Preserving Our Italian Heritage

Buon Giorno e tutti,

2024 is closing fast and 2025 will be here soon. 2025 is shaping up to be better than 2024. This year we held two very successful High Tea’s “Masquerade” Italian Style to record attending sell out events. 2025 will see more record-breaking attendance and top-notch food & entertainment. Please see the flyers on this page.

Also, we will again hold our FOI Scholarship Picnic in Martinez. In 2024, we awarded 6 -$1,000 college scholarships for a total $6,000. To date we have awarded 31 students for a total of $28,500 in scholarships. This year again we will award scholarships to those that apply and qualify. Check this site for scholarship requirements and application. In 2025, we are developing a special scholarship award. More to follow.

Our longtime and history making friends from Isola delle Femmine, Sicily visited the Bay Area on the first 2 weeks of October. The group consisted of Stefano Bologna (past Isola mayor) & his wife Maria Grazia, Letizia Micali Croce (wife of the Chief of Policza), Michele Lucido & Maria Costanzo, Rocco Rappa (Former City Council member and original committee member 1992) & Maria Anna Riso, and Tonino Scala (Former City Council member and original committee member 1992 and president of the Pittsburg-Isola Sister City Forever Committee)

While here they visited Napa Valley, San Francisco, Reno, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Pittsburg, Monterey, and Martinez. FOI invited members and friends to a welcome dinner at the wonderful Sicilian restaurant, Isola Osteria-Danville. The no-host dinner was fantastic and the owner, Angelo Dalo, created an exquisite Sicilian family style dinner for 75 attendees. Our great friends from Isola delle Femmine enjoyed it all.

2025 will be our sixth year in existence. Membership is the life blood of our organization; it helps us to keep the doors open and our bills paid. Please consider renewing your membership. An invoice will be sent out to you the first month of the new year. We had a membership contest, and the winner is Rosalie Bruno Tamayo. Congratulations! We have sent her a $50 check.

Our fantastic newsletter is getting great reviews. We hope you read it. It is full of history on Isola delle Femmine and Pittsburg, Martinez, and Monterey. FOI editor in chief, Alex Grillo and contributors; Giuseppe Lucido from Isola della Femmine, Vince S. Ferrante, Mary Coniglio, Vince Malfitano, Sal Coniglio and Frank Bruno have done a fantastic job. We applaud you all. After you read the newsletter, please comment on our email at friendsofisola@gmail.com and we will publish your responses.

We want to recognize Mary Coniglio & Rose Malfitano for their dedication on their prospective High Tea’s over the last couple of years. Their hard work and outstanding production of food and entertainment is stellar. We look forward to what you have in store for us in 2025.

Ciao!

VIDEOS FROM PAST SHOWS