THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY DeLUCA, FARRY, BOBACK, BOYD, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER, D. COSTA, DALEY, DAVIS, DEASY, DiGIROLAMO, ELLIS, EVERETT, FLECK, GEIST, GEORGE, GILLEN, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GRELL, GROVE, HARHAI, HARKINS, HENNESSEY, HORNAMAN, KILLION, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KOTIK, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MANN, MARSICO, MATZIE, McGEEHAN, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MILNE, MURT, MUSTIO, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL, PAYNE, RAVENSTAHL, READSHAW, REICHLEY, ROCK, ROEBUCK, SABATINA, SAINATO, SANTONI, SCAVELLO, SONNEY, SWANGER, THOMAS, TOOHIL, VEREB, VITALI, VULAKOVICH, YOUNGBLOOD, BRADFORD, B. BOYLE, CONKLIN, MAJOR, HESS, DENLINGER, HARHART AND MIRABITO, OCTOBER 12, 2011

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, OCTOBER 12, 2011  

A RESOLUTION

Designating the month of October 2011 as "Italian Heritage

Month" in Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, Italian heritage is richly entwined in the history

of the United States; and

WHEREAS, The voyages of explorer Christopher Columbus

resulted in the discovery of the American continents on October

12, 1492; and

WHEREAS, Italians and people of Italian descent have made

remarkable contributions to the development of our country

through exploration, science, literature, business and

government; and

WHEREAS, Our government was created and formed with

contributions from Italian Americans such as William Paca, a

signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Philip Mazzei,

organizer of the Constitutional Society, a forum for development

of the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, James Latta graduated with six classmates in the

first class of what is now known as the University of

Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, Alessandro Malaspina surveyed the Pacific coast in

1791, drawing extensive maps and charts later used for further

exploration of the territory; and

WHEREAS, Eusabio Valli in 1816 contracted yellow fever for

the purpose of developing a vaccine for immunization; and

WHEREAS, On a sidewalk in Wilkes-Barre in 1897, Amedeo Obici

first sold roasted peanuts, a business he later named the

Planters Peanut Company; and

WHEREAS, Rosa Maria Segale fought against great odds,

including several encounters with the renowned outlaw Billy The

Kid, to found the first public schools in New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, Charles Joseph Bonaparte, Attorney General under

President Theodore Roosevelt, founded the Federal Bureau of

Investigation; and

WHEREAS, Enrico Fermi's development of the first controlled

nuclear energy reaction initiated the atomic age; and

WHEREAS, Man landed on the moon under the direction of Rocco

Petrone, director of the NASA Apollo space program; and

WHEREAS, Italian Americans have bravely defended our country

from the Revolutionary War to the present and led the fight

against slavery; and

WHEREAS, Twenty-four soldiers of Italian descent have been

awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor; and

WHEREAS, Countless men and women of Italian descent have

served our county with distinction, building roads, founding

universities and making vital medical and scientific discoveries

that have shaped the nation; and

WHEREAS, The lives of Americans today are vastly improved and

affected by the dedication and devotion of Italian Americans

throughout history; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the

month of October 2011 as "Italian Heritage Month" in

Pennsylvania.