newletter

ITALIAN AMERICAN MARCHING CLUB

FINAL 2010 PARADE NEWSLETTER

___________________________________________________________________________

CALLING ALL LEGION COMMANDERS!!

We need Legion Commanders to help oversee the line-up of our parade. This is a very important position. Many of our Board Members served as Legion Commanders prior to being elected to the Board. If you have previously served as a Legion Commander or if you are interested in serving as a Legion Commander, please contact Board Member Joey Cannizzaro at (504)382-0770 or at joey@exhibittransfer.com. You can also see Joey at our parade meetings.

___________________________________________________________________________

LET'S HAVE A SAFE CELEBRATION!!!

As usual, the Italian American Marching Club will strictly enforce all safety precautions in order to ensure that all of our Maids, members, parade participants, and spectators enjoy a fun and safe parade. Everyone's safety and welfare is of the utmost importance to our organization.

All members must start and finish the parade with their respective legions and chariots. Members are to remain with their designated parade group. Members are never to march with the floats and/or Maids. Additionally, members are never to march behind the Fire Truck at the end of the parade. Any and all members who become intoxicated or cause any type of disturbance during the parade will be removed from the parade. All of our members are asked to keep an eye out for their fellow marchers. If you need any assistance, the organization's officers and/or the police are prepared to help.

Additionally, all of the drivers in our parade are prohibited from consuming any type of alcoholic beverage prior to and during the parade. Any driver found drinking prior to or during the parade will be immediately removed from his/her vehicle – no exceptions.

___________________________________________________________________________

RENEWAL TIME TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS

Each parade season you can advertise your business in the Business Card Directory of our newsletters for only $100.00. We send our newsletters to over 700 members. We also post our Business Card Directory on our official websites. We will renew our Business Card Directory immediately following our 2010 parade. If you are currently on our Business Card Directory, it's time to renew. If not, it's time to get onboard! For more information concerning our Business Card Directory, please contact George Cortello at (504)891-8573 or (504)831-2458.

___________________________________________________________________________

IAMC WEBSITES

Please visit our websites at www.italianamericanmarchingclub.org, www.italianamericanmarchingclub.com, or www.italianclub.org. Add these websites to your Favorites to make sure you have access to our organization's history, benefits of membership, photographs, recent newsletters, and contact information. There is even an Application for Membership which can be printed so your friends can easily join our organization.

___________________________________________________________________________

DATES TO REMEMBER

February 24, 2010 - Second 2010 Parade Meeting

February 28, 2010 - 2010 IAMC Maid Media Presentation

February 28, 2010 - 2010 IAMC Daughter-Father/Grandfather Luncheon

March 3, 2010 - Third 2010 Parade Meeting

March 5, 2010 - 2010 IAMC St. Joseph's Pasta Party

March 5, 2010 - 2010 IAMC Honoree Dinner

March 6, 2010 - 2010 St. Joseph's Parade and Gala

New Orleans Tuxedos, Inc. 4959 West Napoleon Avenue, Metairie, LA

(504)486-5309 www.neworleanstuxedos.com

J & L Formal Wear 931 Westwood Dr., Marrero, LA

(504)340-4544

Parade Day - March 6, 2010 Remaining 2010 Parade Meetings February 24 and March 3

The final two parade meetings before the 2010 St. Joseph's Parade will be held on Wednesday nights at the meeting hall of our merchandise supplier – Beads by the Dozen. Beads by the Dozen is located at 331 Edwards Avenue between Jefferson Highway and the I-10. The meeting hall is a dark green building on the first driveway next to the railroad tracks. These meetings are for members only. Wives and girl friends should not attend these meetings.

We will distribute merchandise beginning at 7:00 p.m., and our meetings will start at 8:00 p.m. sharp. Please note that you will need separate checks for your membership dues, your throws, and any tickets you wish to purchase. Mark these meetings on your calendars! Make sure your paisanos do the same!!

2010 GRAND MARSHAL DAVID GRECO

Entrepreneur, chef, and on-air personality, David Greco's story is similar to most people of Italian decent. It is one from humble beginnings to living out the American Dream. David's family has been in the Bronx, New York's "Real Little Italy", since his grandfather opened a butcher shop on Arthur Avenue in 1922. David grew up under the tutelage of his father, Michele Greco, at the famous Mike's Deli in the Arthur Avenue retail market and ultimately took the reins from him in the mid 1990's. David is the proprietor of Mike's Deli / Arthur Avenue Caterers (also located at Yankee Stadium); The Little Trattoria in the Bronx; and his own full line of private label products that include cured meats, cheeses, olive oils, vinegars, tomato sauces, and pastas.

David Greco has been prominently featured on the Foodnetwork's "Paula's Party", "Road Tasted", "Emeril Live", and "Throwdown with Bobby Flay". The Foodnetwork describes David Greco as the "Italian Food Expert". A few years ago, David began making the pasta con le sarde for our St. Joseph's Pasta Party. He truly understands and shares the passion and pride that we have in our Italian heritage. David is a great guy! We look forward to having David lead our parade.

We will also have our Honorary Parade Marshal - Lou Cordileone - riding with us again in this year's parade. Finally, as usual, several local and state officials will be participating in our celebration.

2010 CAESAR

DR. WILLIAM ST. JOHN LACORTE

We are honored to have Dr. William St. John LaCorte return for the fourth time as our Caesar. Dr. LaCorte is a nationally respected physician who specializes in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics in the Greater New Orleans Area. He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Tulane University School of Medicine. He is married to Mrs. Karen Lynch LaCorte, R.N., M.N. Dr. and Mrs. LaCorte have four children. Dr. LaCorte is very active in the Italian-American community in Louisiana and in his native New Jersey. We look forward to Dr. LaCorte's reign. Hail Caesar!

2010 IAMC QUEEN

NOEL ALEXANDRA CANNIZZARO MARTIN

The Italian American Marching Club is proud to present its 40^TH Anniversary's 2010 Queen, Ms. Noel Alexandra Cannizzaro Martin. Ms. Martin is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Martin and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Cannizzaro, Sr. Ms. Martin has been a Maid in the Italian American Marching Club's St. Joseph's Parade for 13 years, and she is honored to now preside over our celebration of St. Joseph. Ms. Martin is currently a senior at St. Scholastica Academy in Covington, Louisiana. After graduating from St. Scholastica Academy, Ms. Martin will pursue a career in fashion design in Paris and New York.

SAFETY IN THE FRENCH QUARTER

We want you to focus on celebrating St. Joseph's Day with your paisanos and your family on March 6, 2010. We are taking every action possible to ensure your safety during the parade and the safety of the parade spectators. The New Orleans Police Department has advised us that the French Quarter will be as safe (or safer) than it has ever been for this year's St. Joseph's Parade. As usual, our organization will meet with the New Orleans Police Department prior to the parade to ensure that the necessary officers are present in our parade and along our parade route!

__________________________________________________________________________

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2010

MEDIA MAID PRESENTATION / FATHER-DAUGHTER LUNCHEON

The annual Media Maid Presentation will be held on February 28, 2010 - the Sunday prior to our St. Joseph's Parade - from 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The presentation will be held at the Piazza D'Italia in New Orleans. This is your opportunity to see our beautiful Maids prior to the parade. Bobby Lonero will entertain us, and refreshments will be served.

Later on the afternoon of Sunday, February 28, 2010, we will host a Father (Grandfather) - Daughter (Granddaughter) Luncheon. This luncheon will be set for 3:00 p.m. at Salvatore's Ristorante in Metairie, Louisiana. The luncheon is open to only the Maids and their fathers and/or grandfathers. Maids will dine for free. Fathers and/or grandfathers will dine for only $20.00 per person. We always make sure to have a wonderful menu for this special event. If you have any questions regarding the Father (Grandfather) - Daughter (Granddaughter) Luncheon, please contact Marlo Vacarella Christensen at (985)674-7742.

___________________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010 PASTA PARTY

On Friday, March 5, 2010, we will have our annual St. Joseph's Pasta Party at 12:00 noon at Kabby's located in the New Orleans Hilton Hotel Riverside. During this event, our Grand Marshal, our Honorary Parade Marshals, our Queen, and our Caesar will be presented to the public. We then present the world's largest bowl of pasta con le sarde. There is also plenty of music and wine. Join us for this special free event. It's a great way to start our weekend celebration!

___________________________________________________________________________

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010 HONOREE DINNER

Our St. Joseph's Honoree Dinner will be held on Friday, March 5, 2010 at the New Orleans Hilton Hotel Riverside. There will be a cash bar cocktail reception from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Dinner will be served at 8:00 p.m. The Hilton Hotel Riverside always provides a wonderful dinner, and we will make sure that our meal is accompanied by fabulous Italian wines. Bobby Lonero will provide classic Italian music throughout the evening. Tickets for the dinner are $50.00 per person. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet and dine with our Grand Marshal, our Caesar, and our Queen. There is always plenty of food, wine, music, and fun. Please contact George Cortello at 891-8573 or 831-2458 to purchase your tickets.

___________________________________________________________________________

SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010 PRE-PARADE PARTY

We are still in the process of finalizing the location of our 2010 Pre-Parade Party. We will confirm the location of the Pre-Parade Party at our upcoming parade meetings. The party will be open to members and their ladies at 3:00 p.m. This year's party will feature fantastic food from our favorite area restaurants - Chef Marc Gilberti's Italian sausage with onions and peppers, pizza, Italian meatballs, pasta salad, daiquiris, Italian wines, beer, and Coca-Cola soft drinks. You can even meet our Grand Marshal at the party. All ladies must have a ticket. Tickets can be obtained at the parade meetings. Members are encouraged to come early in order to pick up their secret badges and flower canes. Extra throws and beads can also be purchased at that time.

___________________________________________________________________________

SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2010 POST-PARADE GALA

As usual, we will have our St. Joseph's Gala and Maid Presentation immediately following the parade at the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel. We will have a great band, and, of course, Bobby Lonero will do his Louis Prima routine. We may also have a few other guest singers. There will be muffulettas and delicious Italian cookies for all.

Tickets to our St. Joseph's Gala and Maid Presentation purchased prior to March 6, 2010 are just $40.00 per person, and tables of ten (10) are $400.00. Tickets purchased on March 6, 2010 are $45.00 per person. For information concerning the St. Joseph's Gala and Maid Presentation, please contact George Cortello at 891-8573 or 831-2458. Please make sure to see Joe Cannizzaro at any of our upcoming parade meetings to review available tables and to purchase tickets. We strongly suggest that you purchase your tickets and tables at the parade meetings in order to obtain the best seating available.

___________________________________________________________________________

RESERVATIONS AT THE HILTON

We have once again made special arrangements with the Hilton Hotel to obtain special discount prices for the weekend of our celebration. However, only a limited number of rooms have been allotted. Therefore, it is strongly suggested that you contact the Hilton Hotel Reservation Desk at (504)561-0500 now in order to ensure your reservations.

___________________________________________________________________________

ANNUAL DUES AND NEW MEMBERS

Please note that your 2009-2010 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE NOW DUE! As you all are well aware, we have maintained the same membership dues schedule for the past several years. However, like everything else these days, the costs associated with our parade have risen over the years. While we must now raise our membership dues, we do so with you in mind. We have made sure that our dues remain affordable to all who wish to share in our celebration of St. Joseph.

Our new membership dues schedule has been revised as follows:

$75.00 if paid on or before December 31, 2009;

$85.00 if paid from January 1, 2009 through March 5, 2010; and

$100.00 if paid on Parade Day – March 6, 2010.

We have enclosed a self-addressed envelope to make it easy for you to send in your dues today. Please remit your check or money order made payable to "Italian American Marching Club" today. Now is the time to take advantage of the benefits of our organization. If you know former members, invite them back. If you know potential new members, invite them to join. We have also enclosed an Application for Membership for your convenience. Please feel free to make copies of this application for returning and/or new members.

___________________________________________________________________________

PARADE DRESS

The dress for our parade is a black tuxedo with black socks and black shoes. If you need to rent a tuxedo, visit our friends at New Orleans Tuxedos, Inc. or J & L Formal Wear.

___________________________________________________________________________

PARADE THROWS, BEADS, AND FLOWER CANES

The only beads allowed in our parade are our IAMC tri-color and special beads. No other beads are allowed. Our income is based on the nominal membership dues and the income derived from the sale of our official throws and flower canes. Thus, our organization survives on our members purchasing official IAMC throws. Without the member's generous cooperation in purchasing official throws (and lots of them), we will not be able to remain in existence. We urge all members to purchase only authorized throws and flower canes from our club. We have included a copy of our 2010 Merchandise Order Form in this newsletter for your review. Your help, cooperation, and purchases are greatly appreciated.

___________________________________________________________________________

GODFATHER LEGION

All members interested in riding in the parade in a convertible as a "Godfather", please contact Peter Gilberti at (504)458-2791. You can also see Peter at the upcoming parade meetings . You must provide your own driver and convertible. You must also present your insurance policy on said vehicle with minimum coverage of $100,000.00. The cost to enter the convertible in the parade is $400.00. Each convertible can hold up to three "Godfathers" plus the driver. No convertible will be allowed in the parade without a special Italian American Marching Club sticker applied to the windshield. Any convertible seen in the parade without the sticker will be removed and detained until after the parade.

___________________________________________________________________________

FIRE TRUCK LEGION

Board Member Dr. Joseph Cusimano will once again be organizing and overseeing the Fire Truck Legion in this year's parade. HOWEVER, ALL MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN THE FIRE TRUCK LEGION MUST HAVE THEIR IAMC DUES PAID BY THE LAST MEETING – MARCH 3, 2010. NO MEMBERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR THE FIRE TRUCK LEGION ON THE DAY OF THE PARADE. Dr. Cusimano will collect the Fire Truck Legion dues at our meetings. He will NOT be accepting ANY applications to the Fire Truck Legion after March 3, 2010!

___________________________________________________________________________

PARADE ROUTE FOR THE FLOATS AND MAIDS FOR 2010!

Due to the need for our Maids to arrive at the Hilton Hotel in time to prepare to be introduced at our St. Joseph's Gala, we will employ slightly different parade routes for our floats and for our marchers. Below is the 2010 IAMC parade route for the floats and Maids. The floats and Maids will actually encompass the first part of our parade. They will start the parade at Canal Street and Charters at 6:00 p.m. The marchers will then follow. The only difference between the route for the floats and Maids and the route for the marchers is that when the floats and Maids turn onto St. Ann, they will proceed to Decatur Street and back to the Hilton Hotel instead of turning onto Royal Street like the marchers.

___________________________________________________________________________

PARADE ROUTE FOR MARCHERS FOR 2010!

We understand that our marchers prefer to stay in the busier parts of the French Quarter longer. The 2010 parade route for the marchers will begin on Canal Street and Charters after the floats and Maids pass. The route that we have implemented for the marchers is as follows: