Giovanni Falcone Remembered at Casa Italiana Ceremony

The 32nd anniversary of the assassination of anti-Mafia Judge Giovanni Falcone was commemorated in a civil ceremony inside Casa Italiana on Sunday, May 26, 2024. The ceremony was preceded in the Holy Rosary Church by a Mass attended by representatives of the Embassy of Italy. The event was organized by AMHS member, Francesco Isgro, who is also the president of the Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center. The event was co-sponsored by several Italian-American organizations, including AMHS.

Falcone was assassinated by members of the Sicilian Mafia on May 23, 1992, after leaving the airport in Palermo, Sicily, as he headed towards the city of Palermo. A huge bomb was detonated, killing Falcone, his wife, and their bodyguards. A memorial along the road to Capaci marks the spot where the explosion took place. Not long afterwards, his colleague Paolo Borsellino was also assassinated. Shortly thereafter, the Palermo airport was renamed the Falcone-Borsellino Airport.

The First Counselor of the Italian Embassy, Michela Carboniero, gave the opening remarks. She noted that, whenever she vacations in Sicily, as she passes the Capaci memorial on the road from the airport, she makes sure to point it out to her daughter so she will remember the event too.

The guest speaker was Lt. Col. Peirangelo Iannicca of the Carabinieri Corps. He is the Assistant Defense Attache for the Embassy of Italy. He gave an impassioned speech on the meaning of duty, honor, and courage, and he quoted some of Falcone’s famous sayings. After his speech, his son came running up to him, saying “bravo, papa!” In speaking with him later, AMHS member Elisa DiClemente learned that Col. Iannicca is Abruzzese.

After the remarks, everyone was invited to the reception, organized by Simonetta Baldassari, who decorated the Casa Italiana beautifully. As a finishing touch, each attendee was given a long-stemmed red rose.

June 2024