Springfield City Wire

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Paul Picknelly, Honorary Consul General of Italy, welcomed Giovanni Luliano, Mayor of Bracigliano, Italy, a town in the province of Salerno, to Springfield on Wednesday, July 12th.

Mayor Luliano presented Mayor Sarno with a copy of his parents, the late Alfonso and Clara Sarno’s Italian birth certificates, along with a decorative hand-made Italian bowl depicting the beautiful landscape of Bracigliano.  Mayor Sarno gifted Mayor Luliano with a special edition of the ‘On Being Italian: A Story of Food, Family and Faith’ by The Republican to highlight the chronicles of Italians and Italian-Americans in Springfield and Western Massachusetts.        

Mayor Sarno stated, “I want to thank Paul Picknelly who serves as the Honorary Consul General of Italy for our Italian Consulate Office here in Springfield for coordinating this special visit with Giovanni Luliano, Mayor of Bracigliano, Italy.  Being first generation Italian-American, this will be a special visit to me as this is my late parents Alfonso and Clara Sarno’s hometown.  It was a special honor to receive copies of my parent’s Italian birth certificates, a truly touching and heartfelt moment that brought a tear to my eye.  Something I will deeply cherish.  My administration will continue to support enhancing our consulate ties for Italian-American residents not only here in Springfield but all of Western Massachusetts to promote travel, economic development, tourism, education and more.” 

Original source can be found here.