On September 16, 2008, the Ambassador of Italy, Giovanni Castellaneta, on behalf of the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, conferred upon House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest order of the Italian Republic, the "Cavaliere di Gran Croce." The ceremony, held at Villa Firenze, was attended by numerous members of the Italian-American Congressional Caucus, other Senators and Congressmen, representatives of NIAF, and other dignitaries.

Since 1987, Nancy Pelosi has represented California's Eighth District in the House of Representatives. The Eighth District includes most of the City of San Francisco including Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, and many of the diverse neighborhoods that make San Francisco a vibrant and prosperous community. Overwhelmingly elected by her colleagues in the fall of 2002 as Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi is the first woman in American history to lead a major party in the U.S. Congress.

Before being elected Leader, she served as House Democratic Whip for one year and was responsible for the party's legislative strategy in the House. On January 4, 2007, Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

Pelosi hails from a strong family tradition of public service. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., served as Mayor of Baltimore for 12 years, after representing the city for five terms in Congress. Her brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also served as Mayor of Baltimore. Ambassador Castellaneta noted that Thomas d'Alessandro had also been recognized by the Republic of Italy with the "Cavaliere di Gran Croce" and remarked that it was a rare occurrence For Italy to bestwo two "Cavaliere di Gran Croce" on the same family.

Pelosi graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. in 1962. Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, a native of San Francisco, have five children: Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul and Alexandra, and seven grandchildren.

Anita McBride, Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush

"Traditions shape your childhood"

Anita McBride, daughter of Italian immigrants, was appointed Assistant to President George W. Bush and Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush in September 2006. She first joined Mrs. Bush’s office as a Deputy Assistant to the President and Mrs. Bush’s Chief of Staff in January 2005. As Mrs. Bush’s Chief of Staff, Mrs. McBride oversees the First Lady’s policy, press, correspondence, scheduling and advance, speechwriting, and social offices.

Mrs. McBride directs the staff’s work on the wide variety of issues in which Mrs. Bush is involved — including education, youth development, women’s rights and health, historic preservation, natural conservation, diplomacy, the arts, and ending pandemic diseases like malaria and HIV/AIDS. As a senior member of President Bush’s staff, Mrs. McBride works with West Wing policy advisors on matters involving both the president and Mrs. Bush.

Mrs. McBride’s White House service spans two decades and three administrations. Under President George W. Bush, from February 2004 to December 2004, Mrs. McBride served as Senior Advisor in the State Department’s Bureau of International Organizations. As the Department’s Senior Advisor to the Secretary and White House Liaison from June 2001 to February 2003, Mrs. McBride helped shepherd presidential appointees for State Department positions through the confirmation process, and oversaw the selection of American delegations to international summits and conferences.

Prior to joining the State Department, Mrs. McBride served as Special Assistant to the President for White House Management — overseeing six administrative and operational units in direct support of the President, First Lady, and White House Staff. From 1987 to 1992, Mrs. McBride was Director of White House Personnel under Presidents Reagan and George H. W. Bush. In this position, among her many responsibilities, Mrs. McBride helped create the White House Internship program. Also under the first President Bush, Mrs. McBride served as Director of the Speakers Bureau at the United States Information Agency. She has helped coordinate three presidential transitions. Mrs. McBride has been recognized with several awards for her service. In April 2006, she received the National Guard and Reserve’s Patriot Award, bestowed upon employers who are exceptionally supportive of their reservist employees’ military service.

The daughter of Italian immigrants, Mrs. McBride was born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Her mother was 10 years old when she emigrated from Naples. Her father, who was born in Calabria, came to the United States at age 16. Mrs. McBride received her B.A. in International Studies from the University of Connecticut, and studied international relations and three languages at the American University in Washington and the University of Florence in Italy. Mrs. McBride is married to Timothy McBride, senior vice president of government relations at Freddie Mac. They live with their two children, Andrew and Giovanna, in Washington, D.C.

Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary
February 5, 2008
"Anything boys can do, girls can do better"

Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary was the keynote speaker at the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Public Policy Lecture Series held at the historic Riggs Library at Georgetown University.

Ms. Perino was born to Jan and Leo Perino in Evanston, Wyoming and raised in Denver, Colorado since the age of 2.  When she was 6 years old, Dana stood on a milk crate in her Denver house, held up an American flag, and told her parents, "I'm gonna work in the White House." By third grade, she and her father, Leo Perino, were debating the news of the day at the dinner table.  "He wanted me to have read the newspapers and to have picked out one or two articles to discuss by the time he got home and then we always watched the evening news together and my Dad and I would always watch the Sunday shows as well." said Perino. ( (Voce Italiana - March. 2008)

President George W. Bush named Perino as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary on March 31, 2006.  On September 14, 2007, she succeeded Tony Snow as the new White House Press Secretary

Justice Alito Honored by Lido Club

January 19, 2008

Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., received the Lido Civic Club Public Achievement Award in Public Service at the group’s 78th Anniversary Gala held on January 19, 2008. Second-generation Italian American Robert E. Carlucci, a prominent Maryland businessman was also honored at the Gala as the recipient of the Man of the Year award.. In his remarks, Justice Alito recalled the challenges faced by his Italian-born grandparents, one of whom came from Calabria, when they immigrated to the United States. Justice Alito, who went on to graduate from Princeton University in 1972 and from Yale Law School three years later, concluded his remarks by stating: “We remember where we came from, no matter how prominent Italian Americans have become. We remember the stories. We remember people who founded the Lido Club. We remember the people who came before us, the people on whose shoulders we stand.” (Voce Italiana - Feb. 2008)