WASHINGTON, July 17, 2002 - A coalition of 19 Italian American organizations, 
representing more than three-quarters of a million Americans of Italian 
descent, is rallying support for a congressional resolution that recognizes 
Antonio Meucci's contributions to the development of the telephone.
    
The groups are urging all members and supporters to contact their U.S. 
senators to support a resolution similar to one passed by the House of 
Representatives in June.

House Resolution 269 was co-sponsored by Congressmen Vito Fossella, Jr. 
(R-N.Y.) and Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.). It is the first official government 
recognition of Meucci's contributions to the development of the telephone.

The resolution notes that in 1857 Meucci finalized plans for an invention he 
called a teletrofono that would carry the human voice great distances. Unable 
to pay the patent fees and in poor health, Meucci was forced to abandon the 
project, which Alexander Graham Bell was given credit for nearly 20 years 
later in 1876.  
    
A subsequent lawsuit against Bell revealed that he had worked in the same 
laboratory at Western Union Telegraph Company that had a model of Meucci's 
invention and its designs. The case was dropped with Meucci's death in 1889 
and the expiration of Bell's patent in 1893.
    
One coalition member is the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), the oldest 
and largest national organization for people of Italian heritage. OSIA owns 
and operates the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, a free museum and cultural center 
in the home where the inventor lived on Staten Island, N.Y. 

The museum has Meucci memorabilia, including models of his invention, and 
holds free programs for schools, groups and individuals interested in Italian 
language and culture. [Telephone: Garibaldi-Meucci Museum: 718/442-1608.]

MEUCCI COALITION

The coalition members in alphabetical order are:
American Italian Defense Association (Chicago)
Anti Bias Committee of UNICO National (Bloomfield/Fairlawn, N.J.)
Bella Italia Mia (New York City)
Commission for Social Justice (Washington, D.C.)
Conference of Presidents (Washington, D.C.)
Federation of Italian American Societies of New Jersey (Newark, N.J.)
Fieri International (New York City)
Garibaldi-Meucci Museum (Staten Island, N.Y.)
Italian American One Voice Coalition (Bloomfield, N.J.)
Italian Americans Unite! (New York City)
Italian American Web site of New York
Misericordia Society (St. Louis)
Mobilito Media  (Chicago)
National Italian American Foundation (Washington, D.C.)
National Organization of Italian American Women (New York City)
Order Sons of Italy in America (Washington, D.C.)
Sicilian Cultural Association of St. Louis
St. Louis Columbus Day Corp
UNICO National (Fairlawn, N.J.).

Established in 1905, OSIA has more than 575,000 members and supporters and a 
network of 700 chapters coast to coast. OSIA works at the community, national 
and international levels to promote the heritage and culture of an estimated 
24 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 
www.osia.org or contact us by e-mail at nationaloffice@osia.org.

Sons of Italy News Bureau
219 E St., NE · Washington, DC 20002
(202) 547-2900 · (202) 547-0121 - fax
www.osia.org

NEWS
For Immediate Release        
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE