Section:
East Harlem, New York Giglio di Sant'
Antonio Feast 2010
Directory: New York
City
History
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History Box.com's Website
Press Release: August 4, 2010
"Best wishes are extended
from the Administration and City Council of Brusciano to the Feast of
the Giglio of Sant' Antonio in East Harlem, New York."
Since the commencement of the last
century on the initiative of Bruscianese emigrants was born in New York
in the neighborhood of East Harlem the "Giglio Feast of Sant' Antonio.
Even today, the third and fourth generations born to these undaunted
immigrants practice the Feast of the Giglio along with Brusciano in
memory of their ancestors and of distant Brusciano.
This week, such festive event will
be repeated from August 5-8. To the organizers and the "Giglio Society"
are expressed with this statement best wishes and fraternal greetings on
behalf of the entire Community of Brusciano through Mayor, Dr. Angelo
Antonio Romano, President of the Giglio Feast Commission, Nicola Di Maio,
and President of City Council, Antonio Di Palma.
There are many innovations that
have been coming out in the course of studies, research, professional
contacts and sincere friendship between Antonio Castaldo, sociologist
and journalist, head of the Press Office of the City of Brusciano, and
Miriam Medina researcher and founder of American history websitehttp://thehistorybox.com/
: Bob Maida webmaster of
www.eastharlemgiglio.com
and Phil Bruno descendant of the Vivolo Family
that immigrated to the United States in the early part of 1900. Just one
member of this family, Rocco Vivolo began circa 100 years ago, the Feast
of the Giglio of Sant' Antonio in East Harlem, New York. Another
historical capoparanza (leader of the lifters) figure in America is that
of Angelo Granata New York 1917-2001) last of nine children of parents
Annunziata and Antonio who left Brusciano in the early part of 1900.
This leader is remembered for his devotion to the saint and for his
technical capacity in managing the ballad of the Giglio of Sant'Antonio
in the Feast of Gigli in America.
The head of the press office,
Antonio Castaldo, informed Mayor Dr. Angelo Antonio Romano, President of
City Council, Antonio Di Palma and the President of the Feast of the
Gigli of Brusciano, Nicola Di Maio of this event suggesting the sending
of an Institutional greeting. This morning August 4, 2010, at the
beginning of the City Council meeting there was a salutation to the
Italian American community celebrating this weekend in New York, with
the Giglio of Sant'Antonio di Padova. Here is the text read by President
Antonio Di Palma:
"GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES ON
BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL
TO THE FEAST OF THE GIGLIO DI SANT' ANTONIO DI PADOVA IN THE USA
TO THE "GIGLIO SOCIETY" AND
TO THE ITALIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF EAST HARLEM.
We express our brotherly greeting
and warm best wishes to the organizers, civil and religious authorities
and to the Italian American Community of East Harlem, New York among
which are many Bruscianese whose ancestors started the Feast of the
Giglio di Sant'Antonio di Padova in America. The pride of historical
affiliation and shared cultural and religious symbols binds us in time
for centuries despite the geographical distance. So with the embrace of
the whole Brusciano Community.
Responsible for this press release:
Dr. Antonio Castaldo Tel. 081.5218249
Fax 081. 5190191 e-mail:
stampa@comune.brusciano.na.it
The origins of
the Giglio Society trace their
heritage back to the town of
Brusciano, Italy approximately 20
miles outside of Naples. Here an
annual Feast called the Dance of the
Giglio takes place yearly in honor
of Sant’ Antonio. The feast
originally began back in the 1880’s
when Francisco Vivolo prayed to Sant’
Antonio to help cure his deathly ill
child. In exchange for this cure,
Francisco vowed to honor Sant’
Antonio in the same manner the
town’s people of Nola, Italy, a
nearby town honoring San Paolino di
Nola, by constructing Gigli in honor
of Sant’ Antonio and dancing them in
the streets of Brusciano.
Francisco’s prayers were answered
and the dancing of the Gigli in
Brusciano was born. It continues
today where 6 Gigli are built for
the Annual Festival during the
latter part of August and danced on
the shoulders of hundreds of men..
Around the turn of 1900’s, Italian
immigrants left Italy in search of a
better life for their families. Many
families from the town of Brusciano,
Italy migrated to East Harlem, NY to
start anew with other families and
friends that came before them.
Although these Immigrants brought
little with them on their 30-day
long voyage across the Atlantic
Ocean in the tight confines of the
boat, what they did carry with them
were their beloved traditions. For
the people of Brusciano, this
included the yearly Dance of the
Giglio Festival in honor of
Sant’Antonio.
Upon their arrival, the Italian
immigrants of East 106th Street in
East Harlem decided to initiate
their beloved traditions by building
a Giglio and dancing it in the ‘New
World’. The Festival on 106th Street
grew for many years becoming one of
the largest street fairs in America
and remained that way until 1955.
Then in 1957, the Festival moved a
few blocks uptown to 108th Street
where the Dance of the Giglio
continued until 1971 .
After a 29 year hiatus, the Dance of
the Giglio returned to East Harlem
in 2000 as a Cooperative Feast with
the Shrine Church of Our Lady of
Mount Carmel that resides on 115th
Street between 1st and Pleasant
Avenues. The Festival enjoyed
several years dancing the Giglio
during the Annual Feast of the Our
Lady of that takes place each year
on July 16th, the Feast Date of the
Madonna..
For the 2006 Feast, it was decided
to hold the Dance of the Giglio
Festival separate from the annual
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast. The
decision to move the Dancing of the
Giglio dates made absolute sense in
order to relieve the strain on the
Giglio community. This strain was
caused by the coinciding Giglio
Feasts held in East Harlem and
Williamsburg- Brooklyn (
www.olmcfeast.com ) dancing their
Giglio the same weekend that fell
around July 16th , the Feast date of
the Madonna.
UFFICIO STAMPA E COMUNICAZIONE DEL COMUNE DI
BRUSCIANO
Responsabile dott. Antonio Castaldo Tel.
081.5218249 Fax 081. 5190191 e-mail:
stampa@comune.brusciano.na.it
Press Release: August
24, 2010
"Best wishes have
been
expressed to the Municipality of Brusciano
for their 135th edition of the Feast of the
Gigli from the American website "www.thehistorybox.com"
by Miriam Medina on behalf of the Giglio
Society of East Harlem, New York.
During
the City Council's last session which was
held on August 4th, Antonio Di Palma,
President of the Council
expressed, on behalf of Mayor Dr. Angelo
Antonio Romano, the municipal
administration, municipal councilors and the
entire Bruscianese community, good wishes
for the Feast of the Giglio of
Sant'Antonio in East Harlem, New York, which
is about one hundred years held at the
initiative of the descendants of the
Bruscianese immigrants in the USA in
partnership with the Italian American
community.
In
today's mail a letter of thanks was received
from Miriam Medina, a researcher of social
history and founder of the website "thehistorybox.com"
which houses among the others, a section
devoted to Italian Americans in East Harlem
and a useful contact with Italy communicated
through the Press Office of the City of
Brusciano.
Here
is the text of the letter:
"To
the Courteous Attention of: Mayor, Dr.
Angelo Antonio Romano; President of City
Council, Antonio Di Palma; President of the
Feast of the Giglio Commission, Nicola Di
Maio; Honourable Members of the
Administration and City Council; Director of
the Press Office; Antonio Castaldo; The
Gigli Association and the entire Community
of Brusciano;
I
would like to express to all of you, on
behalf of myself, Bob Maida, Phil Bruno; the
Giglio Society; the organizers of the Feast
of the Giglio of Sant'Antonio di Padova in
East Harlem, New York; civil and religious
authorities; as well as the entire Italian
community of East Harlem and New York; our
greatest appreciation for your warm
Institutional greeting and good wishes which
you have kindly sent us. We trust that
despite the geographical distance, we will
continue to preserve the pride of historical
affiliation as well as share in cultural and
religious symbols for years to come.
And for the 135th edition of the Feast of
the Gigli of Brusciano we reciprocate the
greeting.
Good wishes to all of you and to the
jubilant Bruscianese Community.
Once again, thank you. Good Feast of the
Gigli at Brusciano.
Founder of the website "thehistorybox.com
Miriam Medina
Mayor,
Dr. Angelo Antonio Romano has expressed "the
most vivid thanks and fraternal greetings
from all of Brusciano to the Italian
American Community and Bruscianese
descendants that have carried in their
hearts the symbols of faith and in the
social and cultural practices the
ancient tradition of the Giglio for
Sant'Antonio di Padova.
UFFICIO STAMPA E COMUNICAZIONE DEL COMUNE DI
BRUSCIANO
Responsabile dott. Antonio Castaldo Tel.
081.5218249 Fax 081. 5190191 e-mail:
stampa@comune.brusciano.na.it
Letter sent to Mayor Dr.
Angelo Antonio Romano and City Council of Brusciano,
Italy from the Giglio Society's Board of Directors
expressing best wishes for their feast of the Gigli
di Sant'Antonio, August 25-31, 2010.
TO THE
COURTEOUS ATTENTION OF:
Sindaco, Angelo Antonio Romano;
Presidente del Consiglio Comunale,
Antonio Di Palma;
Presidente della Commissione Festa del
Giglio, Nicola Di Maio;
Signori Membri dell’Amministrazione e
del Consiglio Comunale;
Responsabile Ufficio Stampa, Antonio
Castaldo;
Associazioni dei Gigli ed Intera
Comunità di Brusciano;
COMUNE DI BRUSCIANO-NAPOLI- ITALIA
The Board of
Directors/Capo Paranzas (Paul DelliCarpini,
Victor Dellicurti, Frank Fazzalari, Peter
Fazzalari, James Nunziata, Dominick Russello,
Thomas Russo, Frank Uvenio, Frank Uvenio Jr
and John Zangaglia) and all the Members of
The Giglio Society of East Harlem wish to
extend our warmest greetings to everyone in
Brusciano. We hope that your upcoming Feast
and the Dancing of the Gigli di Sant'
Antonio August 25-31, 2010 proves to
be a great success for all of you.
As you know, the origin of the Feast of
the Giglio di Sant' Antonio in America can
be traced back to immigrants from Brusciano
who migrated to East 106th Street in East
Harlem in the early 1900's. What they
brought with them to the new country was
their pride and devotion to the Giglio. It
should be noted that the largest Italian
American community in the history of America
was in the East Harlem section of Manhattan.
Many Italians migrated from different parts
of Italy to this neighborhood. Shortly after
the Annual Feasts began, the Italians from
these different parts of Italy also embraced
the Giglio tradition. Today, we can
definitely state that the Feast has
participation from descendents of immigrants
from each and every region in Italy.
We have the same passion, devotion and pride
in Dancing the Giglio di Sant' Antonio today
as did the early immigrants from Bruscian0.
We are very proud to state that we build a
truly authentic Giglio in America from a
size, height, and adornment of the face
perspective. We also build the entire
structure in wood.
We once again wish to extend our warmest
wishes to everyone in Brusciano and would
like to send our most sincerest regards to
everyone in Brusciano.
