Italian-American Civic League celebrates 75th anniversary
SALT LAKE CITY — Italian music played as guests arrived for the Italian American Civic League’s 75th anniversary at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Oct. 17.
The Columbus Day celebration was a gala affair, with a slide show presenting the history of the past 75 years through the people who have been leaders or have represented the Italian community in Utah.
Special guests at the dinner were the Honorary Vice Consul Michael Homer and his wife, Nancy, and 21 past presidents. Louise Cairo Best was the most senior president of the Women’s Chapter. She was president in 1951, Mary Bertolina in 1956 and Mildred Carl in 1957. Peter Marcantonio was president of the men’s chapter in 1965. Also attending were Carmen Sirianni, 97, and Ida Stonda Brunatti, 98, the last two charter members still alive.
“The Italian American Civic league was organized in 1934. There was a need to organize, to unite, to protect and promote the culture and goals of the Italian Americans,” said Cheryl Slaugh, Italian American Civic League women’s chapter president. “It was a way to keep traditions of the old country alive at a time when it was important to blend with the American culture. To provide for the interests of the members, the league sponsored dances, celebrations and parties.”
Sirianni was born in southern Italy in Pedivigliano. He came to the United States when he was 8 years old. His father was already in the United States working for the railroad.
When Sirianni arrived and started school, he did not know how to speak English, but learned in school.
“The league was the idea of Joe Mirabelli,” said Sirianni. “He wanted us to get together to form a club. Our first meeting was at Queen State Macoroni. We started meeting twice a month; once for dinner and then to have a regular meeting.
“We planned the first Italian Day at Lagoon that first year and there were more than 2,000 people who attended. They came from Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah – especially from Carbon County, where there were a lot of Italian miners and railroad workers. They came from all the western states,” said Sirianni. “We used to have a queen and attendants who would ride on a float in the July 24th parade just before our celebration, which has always been the first or second week in August.
“I have seen the league change over the years, but it has always been fun and a way for the Italians to stay together,” said Sirianni.
“We started meeting in Fortunato Anzelmo’s grocery store on West Temple and 500 South,” said Brunatti. “Several people would come from Price. I am proud of the league and how much it has grown. I love the league.”
Peter “Tuck” Marcantonio, 93, who was president in 1965, and the most senior of the men’s chapter, said the idea of the league was to get the Utah population acquainted with Italians and their culture.
Best said she held the president’s office for two years 59 years ago.
“My parents and aunts were charter members of the league, and they wanted to carry on the Italian tradition and culture,” said Best. “So when I got old enough, I just naturally joined. We were really very active. We had wonderful programs where we would entertain people at All State Italian Day.
“It was a way for the Italian community to get together socially,” said Best. “They always had wonderful dinners and dances. They were and still are such wonderful, friendly and warm people.
“My father immigrated to the states from Cosenza, Italy, when he was 17, and we lived in an Italian community on the west side of Salt Lake City,” said Best. “We were the minority being Catholic and Italian, but my mother was very strong in her faith and our heritage, and it made our family unit stronger. To this day, the league is our extended family and we remain proud of our heritage.”
“Today the League is very active in community civic projects such as the Road Home, Race for the Cure, Salt Lake Assistance League’s operation School Bell, Literacy Action Center, and Sub for Santa,” said Slaugh. “We donate funds, but more importantly we donate our time each year.
“Each year we have All State Italian Day at Lagoon in August, we help at the Carmelite Fair in September and have a steak fry, in October we celebrate Columbus Day, December is the Christmas party, we have Carnival for Lent, the Mother’s Day Tea in May, and in June we have a breakfast. It is so fun,” said Slaugh. “Some of these people you only see at these events, but it is really nice.”
The league is offering a cook book put together by Maren Slaugh. They jokingly say it is the “you’ll know” method of cooking because when they asked for recipes, the older women would just say flour, and when asked how much, they would say you’ll know. Or they would say a handful. Well, depending on whose hand you are talking about, that could vary.
“My parents have both passed away, so for me belong to the league has been great. It has become my family,” said Slaugh.
“We have talked about doing other events or more formal events in the future” said Michael Ori, men’s league chapter president. “We would like to do A Taste of Italy and have all the main Italian restaurants in town donate food where people could go to six of their favorite restaurants in one evening, or have a wine tasting event.”
“I don’t want people to think all we do is eat spaghetti and meatballs,” said Slaugh. “We have so much to our culture with art, music, family traditions and friendships. We want to keep this going. It is important to me that my kids know where they come from. They have been to Italy. We did a T-shirt that read in Italian, ‘The family is where your story begins.’ With Italians, the family is the center, and the league gives families a center.”
“For the younger members, having the center is a drawing feature because many come from broken homes,” said Ori. “They don’t have the feeling that home is the center base. They identify with the league as their family center. The league is an extended family for me because my family is in Price.”
“We have learned a lot from the older generation of Italians and it is our responsibility to pass it on to the younger generation,” said Slaugh.
“The women’s chapter of the league received a $1,000 grant from the American Society of the Italian Legions of Merit in September,” said Slaugh. “The grant was awarded based on our commitment to the preservation of our Italian culture, commitment to civic work in the community and the scholarship program offered by the league.”
The honorary vice consul is in place to serve the Italian community and tourists. The consul general office located in San Francisco serves Utah, Nevada, Idaho and northern California. Homer’s job is to communicate with the consul general.
“We basically take care of people’s passports,” said Homer. “If you have an American passport or an Italian passport, you do not need a tourist visa. But if you need other things like a work visa or student visa, come and see me. We are located in the Judge Building in Salt Lake City. If anyone has questions about anything to do with the Italian government or anything with respect to travel or education, feel free to stop by. We want to be a team and work together as a community.”
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