At a reception held at the Italian Embassy, the Lido Civic Club of Washington, DC, awarded $60,000 to local Italian-American college-bound and college students. The scholarship amount was matched by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF).
The evening began with welcoming remarks by Francesco Isgro, the Lido Civic club Scholarship Awards Chairman. The Embassy of Italy’s First Counsellor Domenico Bellantone, Extended the greeting on behalf of Italian Ambassador 
Armando Varricchio and welcomed the more than 115 guests to the Embassy’s Piazza Italia. Lido President Vincenzo Fragomeni, extended the welcome on behalf of the Lido Club and recounted how as an recipient of a Lido Scholarship he was able to attend college – the first in his family. Lido Vice-President Rich DiPippo then announced the scholarship recipients. The 2019 winners are:
Domenic Allegra – Domenic is a graduate of Bishop O’Connell High School in Va. His paternal and maternal grandparents emigrated from Sicily and Naples, respectively. He will be a junior at George Mason University.
Bridget Bagileo – Bridget is a graduate of St. Vincent Palloti High School in Md. and will be a senior at Catholic University with a major in Classical Humanities and Italian. Her paternal great-grandparents came from Avellino near Naples.
Cameron Benedetto – Cameron is a graduate of Acellus Academy and will be attending James Madison University where he plans to major in information sciences and technology. His grandfather emigrated from Puglia.
Chiara D’Andrea – Chiara is a graduate of the Sidwell Friends School and will be attending Tufts University where she plans to major in interational relations. Her grandparents came from the Abruzzo and Molise region.
Nina Dorsett – Nina is a graduate of Northern High School in Owings, Md. She will be a sophomore at Catholic University. Her mother was born in Pescara, Abruzzo and her father’s family is from Fiumedinisi, Sicily.
Matthew Fairbanks – Matthew is a graduate of Urbana High School in Md. He will be a sophomore at The Catholic University and plans to major in Electrical Engineering. His great-grandparents emigrated from Lombardia and Campania.
Nicole Fairbanks – Nicole is a graduate of Urbana High School in Md and will be attending the University of Pittsburgh. Her great-grandparents emigrated from Lombardia and Campania.
Gaia Mirien – Gaia is a graduate of Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Md., where she studied AP Italian. This fall she will be a sophomore at the University of Maryland, College Park, with a double major in Communications and Psychology. Her Italian roots are on her maternal side from Vicenza, Veneto.
Patrizia Manziano – Patrizia ia a graduate from Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Va., This fall she will be a sophomore at Notre Dame University, pursuing a major in Neuroscience and Behavior. Her Italian roots on her father’s side are from Salerno, Campania.
Chiara O’Neill – Chiara is a graduate of Fairfax High School in Va. This fall, she will be as sophomore a Drexel University, majoring in mechanical engineering and computer science. Her Italian roots are from Naples, Sicily, Abruzzo, and Molise.
Domenico Toscano – Domenico is a graduate of Magruder High School in Montgomery County, MD, and will be a sophomore at the University of Delaware. He is majoring in finance and is an analyst with the school’s Blue Hen Investment Club. His father was born in Messina, Sicily.
Angelo-Gabriele Tundo – Angelo, who was home-schooled, will be a junior at the University of Maryland this fall. His Italian roots are on his father’s side from the Chieti province in Abruzzo.
Isgro then presented Wheaton High School teacher Paola Scazzoli with the Lido Civic Club Special Appreciation Appreciation Award for her for her outstanding contributions in teaching and promoting the AP Italian Language and Culture courses in the Washington, DC area.
Lido Club Golf Chairman Phil Finelli, then presented a check for $10,000 to the Casa Italiana Language School, whose President Joe Lupo gratefully accepted.
Fr, Ezio Marchetto, Pastor of Holy Rosary Church then gave the benediction before the guests enjoyed a buffet dinner catered by Oro Catering.
Among the sponsors and supporters who made the reception possible, iwere, Damian Gallina and the Buttonwood Financial Advisors, Kristi and Vito Germinario, Paul Biciocchi and Forum Properties, Jerry Truman and the Truman Wealth Management, Enzo Fragomeni and Rich di Pippo and the NFP, John Urciolo and the Takoma Metro Shopping Center, Charles Russo and the Money Mailer and Building Homes for Heroes, Brett Rugo of Rugo Stone, Marco Still a vice president with TTR Sotheby International, Christopher Coccaro with JLL, Frank Guglielmo with Cristanini CBRN, and Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center.
