WASHINGTON - August 6, 2003 - The Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) will present its highest honor to Four Star U.S. Marine General Anthony Zinni (Ret.) during its 48th Biennial National Convention in St. Louis, Aug. 11-16.

Zinni will receive OSIA's Guglielmo Marconi Award, Saturday, Aug. 16 during a gala dinner that closes the convention. The award is named after the Nobel Prize- winning physicist who invented wireless telegraphy, the predecessor to the radio.

"General Zinni is truly representative of this honor," said OSIA National President Robert Messa. "As an Italian American completely dedicated to serving this country, General Zinni embodies what the Marconi Award stands for." Zinni is special advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell.

A Vietnam veteran, he held commands in Turkey, Iraq, the former Soviet Union and Somalia in the '80s and '90s. In 1997, as tensions flared with Iraq, Zinni was appointed head of Central Command and was responsible for 36,000 U. S. troops in Saudi Arabia.

During its convention, at the Friday, Aug. 14 luncheon, OSIA will also honor St. Joseph's University (Philadelphia) men's head basketball coach Phil Martelli. Martelli has lead his Hawk team to two NCAA and two NIT appearances during his tenure as head coach, including this year's NIT bid. Philadelphia businessman and philanthropist Louis Esposito will receive the OSIA Sellaro Award at a luncheon Tuesday, Aug. 12.

OSIA national officers meet every two years in convention to set OSIA's educational, cultural and philanthropic agenda for the next two years.

This year's convention is at St. Louis' Ritz Carlton Hotel, 100 Carondelet Plaza.
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OSIA works at the community, national and international levels to promote the heritage and culture of an estimated 26 million Italian Americans, the nation's fifth largest ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

To learn more, visit OSIA on the Web at:  Order Sons of Italy in America
www.osia.org

OSIA is the largest and longest established national organization for men and women of Italian heritage in the United States. It has more than 600,000 members and supporters and a network of more than 700 chapters coast to coast. OSIA works at the community, national and international levels to promote the heritage and culture of an estimated 26 million Italian Americans, the nation's fifth largest ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  Website: http://www.osia.org

OSIA Press Contact:
Dona De Sanctis
Deputy Executive Director
email: ddesanctis@osia.org
voice: 202.547.3833