Italian American Digest Spring2020DigestFINAL | Page 11

SPRING 2020
I talian A merican D igest
CLUB NEWS
PAGE 11
American Italian Federation of the
Southeast
L
By Charles Marsala
ouisiana
and the
Southeast offer
numerous ways
to maintain our
Italian and Sicilian
heritage. With
approximately
twenty
organizations and
several feast and
national holidays
to celebrate all the
wonderful things
of being Italian
and Sicilian. In
the 1890s several
Societies were
formed to provide
a community for
members. Later
these groups built
the Italian Hall on
The 133 Anniversary of the Contessa Entellina Society Banquet was attended by over 130 people including (left to right) Charles Marsala, Tim
Esplanade Ave. in
Walker, Sal Serio, Pete Lamanna, Kevin Centanni, Claude Todaro, Joe Battaglia, Ralph Abraham, Dianne Abraham, Philip Capitano.
New Orleans.
In the 1930s,
my grandfather,
Charles V. Marsala
Sr. helped organize six clubs
in Northern Louisiana,
some of these were called
the Progressive Men’s
Clubs. The American
Italian Federation of the
Southeast is an umbrella
organization designed to
provide communication
between other member
organizations and represent
the AIFED at the national
level on issues such as
maintaining Columbus
Day.
We would like to re-
open an organization in
Monroe and establish
an organization on the
Northshore. A spring
convention is being
planned. For more
information visit:
www.AIFED.org