FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Julianne Hines
October 1, 2008 (626) 577-9944
(626) 221-4498 (cell)

Passage of Assembly Resolution Prompts Celebration of Italian American
Heritage Month
Distinguished members of the Italian American Community join Assemblymember Portantino to honor local
heritage contributors with a healthy serving of gelato.

PASADENA, CA – With the successful passage of Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 145, authored by
Assemblymember Anthony Portantino, members of the local Italian American community gathered at Pasadena
City Hall to commemorate October as Italian American Heritage Month. In addition to this important
designation, ACR 145 encourages public schools to highlight Italian American achievements and contributions to
the culture of California.

To further highlight Italian American Heritage Month, Assemblymember Portantino announced this week’s
opening of a photo exhibit & collection portraying the contributions of Italian American’s at work in California.
The exhibit, sponsored by Assemblymember Portantino, will be displayed in the State Capitol Building in
Sacramento throughout the month of October.

After a brief address in the City Hall Rotunda, Assemblymember Portantino presented certificates of recognition to
three prominent members of the Italian American community for their contributions to the greater Pasadena area.

“It brings me great pride to share in the celebration today as we recognize the cherished heritage of Italian
Americans, not only with an acknowledgement of the past, but of a renewed dedication to the future,” said
Portantino. “The successful passage of ACR 145 is strong recognition from the State Legislature of the
significant contributions of Italian Americans in California’s history. What better way to commemorate this
occasion than to honor three local and prominent Italian Americans over a serving of gelato?”

Assemblymember Portantino presented certificates of recognition to three upstanding individuals of the
Pasadena Italian American Community.

Marie A. Salandra – A lifelong educator and school administrator, Marie Salandra has dedicated her life to
champion education and public service. Among her many accomplishments is leading the successful integration
of Garfield and Arroyo Seco Elementary Schools into one school in 1967, a difficult challenge even by today’s
standards. Marie Salandra has received many awards on behalf of her volunteerism and pubic service.

Helen E. Salandra – After spending her career as a health care provider, Helen Salandra has been widely
acclaimed for her work on health care and health education. A former head nurse at Huntington Memorial
Hospital, Helen Salandra has been recognized by organizations including the American Red Cross, Los Angeles
Unified School District, and by one of her nursing classes who remembered her as an outstanding instructor and
mentor fifty years after their graduation.






John F. Nese – A lifelong resident of the Los Angeles and Pasadena areas, John Nese is a successful small
businessman who provides generous support to his surrounding community. After graduating from USC, John
transformed his family’s small Italian grocery store into Galco’s Soda Pop Stop, which has been widely praised
by, among others, PBS’ “Visiting with Huell Howser,” the Food Channel, Sunset Magazine and the Los Angeles
Times.

The celebration ended on a sweet note, with offerings of the frozen Italian delicacy gelato. Leo Bulgarini and
his wife, Elizabeth Foldi, owners of Bulgarini Gelato utilize an old fashion technique of making gelato: the use of
fresh and authentic Italian pistachios has been noted to be the key to their successful and delicious product.



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