Ann Potenza installed as president of the Federated it appears to augur well for the organization

Casa Italiana looked festive last Thursday evening, January 19. One could see a smile on every attendee present for the installation of the new president of the Federated Italo - Americans of Southern California.

Parenthetically though, what made it more interesting indeed was a crowd of people that has not been seen for many years at a Federated meeting. Sons of Italy members applauded with the same fervor as Unicans, members of the directorship of the San Gennaro Festival, of which the new President of the Federated is chairlady, resonated their approval along with the members of the St. Peter’s Italian Church’s societies as well as those who have embraced the I.C.F.

It all augurs well for the 65- year-old primary Italian American organization, which, since 1947, has been led by distinguished and honorable ladies and gentlemen who cared and cared deeply to carry on the enviable social and cultural patrimony of the country most had left behind in a sincere effort to ameliorate his station and to seek a better life here in the United States.

The unusually large crowd, the numerous photos, the music of accordionist Norman Panto are a launching pad for newly elected President Ann Potenza, perhaps the youngest President the Federated has ever had, and we have known them all since 1947. With youth come new ideas, novel ways of erasing difficulties and arising differences, mitigation of impending problems, ways to steer the ship “Federated” to calmer waters, and, most of all, to use youthful powers of persuasion to all the organizations, associations, societies and clubs of Italian and Italian American persuasion to be represented as our forefathers desired for an enviable and long sought unity.

Administrating the presidential oath was this underwriter on this unforgettable evening. He was flanked by Past Presidents Nicola D’Egidio and Joe LaBanca, all three natives of il “Bel Paese”.

Prior to the presidential vote, Past President Smaldino installed those selected to the various other offices, to wit: Marco Zonni (Vice President Administration), Rosa Di Masi Stevens (Vice President Republic Day), Vita Zaccaria (Vice President Columbian Festivities), Frank Kryszek and Palmie Crispi (respectively Assistant Vice Presidents of “Republic Day” and “Columbus Day”, Teresa Thompson (Treasurer), Piero Lucia (Rec. Secretary), Bart Inglese as Parliamentarian, and as a liaison to the General Consulate, Mrs. Marisa Antonini.

The evening featured a geneous buffet prepared by Johnny Angiuli’s Eastside Market as well as a fond farewell to Outgoing Past President Rosemarie Vanderhaar, who was duly thanked for her efforts.
Could this evening be the beginning of a new era? We hope so, infact we pray it is.

After the assignment ceremony, we talked with the new President of Federated, Ann Potenza, to know about her ties with Italy and of her experience inside the Federated.

Let’s start from your origins. How is Italy a part of your life?

A.P.: I am a third generation Italian-American: my grandparents were from Ischia, near Napoli, and from Potenza, as my last name suggests. Like many others in those times at the beginning of the XX century, they emigrated to New York, where I was born and raised. Later, my family went to Las Vegas; there I spent my adolescence. Then twenty years ago, I decided to go to Los Angeles, where I met my husband. And now, here I am... I and my sisters have grown up in a very close family, with many uncles and cousins we used to see everyday.

My grandmother (my mother’s mom) was a role model to me: she was the centre of our home, as well as a great cook. Even now when I see someone in the kitchen, I remember her. My grandfather instead loved art, and made me know many Italian artists. Thanks to this background, I have matured a strong sense of family, that is typically Italian.

How did you join the Federated?

A.P.: I found the Italian community in Los Angeles ten years ago, when my cousins asked me to participate as a volunteer to the first San Gennaro Festival. The Festival already existed in New York, but they wanted to “export” it to L.A. I am proud of how things have evolved. The San Gennaro Festival is always a great success every year! I have been the Event Producer and Executive Director for six years, now.

For this reason, I started to participate to the Federated meetings, as the Festival director, but I fell in love with the group, which has involved me more and more. At first I was Vice President Assistant of Republic Day for two years and then Vice President for two years, before accepting to become the President.

Now that you are the President, what are your plans for the organization? Are you going to follow the footsteps of your predecessors or are you thinking of something new?

A.P.: As the President, my main goal is to encourage the different Italian and Italian–American groups of Southern California to become active members of the Federated. Very often, the different communities don’t know each other very much; a cohesion is, instead, very important, and allows us to learn from each other.

Besides, the aggregation can help those small groups which are struggling to survive, to stay active. Our monthly meetings are the best opportunity to find out what we do and to exchange ideas and opinions. The voice of Italians of America is stronger if we are many!

Luigi Smaldino
contributor