PARSIPPANY — There was not an empty seat in the trattoria at the March monthly meeting of the Sons of Italy as members came out in force to celebrate the swearing-in of Lodge 2561’s new slate of Officers for 2022-2024. The Lodge was honored to have in attendance the National Financial Secretary and Past State President, Lou Santoro, and N.J. State Trustee, Joe Saetta, who together administered the Oath of Office to all the newly elected Lodge Officials.
Assuming the reins of Office from Immediate Past President, John Lonero, was long time Lodge member and Parsippany resident, Robert Adamo. President Lonero, who was credited with a highly productive term of office commented, “It’s been an honor to serve as Sons of Italy President for the past two years. COVID 19 presented challenges, but I’m proud of how our Lodge stepped up and raised funds for the charities we support.”
The slate of new Officers include:
Robert Adamo – President
Joseph Jannarone, Jr. – First Vice President
Michael Fazzio – Second Vice President
Michael Zambito – Treasurer
Nicholas Jannarone – Recording Secretary
Sean Clark – Sargent at Arms
Philip Parziale – Orator
Trustees: James Torsiello, John Gangone, Frank Campisano, Robert Wilhalme, and Edgard Mercado.
Committee Chairs include Michael dePierro, Scholarships; Louis Amato, Food/Special Events; Joseph Jannarone, Jr., Fundraising/Philanthropic; James Torsiello, Golf Outing; and Patrick Minutillo, social media.
On a local level, Lodge 2561 is an affiliated member of the Supreme Lodge of the Order of the Sons of Italy in America, the largest and longest established Italian American organization in the United States, founded in 1905 in Little Italy, NYC as a support system to assist Italian immigrants assimilating into their new Country. Today the organization has over 600,000 current members and supporters throughout the Country.
Morris County’s Lodge, one of 29 Lodges in N.J., is a non-profit organization that proudly contributes thousands of dollars to worthwhile local charities and families in need. Among the causes that Lodge 2561 supports are; The Parsippany Food Pantry, St. Peter’s Church, St. Ann’s Church, Battered Woman’s Shelter of Morris County, High School Scholarships, The Valerie Fund, Parsippany Day Care Center, Cooley’s Anemia, and St. Jude’s, among others. The Lodge regularly purchases and dispenses gift cards from locations such as Shop Rite and Walmart to assist families in need. The group, with some great Italian Chefs, is also known to generously prepare several delicious Italian-style dinners each year to assist local causes.
Lodge 2561 currently boasts approximately 100 community-minded members and meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at a local restaurant, where lodge business and upcoming charitable endeavors and needs of the community are addressed.
The organization’s National Headquarters is located near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with a mission to preserve Italian culture in the United States, while identifying solutions to the problems and issues facing Italian Americans today. The charitable arm of the organization has invested more than $164 million in scholarships, medical research, cultural preservation, disaster relief, and other causes.
To learn more about Lodge 2561 and their upcoming events, visit their website by clicking here or “Like” their Facebook page at Order Sons of Italy in America ~ Lodge 2561.
