HR 9091

1	House Resolution
2	A resolution designating October 2006 as "Italian-American
3	Month" in Florida.
4
5	WHEREAS, since the European discovery of the Americas by
6	Christopher Columbus in 1492, Italians and individuals of
7	Italian heritage have played prominent roles in the growth of
8	the United States and in shaping its culture, and
9	WHEREAS, rare indeed is the school child who has not
10	studied the exploits and explorations of Giovanni Caboto, better
11	known as John Cabot, Giovanni da Verrazzano, and Amerigo
12	Vespucci or been awed at the inventiveness of Guglielmo Marconi,
13	but perhaps less familiar are names such as Enrico di Tonti,
14	"the Father of Illinois" and the first European to sail the
15	Great Lakes, and Francesco Vigo, believed to be the first
16	Italian to become a United States citizen, who served as a spy
17	in the American Revolution, and
18	WHEREAS, among Italian Americans in politics, William Paca
19	became the first to serve as governor upon his election to that
20	office in Maryland; John Phinizy was the first to be mayor of an
21	American city, Augusta, Georgia; Francis B. Spinola was first to
22	serve in Congress; and Fiorello LaGuardia is well-known as a
23	three-term mayor of New York City, and
24	WHEREAS, the arts, professions, education, and
25	entertainment are represented by Italian Americans that include
26	Gaetano Lanza, founder of the Massachusetts Institute of
27	Technology; Joseph Barbera, the famous producer of the
28	"Flintstones," "Tom and Jerry," and other cartoons; and
29	Cincinnati Reds outfielder Buttercup Dickerson, born Lewis
30	Pessano, the first to play in the Major Leagues, and
31	WHEREAS, pasta, long a staple in the American diet, made
32	its way to the nation's dinner tables from Italy; pizza came to
33	the inner cities of the United States courtesy of Italian
34	immigrants; Domenico Ghirardelli perfected a method for making
35	ground chocolate and produced chocolate by that name; and any
36	possessor of a "sweet tooth" will forever be indebted to Italo
37	Marcioni, who is popularly credited with the invention of the
38	ice cream cone, and
39	WHEREAS, on October 12, 1866, out of pride for their native
40	son, the Italian population of New York organized the first
41	celebration of the discovery of America, NOW, THEREFORE,
42
43	Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of
44	Florida:
45
46	That the House of Representatives recognizes the rich
47	history and valuable contributions of those of Italian heritage
48	and designates October 2006 as "Italian-American Month" in
49	Florida.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.