Ralph Taverniti, 91, was an apprentice tailor in his early 20s, but his future was bleak as his Italian homeland struggled to rebuild from the carnage of World War II. Opportunity awaited in Brooklyn, where his father’s uncle, also a tailor, offered work. So, in 1956 Taverniti booked third-class passage to New York City on a new luxury ocean liner, the SS Andrea Doria.
Every year in July for 138 years, the streets outside the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel come alive with music, Italian pride, and faith as thousands gather for one of New York’s most beloved cultural celebrations: the Dancing of the Giglio.
It took nearly 100 years, but the Pucciano family finally got to say a proper goodbye to NYPD Detective Joseph Pucciano, famous for his savvy investigative skills and crime-fighting abilities in New York City.
The Columbus Day Parade on Monday drew thousands of spectators to honor the famed explorer while joyfully proclaiming the contributions of Italian Immigrants to their new homeland — the United States.
