Italian heritage museum on his wish list

Can you name two Italian-Americans who signed the Declaration of Independence?

How about an Italian-American who fought in the Civil War and was promoted to brigadier general by Abe Lincoln?

Philip DiNovo wants to make sure you can answer those questions, and many more. The parishioner of St. Margaret Mary's Church in Albany hopes to open a National Italian-American Museum and Cultural Center in the Albany Diocese.

On a mission

A professor emeritus at SUNY-Morrisville and third-generation Italian-American, Mr. DiNovo has made it his mission to preserve the heritage of his ancestry. To that end, he began the American Italian Heritage Association, which publishes a bimonthly newsletter of news and historical accomplishments concerning Italian-Americans. His many efforts have earned him the rank of "Cavaliere" (knight) in the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy.

Mr. DiNovo believes that Italian-Americans' pride has been damaged by movies portraying their kin as mafia dons and gangsters, and wants children of Italian ancestry to know their true culture.

"When my aunts and uncles went to school in Albany, they suffered prejudice and discrimination," he explained. "Their self-esteem was not good in many cases. It's important that grade-school children learn about the immigrant experience. I think children should know their roots. [A museum] would help them learn to appreciate and value who they are."

Albany site

Since he claims that 16 to 17 percent of New Yorkers are of Italian descent, Mr. DiNovo believes that Albany would be the perfect site for a museum. He has plenty of experience in such matters: 13 years ago, he opened the "Upstate Italian Culture Center and Museum" in a former convent in Utica.

That museum is slated to close in December, so the director hopes to bring its six rooms of art and memorabilia to Albany to begin anew.

He believes the museum will have a very Christian bent. "It's very hard to separate our Christian faith from our heritage," he said. "How can you separate 2,000 years of history?"

Apt time

Mr. DiNovo also called this a good time to begin a heritage museum, since society at large is becoming sensitized to the contributions of people of various backgrounds.

"We're coming to the point where we appreciate that people have roots. They have a culture, and it's okay to preserve it," he explained. "We're reaching out to say to African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, `It's okay to be who you are.' We also have our own culture."

Contents

Since the last Italian-American immigrants from the early part of this century are now senior citizens, Mr. DiNovo hopes to capture their stories while he can.

In his museum, he also plans an "Italian immigrant wall of honor" where families can have their relatives' names inscribed, and hopes to hold Italian language, cooking and music classes, as well.

Other highlights planned for the museum include an Italian folk art room, a video library, a gift shop, military and photo exhibits, and Italian bake sales at Easter and Christmas.

Stirring interest

The director is spreading the word about his plans in the hope that local Italian-Americans will contribute to the project. He is currently searching for a building in Albany to house the museum.

"If I don't raise the money, I'm going to buy a building with what money I have and have an Italian-American Society office, a gift shop and a small museum," he stated.

As a retiree, Mr. DiNovo said that he is often chided by acquaintances for taking on such a massive project. However, he said that he's happy to do it, noting: "You've got to be positive. I think it would be a wonderful thing for the Italian-American community across the U.S."

(Answers to above questions: Caesar Rodney and William Paca signed the Declaration of Independence; Colonel Luigi Palma di Cesnola was in the Civil War's battle of Shenandoah and later became a brigadier general. Write the American Italian Heritage Association regarding the museum project at PO Box 3136, Albany, NY 12203, or call 435-0591. Donations are tax-deductible.)

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