About - FAQ
UNICO was founded on October 10, 1922 in
Waterbury, Connecticut. A group of 15 men, led by Dr. Anthony P. Vastola,
came together to create what has become a very special and very proud
organization. It was Dr. Vastola's dream to create an Italian American
service organization to engage in charitable works, support higher
education, and perform patriotic deeds.
In World War I, the Italian American community represented only four
percent of the entire United States population. Although 12 percent of
all Americans casualties during this conflict were Italian-American, the
loyalty of Italian Americans was questioned. The Sacco-Venzetti trial
was fueled by prevailing sentiment that Italian Americans remained loyal
to their former homeland. Our founders wanted to insure that everyone
understood that Italian Americans loved their adopted country and held
no allegiance to their native land save traditions and culture.
The name UNICO was selected as best representing the nature and the
character of this fledging organization. The name is the Italian word
for unique, one of a kind. The founders believed that UNICO would be the
only one of its kind because it placed service to the community before
and above fraternity. At the same time they hoped that the rest of
society would come to know and understand the real contributions of
Italian-Americans to our way of life. Its sole purpose was to unite all
Italian Americans and motivate them to become more civic minded. In
order to accomplish this, members would have to understand that they
would have to make sacrifices, not for personal gain, but for service to
others. In the ensuing years UNICO became an acronym that stood for
Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity.
UNICO and the National Civic League Merge
Immediately following World War II, interest was
created in merging two disparate groups who held a common idea and
common vision; the creation of a truly National Italian American
organization with chapters from Massachusetts to Oregon. This second
group was known as the National Civic League, with a very strong
presence in the Midwest.
Antonio R. Rizzuto was the founder and driving force behind the creation
of the National Civic League. He was a very successful contractor,
influential business and civic leader who resided in Omaha,
Nebraska. His business took him to many other cities in the great
heartland of America.
On May 27, 1931, Rizzuto called a meeting of prominent Americans of
Italian heritage in his native city of Omaha. The purpose of this
gathering was to discuss the need to organize Italian-Americans into a
national body or group. The underlying theme or purpose for this group
would be to promote service to the community or civic work as it was
called. The ultimate goal was to make all of its members better
American citizens.
A Promise that Continues to be Delivered
Since the inception of UNICO National in 1947,
thousands of people and individual charities have been the recipients of
UNICO's charity. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for
national and international disasters. Typical of this generosity was
the gift of $500,000 to create 10 buildings in Italy to house those
suffering form the ravages of an earthquake disaster. UNICO's latest
disaster relief effort was raising $30,000 for victims of the September
11th Twin Towers attack. One of the recipients was Windows of Hope
which provided relief to those who worked in the restaurants and food
services located in the World Trade Center.
Each year, UNICO Foundation and UNICO National Chapters donate
approximately $1 million to various charities. Scholarships continue
to be the primary focus, as roughly one-third of all monies raised goes
to deserving students from chapter locations throughout the chain.
UNICO National has funded major research in Cooley's Anemia and Mental
Health. Through its association with the Jimmy Valvano Foundation it
has funded several $50,000 grants to help find a cure for Cancer. These
worthy areas continue to receive generous support from the chapters and
its members for these worthy causes.
UNICO National has taken a lead position in combating the negative
stereotype of Italian Americans, in the electronic and the print
media. The Anti-Bias committee is recognized as one of the leaders in
this important battle. Through its efforts UNICO has become recognized
as a true leader in this important battle.
It is in higher education that UNICO National has established itself as
a true leader of the Italian-American community. In 1986 the UNICO
Districts and Chapters were asked to support the creation of the first
Endowed Chair in Modern Italian History, in the United States, at the
University of Connecticut. After an arduous campaign this small group
was responsible for raising over $250,000 toward the $1 million
objective. The campaign was completed in 1992 and Professor John Davis
was appointed to be the first Noether Chair in Modern Italian History.
On March 10, 1993, the Chancellor of Seton Hall, Father Edward Peterson,
asked UNICO National to partner with the University to create a Chair in
Italian Studies. This $1 million campaign was completed five years
later and Professor William Connell became the first La Motta Chair in
Italian Studies. As a result, in the enthusiastic response by the New
Jersey membership and community, a separate endowment was created to
provide an Italian Library Collection. The Valente Collection
represents one of the richest of its kind in the United States and
supports the activities of the La Motta Chair.
At the 1994 National Convention, a third $1 million Chair campaign was
launched. This one represented a partnership with California State
University - Long Beach. In 1999, Professor Carlos Chiarenza was
appointed as the first Graziadio Chair in Italian Studies.
Concurrent with the Graziadio Chair campaign was yet another unique
endeavor. It was a creation of a committee to raise $300,000 to fully
endow a Fellowship in Italian-American History. The first DeDominicis
Fellowship was conferred on Annette Pontilo in 1998 who is currently
conducing research on her doctoral thesis.
The trend continued in 1998 when a group led by the Brookhaven, New York
Chapter started the campaign to create a Chair in Italian Studies at
SUNY - Stony Brook. This $1.5 million campaign is in its final stages.
In January 2001 a campaign for a Chair in Italian Studies was formally
launched at Montclair State University in New Jersey. This effort has
met with a great deal of interest and support from the UNICO Foundation
and in New Jersey Chapters. This campaign is progressing well and is
anticipated to be successfully completed.
All of these charitable efforts have more then met the objectives of our
founder Dr. Vastola and the vision of Antonio Rizzuto. UNICO continues
to provide the scholarships and the scholars to elevate the awareness of
the real Italian and Italian-American contribution to our way of
life. It also continues to lead in the battle against discrimination.