Sons of Italy Foundation Honors Sec'y of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at Annual Gala in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF) will honor U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at its 24th annual gala in Washington, D.C. May 23.  Secretary Clinton will accept her award via video since she will be abroad.  Also being honored:

• General Peter Pace (ret.), former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Armand Sabatoni, Secretary-Treasurer of the Laborers International Union of North America, and
• Claudio Bozzo, CEO of Mediterranean Shipping Company

Among the special guests will be several Holocaust survivors, who were rescued by Italians during World War II, their descendants, and author Elizabeth Bettina, whose book, "It Happened in Italy," recounts the little-known story of how Italians saved 80% of the Jews in Italy during the war.  Many of them had fled to Italy from Nazi-dominated countries.

Special presenters will be Admiral Edmund Giambastiani, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;  Captain Anthony Odierno, the son of Gen. Raymond Odierno and a past SIF honoree; and actress Connie Stevens.  Master of Ceremonies is actor Joe Mantegna. The evening includes a performance by the popular tenor, Michael Amante.

The SIF is the philanthropic arm of the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA).  Founded in 1905, OSIA is the biggest and oldest national organization for men and women of Italian heritage in the United States.  Since 1959, the SIF has given more than $120 million to education, medical research, cultural preservation, disaster relief and other special projects. 

EVENT: The Sons of Italy Foundation (SIF)
National Education & Leadership Awards (NELA) Gala (Black Tie)

DATE: Wednesday, May 23, 2012

TIME: Reception: 6 PM - 7 PM  Dinner & Program:  7 PM – 10 PM

PLACE: The National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C.    

SOURCE Sons of Italy Foundation