, Gilmore Academy, Irish; Josephine LeBeau,
Executive Director Vice President, AFSCME International,
French/Creole; Professor Heo-Peh Lee, President & CEO, Shie-
Jie Enterprises Group, Chinese; Joe (McCoy) Lenti, Vice
President/Program Director, WCBS-FM Radio, Italian; Mark M.
Lii, President, Ten Ren Tea & Ginseng Co., Inc., Chinese; Dr.
Johnny M.J. Lu, President, Lucoral Co., Inc., Chinese;
William Lucy, International Secretary-Treasurer, AFSCME,
African; Martin J. Maddaloni, General President, United
Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters, Italian; Farah B.
Majidzadeh, CEO & Chairperson, Resource International, Inc.,
Iranian; Lt. Gen. Dan K. McNeill, Commanding General United
States Army, XVIII Airborne Corps & Ft. Bragg, Scottish;
Frank Meehan, International Vice President & President,
UFCW--Local 1500, Irish; John R. Miller, Vice Chairman, KPMG,
Welsh/English; Matthew Mirones, Assemblyman, Hellenic; Alfred
T. Mockett, Chairman & CEO, AMS, English; Ralph Salvatore
Mosca, M.D., Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery,
Children's Hospital of New York, Italian/Irish/German; John
P. Moses, Esq., Moses and Gelso, Lebanese; Murlan J. Murphy,
Jr., Principal, JTM Company, Irish; Mike Mehmet Mustafoglu,
Chairman & CEO, Transglobal Financial Corporation, Turkish;
A. Maurice Myers, Chairman, President & CEO, Waste
Management, Danish/Austrian.
Nicholas Andrew Natsios, Retired-Senior C.I.A. Official,
Central Intelligence Agency, Hellenic; ADM. Robert J. Natter,
USN, Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Austrian/
Scottish/Irish; Albert G. Nickel, President, Chairman & CEO,
Lyons Lavey Nickel Swift, German; Louis Nicozisis, President,
NICO Properties Group, Hellenic; Hon. Lyndon L. Olson, Jr.,
Senior Advisor, Citigroup, Swedish; Harry C. Orbelian,
Conductor & Musical Director, Moscow Chamber Orchestra,
Armenian/Ukrainian; Vasilia (Bess) Pappas, Director Hellenic
Cardiac Fund for Children, Children's Hospital Boston,
Hellenic; Michael F. Parlamis, President & CEO, Frank
Parlamis Inc., Hellenic; Santo Petrocelli, CEO, Petrocelli
Electric Company, Inc., Italian; John George Poles, Senior
Partner, Poles, Tublin, Patestides & Stratakis LLP, Hellenic;
Albert T. Primo, President & CEO, Eyewitness News Service,
Inc., Italian; Hon. A. Gail Prudenti, Presiding Justice,
State of New York, Italian/German; Anthony R. Pustorino,
Professor Emeritus, Pace University, Italian; Robert C.
Radice, Chairman & CEO (retired), Radice Corporation,
Italian; John C. Rakkou, President & CEO, Interbank of New
York, Hellenic; George Randazzo, Founder and Chairman of the
Board, National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame,
Italian; Hon. Edward D. Re, Chief Judge Emeritus, US Court of
International Trade, Italian; Dr. Arthur Lachlan Reed,
Lachlan International, Scottish; Mona Romain, Assistant
Treasurer, United Federation of Teachers, West Indian;
Michael L. Royce, Acting President, Pennsylvania Station
Redevelopment Corp., Polish/Russian;
Charles J. Santelli, Director of Policy & Program
Development, New York State United Teachers, Italian; Chief
Michael Scagnelli, Chief of Transportation, N.Y.P.D.,
Italian; Hon. Chris Victor Semos, Former Governmental
Consultant, Hellenic; Phillip J. Shapiro, President & CEO,
Liberty Maritime Corp., Russian/Polish; Rhona Hope Silver,
CEO, Rhona Silver's Huntington Townhouse, Russian/Polish;
James L. Singleton, President, The Cypress Group LLC, Irish/
Portuguese; Hon. Dean G. Skelos, Senator, New York State
Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Hellenic; Edward D. Soma,
M.D., Lebanese; Hon. Michael Sotirhos, US Ambassador
(Retired), Hellenic; George W. Souvall, President, Leisure
Management Corporation, Hellenic; Dean A. Spanos, President,
San Diego Chargers, Hellenic; Daniel J. ``Rusty'' Staub,
Chairman, NYP & Firefighters' Widow & Childrens Benefit Fund,
German/Irish; Hon. Joseph A. Suozzi, Senior Partner, Meyer,
Suozzi, English & Klein, P.C., Italian; Laurence M. Traub,
President, Intermetal Corporation, Russian/Lithuanian/
Byelorussia; Savey Tufenkian, Executive Vice President
(Retired), Western Waste Industries, Armenian; Rajendra B.
Vattikuti, Founder & Co-Chairman, Covansys, Asian Indian;
Antonio ``Nino'' Vendome, CEO, Vendome Group, Italian; Hon.
James T. Walsh, Member of Congress N.Y. 25, Irish; David
Walters, Former Governor of Oklahoma/President, Walters Power
International, German/French/Swiss; Dr. Ruth Westheimer,
Professor/Author/Therapist, German; Major General George N.
Williams, Commander, 21st U.S. Air Force, Hellenic; George C.
Zoley, Vice Chairman & CEO, Wackenhut Corrections
Corporation, Hellenic.
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