The National Italian American Foundation - Sure Throws a Heck of a Party

Ciao a tutti,

This year Chef Richard and I were invited to perform a live version of the "Filippo and the Chef" show at the 2007 NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) Convention in Washington, D.C.

I had been invited to perform at the Convention and Gala a few times before, but this was the first time with the "Filippo and the Chef" show which normally includes a
celebrity guest or two.

This show was a first all the way around. Not only was it a first for us to be performing it at NIAF, but we had four celebrity guests and Chef Richard and I on the stage all cooking and talking at the same time. There was Tony Lo Bianco, Jerry Vale, Deana Martin and Vince Ferragamo.

You would think that with the six of us Italian-American performers and "chefs" (every Italian I know, cooks) on stage, that it would be a free-for-all and that too many chefs would spoil the soup, but quite the opposite. It was beautiful and harmonious.

In fact, at one point, someone from the audience yelled out "Jerry, sing." Knowing Jerry wouldn't be up to that, I responded that when those of us cook we sometimes play the music of Jerry Vale. Now that we are watching Jerry cook, we should be singing for him." Not missing a beat, Jerry said, under his breath while stirring his Pasta Puttanesca, "Deana will sing."

Sure enough, as if on cue Deana started to sing "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometimes," one of her father Dean Martin's hits and a song from her own CD "Memories Are Made of This." And what do you suppose happened next? As if we were all following a script, one by one we all joined in, first Tony Lo Bianco, then Me, then Vince Ferragamo, Richard Lombardi, and finally, Jerry Vale started and the chorus of beautiful voices was complete.

The audience went nuts. Forget the audience, I went nuts. That was too much. How many people can say that they have sung with Jerry Vale, alone. But to be on a stage singing with Jerry, Deana, Tony and Vince and of course Richard, what a dream come true.

As you would imagine, the show went on much longer than planned. Between the joking and bantering and cooking, tasting and merrymaking, we all lost track of time, and no one was all the wise, in fact we were all having too much fun.

That is until the Director of the whole convention came up to the stage and handed me a handwritten note from the NIAF Executive Director, John Salamone, himself, that read, "Filippo, shut the show down, we need the celebrities for our auction."


Evidently, there was to be a celebrity auction going on at that point in another area of the convention that he himself was hosting and all the celebrities including the audience were all still at our show.

I know John, but I hadn't seen John throughout the whole convention weekend, and like a good Italian raised on guilt, I knew for sure it was because he was angry with me.

Of course it had nothing to do with him being the busiest person there. Then when I went to go pick up my tickets for the Gala and they weren't there, nor was my name on the list, I knew for sure he was angry.

Of course I went to the Gala and the tickets and my name were eventually found, but it wasn't until I finally made it to a private reception in John's suite at the end of the convention that we were able to laugh about the story I had invented in my head.

In all actuality, we were immediately invited back for next year's convention and we already talked about more time so that we can have all the Italian-American cooking and singing and chatting time on stage we can have.

Oh, and speaking of stories we invent in our heads, I forgot to mention another special moment that happened just before the show. I got to meet and speak with Yogi Berra. And while I was talking to him, he gifted me with a Yogi-ism, just for me.

Yogi came to the show, and I saw him in the audience so I went over to say hello, introduce myself and thank him for coming to the show. I sat and chatted with him a minute and before I left, I asked him if he would like to be acknowledged from the stage.

He asked me why I would do that? I told him "so that people would know that you are here." And here it comes. He said to me, very matter of factly, "They already know I'm here, because I'm here!"

There you go folks, my very own Yogi-ism, thank you Yogi! I laughed all the way up to the stage. What a great way to psyche oneself up for a show.

Needless to say, from the convention to the Gala, NIAF puts on quite a star studded affair and not only was a good time had by all, but much work got done too. Because we also had a "Filippo and the Chef" booth at the convention hall, I didn't get to attend too many of the conferences but the ones I did get to attend made me even more proud to be Italian-American.

Watching and listening to Italian-Americans making plans for the continuation of traditions and the betterment of our community and the world made me proud for our future.

And here's to the future of NIAF, see you next year!

Above are pictures of me with Gina Lollobrigida, Susan Lucci, Connie Stevens, Deana Martin, Jerry Vale, Tony Lo Bianco, U.S. Marines, Vince Ferragamo, Yogi Berra, the gang and I cooking in the convention hall, and opera singer Vittorio Grigolo and I. Below are some more fun pictures and fun people.

Filippo

P.S. My only regret, (another "great" Italian trait or tradition, regret) was that I didn't get to meet actress Ellen Pompeo. I know I will have the opportunity soon, so I am okay with that. In the meantime however, here is the video that NIAF had made of her and her Italian roots as posted on Youtube.com. (In English)







At table 31 at the NIAF Gala






With Actress Jodi London & NIAF's A. Kenneth Ciongoli




With Singer Alfio and Magic Beam President Nina Bueti




With Singer Alfio, Magic Beam President Nina Bueti and Serafina Scorcia






With the U.S. Ambassador to Italy Giovanni Castellaneta and Cav. Rosemary Licata and her sister.






With NIAF President Sal J. Zizza






With Radio host John Griffeth and husband to Deana Martin






With friend Serafina Scorcia





With Singer Rose Bonanza and Dame Dorothy Nocita






With Singer Alfio and Magic Beam President Nina Bueti






With Mrs. Susan Sanzi






With His Excellency Rev. Pietro Sambi Representative of the Vatican in America






With Singer Cristina Fontanelli






With NIAF's Kristy Pappalardo






With NIAF Chairman Frank Guarini and friend Sera Scorcia






With Actress Jodi London







With Longtime Fan Daniela Mansella






With friend Sera Scorcia and Singer Alfio






At table 31 w/ Tony Cicoria






With PBS Predident and Chief Executive Officer Patricia de Stacy Harrison






With Ron Onesti






With friend Serafina Scorcia






Table 31 at the NIAF Gala, Chef Richard Lombardi and wife Elaine












With Magic Beam President Nina Bueti and friend Sera Scorcia