defending our heritage against the mocking and degrading stereotyping of our prized culture. Again a wonderful accomplishment for an organization that started modestly in Waterbury 90 years ago. I am more convinced than ever of the need for organ izat i ons l i ke UNICO and i t 's mission, and I want to congratulate you all for your membership and support of this great club.

~ Frank

After being urged to do so for many years by Rich Marano, I joined UNICO in 2000. Rich spent years telling me about UNICO and it's mission and most especially about the discrimination and s t e r e o t y p i n g t h a t Italians still face in our society. Since that time I have come to know UNICO's good works not only in our community but nationally as well. Through UNICO's national charities we have provided funds for the Jimmy V Cancer Research Foundation, C o o l e y ' s A n e m i a research at St. Jude's Hospital and various mental health programs around the nation. Locally our chapter has donated funds over the years to WARC, Safe

Haven, Acts 4 Ministry, the Leever Cancer Center, the Campership F u n d , L i t e r a r y Volunteers of Greater Waterbury and Easter Seals among many others. Not a bad legacy and a record about which we all can be proud. We c o u l d n o t h a v e a c c om pl i s h e d t h i s without the unselfish acts of kindness and hard work of you, our members. Also, through my work on the National Anti-Bias Committee and my own studies on the history of Italian immigration and the discrimination our ancestors faced, many UNICANS, myself included, are much more sensitive to our place in American society and the importance of

Note from the President

Chapter Newsletter April 2012

CHAPTER NEWSLETTER

Inside this issue:

Note from President 1

Guest Speaker 1

Name the UNICAN 2

Chapter Events 2

Fundraisers 3

Etc. 3

Slate of Officers 4

Our Speaker for our Annual Scholarship

Dinner will be Dr. Raeleen

Mautner

Dr. Raeleen D’Agostino

Mautner is author,

speaker, and columnist

for Fra Noi Magazine

(Wisdom of the Italian

Sages). She is the

producer and host of

“The Art of Living Well”

radio show on WNHU

every Monday at 7AM,

referred to by the New

Haven Register as the

hottest self-help radio

show in the state.

To learn more, visit:

www.raeleenmautner.com.

Can you name this UNICAN?

Email your

“guess” to

unicodoll@

gmail.com or

call

203.510.0276.

PRIZE will be

awarded !!

Last month’s

“star” was

Francine Nido!

Judge Richard

Marano was the

winner in March

and will receive a

Dunkin Donuts

Gift Card.

Please send me

your baby pic for

inclusion in an

upcoming

newsletter!

Page 2

Chapter Newsletter

UNICO National

Day of Service

There is still time to sign-up to

volunteer for our “Service Day”

which will take place at the

Seven Angels Theatre on

Saturday, April 21st for their

7:00pm performance of

“Vignettes of an I-talian

American Girl”.

Approximately 9 Volunteers are

needed to serve as Ushers,

Ticket Takers, Greeters or

Refreshment Servers. In

addition, we need 2 people to

man the UNICO Info Booth.

[All volunteers must wear Black

Skirts/Pants with a White Shirt

and will be able to see the show.]

If interested, contact Toni

Beccia at 203.758. 9759 or

Bianca Daniels at

biancadan@roadrunner.com

Congratulations to this year's High School Mock Trial

State Champion Crosby High School!!

Crosby High School’s Mock Trial Team recently

were named “ S t a t e Champions” and have earned the right to compete in the nationals in Albuquerque, N.M., in the first week of May.

The team, coached by Donna Mancuso [wife of UNICAN Don Mancuso], is not certain they’ll be able to afford the trip and is trying to raise money to help send the team. If they can’t raise the money, the 2nd Place Team from Weston, CT may go. It was voted at our April Board Meeting to send a $500 donation to the cause with a challenge made to other local service organizations to match the donation.

To view articles and information about the

Mock Trial Team visit www.civicsfirstct.org. If you

would like to contribute to this worthy cause

please contact Don Mancuso at 203.910.3437.

MEETING NOTICE: At our April

Dinner Meeting, we are hosting the CT-I

District Meeting. Tuesday—April 24th, 6:30pm

at Juniper’s Restaurant in Middlebury. $25.00

per person. Since we will be welcoming

UNICANS from the entire District, it will be nice for our Chapter to have a great

“showing”…….PLEASE make every attempt to attend. If you need a ride, please

contact President Frank Travisano at 203.754.9914.

JOHN A. SALERNO, M.D.

INTERNAL MEDICINE

573-0300

60 WESTWOOD AVE

WATERBURY,CT 06708

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

Tim Clark, Realtor Cell-203-592-5201

timmclark@optimum.net

Proud to be a member of Waterbury UNICO

90 Years of “ Service Above Self ”

UNICO NATIONAL

The Largest Italian-American Service Organization

“Service Above Self ”

Questions or comments about the newsletter?

Want information included in the next newsletter?

Care to receive the newsletter electronically?

Contact Don Mancuso at Mancuso11@gmail.com or 203.910.3437

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

www.unico.org

Waterbury Chapter of UNICO National

Check out our website– www.waterburyunico.com

Monthly Meeting Schedule (Sept-June)

Board of Directors – 2nd Tuesday 6:30 pm - Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall

Regular Dinner Meeting– 4th Tuesday - 6:30pm - Juniper’s Restaurant

Page 3

April 2012

Etc….

Congratulations

to UNICAN Joe

Geloso on the

Groundbreaking

of his new

30,000 sq ft.

banquet facility

to be completed

by Spring 2013.

ARIA will be

located on the

corner of Murphy

Road and Route

69 in Prospect.

Speedy Recovery

wishes sent to

UNICAN Marie

Ponzillo…..hope

you’re back on

your feet soon!!

B o a r d o f

D i r e c t o r s

Meetings will be

held on Tuesday,

May 8th and

Tuesday, June

12th at 6:30pm

in the Church

Hall of Our Lady

of Lourdes

90th Birthday

Celebration is

October 21st.

S p o n s o r s h i p

Oppo r t un i t i e s

A v a i l a b l e —

Contact Francine

Nido or Bianca

Daniels.

Get Your Clubs Ready!!!!! The Annual Golf Tournament is scheduled for Monday, June 11th at Crestbrook Golf Club in

Watertown. Cost per golfer is $125 which includes 18 holes of golf, cart, lunch & dinner. Sponsorship opportunities available starting at just $75!!! We also need volunteers & raffle

donations. Contact Bob Rinaldi at 203-753-4061 for more info on how you can join us for a day in the sun on the links!

*Remember—We rely on these proceeds for the bulk of our scholarships. Your support is appreciated and greatly needed!

Get your tickets at our next Meeting!!!! “Duck Day Raffle Tickets”

For every $5.00 ticket we sell, we will receive $2.50! Our goal is to raise at least $1,000 [last year we raised almost $900]and that

can be accomplished if we each sell only 4 tickets. [Each ticket has a chance to win one of over 50 prizes!]

The more tickets we sell = more “quackers” for us! Need more info? Contact Francine at 203.510.0276

2012 Scholarship Dinner Tuesday– May 22nd—6:00pm

La Bella Vista/Ponte Club

380 Farmwood Road—Waterbury

$30.00 per Person

To attend, complete the form below and send with payment by May 13th:

Carmine Paolino—406 Middle Road Turnpike—Woodbury, CT 06798

"

Name:

Tickets X $30.00 = $ [Checks Payable to: Waterbury UNICO]

Waterbury - Birthdplace of UNICO

We’re On The Web!

www.waterburyunico.com

Waterbury Chapter of UNICO National—PO Box 933-Waterbury, CT 06702

Waterbury Chapter of UNICO National * 2012-2013 Proposed Slate of Officers

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Financial Secretary

Sergeant At Arms

Chaplain*

Historian*

PDG Dr. Joanne D'Angelo

Don Mancuso

Linda Lanza

Joan Pesce-Veneziano

Dianne Minardo

Tim Clark

Fr. Ronald Ferraro

Tom Buzzelli Delegates

Tom Buzzelli

Frank Travisano

James Petrauskas

Joan Pesce-Veneziano

Alternate Delegates Bianca Daniels

Dr. Martin DeSomma

PDG Peter Ciullo

Bob Rinaldi

Board of Directors** Dr. Joanne D’Angelo; Don Mancuso; Linda Lanza; Joan Pesce-Veneziano; Dianne Minardo; Tim Clark

Tom Buzzelli; PDG Peter Ciullo; Bianca Daniels; Dr. Martin DeSomma; James Petrauskas; Bob Rinaldi;

Frank Travisano

Toni Beccia; Frank DePaola; Fran Donnaruma, Esq.; PDG Francine J. Nido; Dr. Carmine Paolino

*-Not an Elected Position

**- Consists of Officers, Delegates, Alternate Delegates, Immediate Past President & 5 Additional Members

The Nominating Committee [Tom Buzzelli, Linda Lanza, Judge Richard Marano, Mike Stere & Frank Travisano],

submitted this Slate of Officers to the Board of Directors and will be presenting it to the

Membership for approval at our April Meeting. Nominations from the floor will be accepted at that

time. If you are interested in serving—please contact Frank Travisano directly.