From The Italian Tribune Edition of 2/5/2009

SICILIANS HOST  GALA

The Federazione Siciliana del New Jersey is sponsoring its annual Gala Dinner-Dance on Sunday, March 8 at 4 pm at The Venetian, 546 River Drive, Garfield, New Jersey. This year's Gala will honor Hon. Francesco Maria Talo`, Consul General of Italy in New York, and Hon. Giovanni Avanti, Presidente Provincia Regionale di Palermo.

The Gala will also be presenting its scholarship awards. Proceeds from the event will be used to make a generous donation to the "Tomorrow's Children Foundation" at Hackensack University Medical Center.

Federazione Siciliana del New Jersey's Dinner Chariman is James Emiliani and his brother Domenic Emiliani is Co-Chairman. The Emilianis are the owners of Emiliani Enterprises in Union, New Jersey.

This year the Gala has chosen to honor two very deserving men. The Hon. Francesco Maria Talo` was born in 1958 in La Spezia, Italy and has had a very extensive career in international relations. Talo` attended the Faculty of Law at La Sapienza university in Rome and received his degree summa cum laude in 1982. Talo` began his diplomatic career in 1984 with an assignment to the Press Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position he held until 1987. He was then transferred to Tokyo for four years and to Bonn another four years. In 1995 he returned to Rome and was given the title of Counselor. From 1995 to 1998, Talo` worked for the Italian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York until 2002. During this time he was promoted to First Counselor. Talo` returned to Italy and from 2002 to 2006 he worked at the Palazzo Chigi for the Prime Minister's Office of the Diplomatic Counselor. From 2006 to 2007 Talo` was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Directorate General for Americas as Head of the South America Desk. On August 3, 2007 Talo` assumed his post as Consul General of Italy in New York. Talo` is also a Cadet Lieutenant in reserve of the Carabinieri Corps and Cavaliere Ufficiale of the Ordine al Merito della Repubblica. He is married to Ornella Romano and they have three children.

Giovanni Avanti was born in Mezzagno Belmonte, near Palermo, Italy in 1962. Avanti began his career in social policy and politics at a very early age, being involved with social and political organizations while in college. In 1990 Avanti was elected the Director of the District of Montegrappa, Santa Rosalia. In 1991 he was appointed President of the District. In 1993 he resigned from office and ran for City Council. Once he was elected, he was the youngest member of the Council of his party, the Christian Democrats. In 1997 Avanti ran for re-election and won with the majority of votes, becoming the Vice President of the City Council. During his tenure on the City Council, he worked as the Deputy of Housing and Environment where he was responsible for private building, construction, education, civil protection, the environment and parks in the district. Avanti has been the chair of many organizations in Italy, including the National Association of the Sustainable Mobility, the National Coordination of Agenda 21, the Environment Commission of Eurocitis (which linked major European cities), and the Christian Workers Movement. In March 2008 he became the President of the Regional Province of Palermo. He is married and has three daughters.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Federazione Siciliana del New Jersey is Marco Cangelosi, and Ugo Autino is the Federation's President. The Sicilian Federation is a non-profit organization which promotes relations between the region of Sicily and the state of New Jersey by fostering exchanges of cultural, tourism and entrepreneurial interactions between the two countries. Reserve your tickets by Tuesday, February 17. The cost is $110 per person. For more information and tickets, please call 201-952 3784.