The St. Louis Columbus Day Corporation proudly announces that on August 13, 2001, August (Gus) Torregrossa was elected Grand Marshall and Franco Giannotti was elected Spirit of Columbus for the 2001 Columbus Day Parade.  Additionally, the Corporation has chosen Aldo della Croce to receive the Mother Cabrini Special Life-time Achievement Award.  On Sunday, August 26, a panel of judges will choose a young lady of Italian descent as Miss Italian St. Louis.  They will elect her court, consisting of two maids as well.  A recognition dinner will be held to honor the award winners, Miss Italian St. Louis and her court on Sunday, September 16, at Rose on the Hill.  The Columbus Day Corporation is comprised of various Italian organizations and would be pleased to have representation from each of the organizations there that night at the recognition dinner in tribute to these worthy individuals. For more information or tickets, please contact Gabriele Lancia (314-862-0707 or 636-391-8986) or Tony Lombardo (314-638-3446). Tickets can be purchased for $35.00.  Mille grazie! Sincerely, 
Gabriele Lancia. Chairman

               Eugene Mariani
               Italian Club of St. Louis
               5224 Tamm Avenue
               St. Louis, MO
               Phone   314-352-5484
            Emariani@aol.com

Generale della Rovere (General della Rovere), starring Vittorio De Sica, will be shown on Friday, October 19, 2001, at 7:30 p.m. at The Saint Louis Art Museum Auditorium in a program sponsored by the Italian Club of St. Louis and The Saint Louis Art Museum to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of De Sica. 

Vittorio De Sica, one of Italy’s greatest film directors and actors, was born on July 7, 2001, near Naples, Italy.  He directed such masterpieces as Bicycle Thief, Two Women and The Garden of the Finzi-Contini, but began his film career in front of the camera as a teenager amassing over one hundred acting credits to his name. The screening of Generale della Rovere is rare opportunity for St. Louisans to view what is considered to one of the highlights of his acting career in which De Sica gives a deeply moving portrayal of a petty Genovese swindler who is jailed by the Nazis and forced to impersonate a war resistance leader.  Generale della Rovere, directed by Roberto Rossellini, won the Golden Lion as Best Film at the 1959 Venice Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay.  The film, which has a running time of 90 minutes, will be presented in Italian with English subtitles.

Dr. Carla Bossola, a lecturer sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will discuss De Sica’s career and introduce the film.  A graduate of Rome’s Sapienza University, Dr. Bossola is currently teaching Italian film, language and literature at Washington University and St. Louis University.

Tickets are $4 general admission, $3 for members of The Saint Louis Art Museum or the Italian Club of St. Louis, and may be purchased at the door.