-I am an Italian American, and from my ancient world, I first spanned the seas to the new world. I am Cristoforo Colombo.

-I am Giovanne Caboto known in American History as John Cabot, discoverer of the mainland of North America.

-I am Amerigo Vespucci, who gave my name to the New World, America.

-First to sail on the Great Lakes in 1679, founder of the territory that became the state of Illinois, colonizer of Louisiana and Arkansas, I am Enrico Tonti.

-I am Filippo Mazzei friend of Thomas Jefferson, and my thesis on the equality of man was written into the Bill of Rights.

-I am William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

-I am an Italian American; I financed the Northwest Expedition of George Rogers Clark and accompanied him through the lands that would become Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.  I am Colonel Francesco Vigo.

-I mapped the Pacific from Mexico to Alaska and to the Philippines.  I am Alessandro Malaspina.

-I am Giacomo Belinimi, discoverer of the source of the Mississippi River in 1823.

-I created the Dome of the United States Capitol.  They call me the Michelangelo of America.  I am Constantino Brumidi.

-In 1904, I founded in San Francisco, the Bank of Italy now known as the Bank of America, the largest financial institution in the world.  I am A.P. Giannini.

-I am Enrico Fermi, father of nuclear science in America.

-I am Steve Geppi, founder of Diamond Comics, the largest distributorship of comics on the planet.

-I am Joseph Genovese founder at 21years old Genovese drugs.

-I am the inventor of the convertible sofa. I am Bernard Castro of Castro convertibles. 

-You look to the sky in July to see my work I am Felix Grucci of fireworks by Grucci

-I am an actor known as Captain Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce I am Alan Alda

-You know me for New Year’s Eve calibrations I am Guy Lomardo        

-I am the first enlisted man to earn the Medal of Honor in World War II.  I am John Basilone of New Jersey.  I am an Italian American.

-You know me for two all-beef patties I am The Big Mac Creator Jim Delligatti

-I made your coffee so perfect in the morning I invented Mr. Coffee I am Vince Marotta 

-You went to my bookstores to by a book I am Leonard Riggio founder and CEO of Barnes & Noble, the largest bookstore in the nation 

-I am known for engineering the Ford Mustang and Ford Pinto cars; I also served as President and CEO of Chrysler. I am Lee Iacocca

-I am Luigi Del Bianco sculptor, and chief carver of Mount Rushmore

-I am Joseph Barbera co-founder of Hanna-Barbera, which became the most successful television animation studio in the business, producing programs such as The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Scooby-Doo, Top Cat, The Smurfs, Huckleberry Hound, and The Jetsons.

-I am Domenico "Domingo" Ghirardelli chocolatier who was the founder of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in San Francisco, California

-You go nuts over us If you're a peanut lover, then you should know that Mr. Peanut and the Planters Peanut Company (the most popular and prolific of them all) were created by Italian immigrants Amedeo Obici and Mario Peruzzi in 1887 in Pennsylvania. 

-When it comes to food and food products, it may be surprising to know that Italian American Jeno Paulucci founded another of America's favorite foods, Chun King Chow Mein, which he launched with a $2,500 loan in 1946, and sold 20 years later for $63 million in cash. Mr. Paulucci patented the Divider-Pak, packaging that kept the food separate from its sauce. In 1968 Mr. Paulucci founded Jeno’s Inc., A company that sold frozen pizzas and a variety of snacks. The most notable of these was undoubtedly the pizza roll, a combination single slice and egg roll. His family credits him with inventing it. He sold Jeno’s Inc. to Pillsbury for $135 million in 1985.  In 1990, at the age of 72, Paulucci produces a frozen foods business and created Luigino's, Inc. The company offers more than 200 different Italian, Oriental, Mexican, and children's single-serve entrees, and a limited number of family-size entrees. Brands include Authentico, Budget Gourmet, Homestyle Bowls, Lean Gourmet, Michelina's, Oven Baked Pizzas, Signature, Yu Sing, and Zap'ems. Sales in 2002 topped $295.6 million.

- Born Rosenella Cruciani, Rose Totino (Husband Jim Totino was a baker) was the uncontested queen of frozen pizza. She was the inventor of the first pizza dough suitable for freezing and subsequent baking. She was an innovator and entrepreneur who helped to introduce frozen pizza to America, and later improved the product. Her pizza, like Rose, was born and developed in Minnesota.  Totino’s Finer Foods was sold to Pillsbury Company for $22 million. Rose then became Pillsbury’s first female corporate vice president. The Totino’s brand became part of General Mills with its acquisition of Pillsbury in 2001. Over 300 million Totino’s pizzas are sold each year - more than 10 every second.

- We are the two brothers who ran a hot dog stand near South Philadelphia's Italian Market. In the 1930s, We wanted to offer new sandwiches. The new item was grilled beef and onions in a toasted roll. We are Pat and Harry Olivieri we created the original cheesesteak sandwich.

-In 1950 I invented the original pizza stromboli sandwich of Ham, cotteghino, capicola and American cheese with roasted, sweet bell peppers. I am Nazzereno Romano 

-I am Lorenzo Del Riccio-Inventor of photofinisher camera used at Americas Horse Racetracks --I am Federico Faggin physicist, engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He is best known for designing the first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004

-You know me for making the home spa I am Candido Jacuzzi. I designed the first water pump that could make a bathtub into a whirlpool spa. This ingenious, portable spa became popular for home and medical office use, and it led to production of the familiar fiberglass, outdoor hot tub, which would make the Jacuzzi name a household word.

-I am Anthony J. Adducci I am best known for co-founding Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc., the company that manufactured the world's first lithium battery powered artificial pacemaker

-I am John Romita, Sr. comic book artist known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man

-I am Teresa Bellissimo inventor of the world-famous Buffalo Chicken wings at the Anchor Bar.

-I am Dominic Conti in my Grocery Store in New Jersey I was selling the Original Submarine Sandwich 

-You know me as Charles Atlas (born Angelo Siciliano was an Italian-born American bodybuilder best remembered as the developer of a bodybuilding method and its associated exercise program which spawned a landmark advertising campaign featuring his name and likeness; it has been described as one of the longest-lasting and most memorable ad campaigns of all time. 

-I made the salad you enjoy at your favorite restaurant I am Caesar Cardin and I invented the Caesar Salad in 1924.

-You know me as Chef Boyardee. The man behind the nation’s leading brand of spaghetti dinners, pizza mix, sauce and pasta, was really Ettore Boiardi, A real Chef and an Italian immigrant from Emilia Romagna. Chef Boiardi was head chef of the Plaza Hotel in New York City. While working at the Greenbrier Hotel in Greenbrier West Virginia, he directed the catering for the reception of President Woodrow Wilson’s second weeding.   

-We are Italian workers that invented the hoagie sandwich. The term hoagie originated in the Philadelphia area. In 1953, the Philadelphia Bulletin reported that Italians working at the World War I-era shipyard known as Hog Island, where emergency shipping was produced for the war effort, introduced the sandwich by putting various meats, cheeses, and lettuce between two slices of bread. This became known as the "Hog Island" sandwich; shortened to "Hoggies", then the "hoagie"

-I make the hockey players play without falling on the ice I am Frank Zamboni Jr. I invented the Zamboni ice resurface machine in 1949

-If you drink Orange Juice, you know the Tropicana products brand. In 1954 Talamo Rossi invented the pasteurization process to pack chilled juice in glass bottles. By 1957 Tropicana delivered millions of gallons of orange juice.

-In December 1931, workers at the Rockefeller Center construction site put their money together for a 20-foot Christmas tree because they were thankful to have jobs during the Great Depression. The men decorated the tree with handmade garlands, streamers and ornaments made from tin cans. There is never any mention from NBC that the workers were Italian. The worker that collected the money to purchase the tree was Cesidio Perruzza from San Donato Val di Comino in Italy. The town of my parents in Italy 

- I am the co-founder of a hardware store that you can improve your home. I am Kenneth Gerard Langone and I co-founded The Home Depot 

- All I had was just $3,000 and a credit card but I started  

payroll giant Paychex in 1971. I am Tom Golisano. 

-1937 brought tough times, but Assunta and Giovanni said “To heck with the Great Depression, let’s sell some sauce.” Then they put their marinara where their mouth was and sold their fresh, homemade tomato sauce right from their front porch.

Assunta Cantisano and her husband Giovanni founded the Ragu Packing Company in their home in Rochester, New York, making spaghetti sauce in their basement and selling it on their front porch. They later expanded to an entire factory. 

-You use my Tack in your daily life I am Marco Zappacosta founder of Thumbtack. 

- You might have flown on my planes I am Leandro Rizzuto chairman and co-founder of Conair Corporation

- You might have played with my toy plans I am Antonio Pasin I was the founder of the Radio Flyer company in 1917

- You might have had my beverage at dinner Robert Mondavi leading vineyard operator in California's Napa Valley

-You might have had my beverage at dinner Ernest Gallo, co-founder of the E & J Gallo Winery

- You had lunch at my Restaurant Fred DeLuca, founder of Subway Sandwich

-You purchased hunting and fishing equipment from my store Richard N. Cabela co-founder of Cabela's

-You used my shoes if you were a dancer Salvatore Capezio founder of Capezio known for the ballet pointe shoes. 

-I am AntonioMeucci is best known for developing a voice-communication apparatus that several sources credit as the first telephone

-You know me as working with cancer I am Renato Dulbecco an Italian–American virologist who won the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on oncoviruses, which are viruses that can cause cancer when they infect animal cells.

- In 1905 Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro, founded the Order of the Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), the largest Italian American Organization in the United States. It started in New York City’s Little Italy neighborhood. Now officially known as the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA). In 1902 he started the Columbus Italian Hospital in New York, where Italian was spoken. 

-I am the perfect pitch in baseball I am Lorenzo Ponza - inventor of the modern baseball pitching machine

-I made children have fun eating I am Sam Porcello food scientist who worked at Nabisco on the modern Oreo cookie in particular, he was the inventor of the white Oreo cookie crème-filling. His work earned him the nickname, "Mr. Oreo."

-Young players baseball coaches use my bat. I am Jack Marucci I co-founded Marucci Baseball Bats. According to surveys, Marucci is the most popular baseball bat brand used by Major Leaguers for 2021.

 - I am a chemist who earned more than 125 patents, most notable consisting of improvements in fabric comfort, practicality, and flame resistance. I am Guiliana Cavaglieri.

-I invented the color coding of the New York City Subway Map that is still used today. I am Massimo Vignelli designer.

-In 2007 I became the first lady to be elected president of the New York State Order Sons of Italy in America. I am Nancy DiFiore Quinn.

- I am an American aviator. In 1973, at age 24 I became the first female pilot for American Airlines and the first female pilot for a major American commercial airline. At the same I also became the first woman in the world to earn a Flight Engineer rating on a turbo-jet aircraft. I am Bonnie Tiburzi.

-We are the husband and wife team that invented the flexible wing", a precursor to the modern hang glider. We are Gertrude and Francis Rogallo.  

-I made musical drums sound better. I invented the first successful synthetic drumheads. I am Remo Delmo Belli jazz drummer.

- I co-developed an online company for long and short homestays. I am designer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Airbnb. I am Joe Gebbia.

- Some think this is an American food invention. It is not. It is from my native homeland of Italy. I am Gennaro Lombardi and in 1905. I am credited for opening the first Pizzeria in the United States Lomardi’s Pizza.

-I am the executive Chef at the Brown Derby in Rochester New York. I invented a dish that is so popular you might order it as a catering order for your family parties. I am Chef James Cianciol and I invented the Chicken Francese dish.

- You use a ball I invented. I changed the way a Bowling ball hits the pins with more force. I invented the modern bowling ball. I am also credited with 27 other inventions from golf balls to a robotic hand used by NASA. I am Joseph Gentiluomo

- I founded the largest agency of investigation in the U.S. I am Charles Joseph Bonaparte and I founded the FBI

- I emigrated from Italy to New York City in 1872. In 1879, he founded the Il Progresso Italo-Americano newspaper in New York City. I am Carlo Barsotti

- We carved Lincoln sitting at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. we are the Piccirilli Brothers.

 

 

 

Thank you for your time and please celebrate your Italian American Heritage.