Congrats to Liberty Devitto! New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators to honor prominent New Yorkers The New York Conference of Italian-American State Legislators is proud to announce this year’s honorees at their annual celebration on June 9, 2014 in the Well of the Legislative Office Building in Albany, New York. This year’s honorees come from varied backgrounds, including politics, acting, and music, highlighting the diversity of the Italian-American community. • Liberty DeVitto is a Hall of Fame drummer, and lifelong New Yorker. Born to Sicilian immigrants in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. DeVitto graduated from Seaford High School in 1968. In the early 1970’s, his band “Topper” became the band for Billy Joel, and was responsible for such legendary songs as “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” and “New York State of Mind.” After playing with Billy Joel for 30 years, Mr. DeVitto is now performing with his Brooklyn based rock band The Slim Kings and remains a band member for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. He is also an honorary board member of Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization dedicated to putting instruments and music programs in underfunded schools worldwide. • The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo is the 54th Governor of the State of New York. Governor Cuomo was born in Queens, New York to parents of Italian descent. His paternal grandparents were from Nocera Superiore and Tramonti in Southern Italy, and his maternal grandparents were from Sicily. In 1993, he was appointed to the Department of Housing and Urban Development as the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development as a member of President Bill Clinton’s administration. He was elected Attorney General of the State of New York in November 2006, and in November 2010 he was elected Governor in a landslide victory. • Tony Danza is an actor, writer, teacher, and philanthropist. Mr. Danza was born in Brooklyn, New York; his father, whose family was from Naples, was a sanitation worker, and his mother, an immigrant from the Sicilian province of Trapani, worked as a bookkeeper. After graduating from Malverne High School in Malverne, NY, Mr. Danza received a Bachelor’s Degree in History Education from the University of Dubuque. As an actor, Mr. Danza is best known for starring in such beloved sitcoms as Who’s the Boss and Taxi, as well as numerous film and stage roles. He is active in many philanthropic endeavors, including the New York City All Stars Project, Voices Against Brain Cancer, Only Make Believe, and the New York City Police Athletic League, whose board he recently joined. He has been honored by many organizations for his efforts, including the AARP.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 01:28:42 +0000
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