HONOREES
Silvana Riggio
Academic & Scientific Distinction Award
Dr. Silvana Riggio is a Clinical Professor, Psychiatry, Neurology, Rehabilitation Medicine at the IcahnSchool of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Internationally
recognized for her work in TBI. She graduated from Torino University, trained in Neurology at Georgetown and in Psychiatry at Weill Cornell. She served as Director of the Epilepsy Program at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. Came to Mount Sinai in 1998. Recognized as a “Master Clinician” and “Master Educator.” She has authored/co-authored over 60 publications and 9 books. She consults for the NFL Player Disability and Neuro-Cognitive Program. She has advised for the DoD and the CDC on TBI management. She was awarded the title of Commendatore of the Stella della Solidarietà Italiana
for service to the Italian community.
Mario di Lonardo
Businessman, Financier, Philanthropist
Mario di Lonardo embodies the values of heritage, perseverance, and community that define the Italian-American experience. Mario was born in Hackensack, NJ, moved to New York City at age two, and proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. This experience strengthened his lifelong commitment to service, discipline, and country before he went on to build a distinguished, three-decades-long career in real estate and hotel management with Helmsley Enterprises, Inc.Now residing on Long Island, Mario is devoted to creating a lasting legacy—one that reflects his deep belief in the power of scholarships, opportunity, and the importance of storytelling in preserving culture across generations. Mario’s philanthropy is led by his passion for Italian language, culture, and education, as well as his enduring love of Italian opera. His connection to his heritage inspires his commitment to La Scuola d’Italia Guglielmo Marconi, where the school champions bilingual education and cultural literacy. Being honored by La Scuola is especially meaningful, as it celebrates the traditions and values that shaped his life from childhood. His generosity also extends broadly, ensuring his legacy will support future generations through institutions such as the Manhattan School of Music, NYU Langone Hospitals, Best Friends Animal Society, Project Hospitality, the Italian American Museum in Little Italy, and the New York State Veterinary Medical Society Education Foundation. Through this work, Mario strengthens education, healthcare, culture, and animal welfare in communities across New York and beyond.
Guy Chiarello
Distinguished Leadership in Business & Finance Award
Guy Chiarello is a distinguished leader in global finance, payments, and technology with more than three decades of transformative impact at the intersection of innovation, technology, and financial services.
He currently serves as Vice Chairman of Fiserv, a world-leading fintech and payments company, where he shapes enterprise-wide AI strategy, technology transformation, and operational excellence.
Previously, he held senior leadership roles as Chief Operating Officer of Fiserv, President of First Data Corporation, and Global Chief Information Officer for both JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, where he spearheaded major strategic technology initiatives across Fortune 500 institutions.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential technology executives in banking and finance, he is considered a key advisor to many leading Silicon Valley companies and CEOs in the industry. He has received numerous accolades, including repeated selection to Institutional Investor’s Top Tech 50, NASSCOM CIO of the Year, and recognition among the world’s foremost CIOs.
A committed philanthropist, he has raised substantial funds for cancer research, children’s education, and healthcare; most recently supporting Capital Health Hospitals of New Jersey, and serving on the boards of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and A Chance in Life. He is a graduate of The College of New Jersey.
John Calvelli
Excellence in Institutional & Foundation Leadership Award
John F. Calvelli is a senior public affairs leader and a prominent figure in the Italian American community. He serves as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs at the Wildlife Conservation Society, a global conservation organization headquartered at the Bronx Zoo where he oversees government relations, communications, and policy initiatives. In 2025, he was elected Chairman of the National Italian American Foundation, further strengthening cultural and institutional ties between the United States and Italy. A lawyer by training, he previously served as the Washington Chief of Staff and counsel to U.S. Congressman Eliot Engel. Mr. Calvelli is also deeply engaged in civic and cultural organizations and founded FIERI, a national Italian American young professional network while still in college. His involvement in U.S.- Italy relations deepened when asked by the U.S. State Department to serve as the U.S. liaison for the 2009 l’Aquila earthquake relief. This work continues today where NIAF is raising funds to assist with Southern Italy’s recovery from the devastation of Cyclone Harry. Because of his contributions to public service and U.S.–Italy relations, he has been honored as a Commendatore of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
SPECIAL GUEST
Julia Fox
Distinguished Alumna
Julia Fox is a New York–based artist, actor, writer, and cultural provocateur. Born in Italy and raised in New York City, she attended La Scuola d’Italia, where her early immersion in art and culture shaped her creative voice. Prior to her breakout role in Uncut Gems, Fox was a working visual artist, known for her raw, confrontational work that explored power, femininity, and survival. Her memoir Down the Drain is a New York Times bestseller. Today, she moves fluidly between film, fashion, and literature, using her own life as both material and critique—always on her own terms.
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Martina Attili
Martina Attili, a Rome-born singer-songwriter born in 2001, began studying singing and dance at the age of six, and at fourteen started composing her own songs on the piano.
Since 2016, she has studied singing privately and attended the vocal and songwriting program at Accademia Spettacolo Italia. After gaining experience in theater and television, in 2017 she participated in Area Sanremo, ranking among the eight winners with her self-written song “Un incubo ogni giorno.”
In 2018, she took part in the twelfth edition of X Factor Italia. The video of her audition, in which she performed the original song “Cherofobia,” later certified gold in 2018 and platinum in 2019, surpassed 26 million views on YouTube, setting an Italian record in the history of the television show.
At the end of 2018, she released her first EP, “Cherofobia,” followed by the Cherofobia Tour in 2019 and a collaboration on Mr. Rain’s single “La somma.” That same year, she released the single “Piccoli eroi,” and in 2020 published her first novel, Baci amari e musica d’autore, with the publishing house Longanesi.
In April 2023, she released the single “Amoreterno,” performed with Michelangelo. She was also part of the cast of Peter Pan – il Musical, which received prestigious awards including the Premio Gassman and the Tre Biglietti D’Oro AGIS. She is currently working on her second book.
In 2024, she released the singles “Malinconia,” “Occhi Blu,” and “Eva e Adamo.” Preceded by the single of the same name, her new album “Signorina Rivoluzione” was released on May 9.
Pierdavide Carone
Pierdavide Carone became known to the general public through his participation in the ninth edition of Amici di Maria De Filippi, where he won the Critics’ Award and placed third overall.
In 2010, he wrote the song “Per tutte le volte che…”, with which Valerio Scanu won the Sanremo Music Festival. That same year, he released his debut album, “Una canzone pop” (certified Double Platinum), which reached number one on the FIMI charts, driven by the lead single “Di notte” (Gold record).
This was followed by the albums “Distrattamente” and “Nanì e altri racconti,” produced by Lucio Dalla and presented at the 2012 Sanremo Music Festival, where he performed alongside Lucio Dalla with the song “Nanì.”
After releasing several singles, his fourth album, “CASA,” was released on May 28, 2021.
The year 2024 began with a new label, Zoo Dischi, and the release on May 3 of the new single “Carla e la Credenza.” This was followed by a summer tour that saw him perform in numerous Italian squares and venues. The first part of his fifth album, “CARONE,” was released on October 25, 2024, and presented live in Milan and Rome.
