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6 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Joe Zisa
Meet the new president of UNICO’s Wayne chapter
WRITTEN BY RICARDO KAULESSAR
J
HE SAYS THAT UNICO WAS
ORIGINALLY CREATED TO
DISPEL STEREOTYPES.
“The reason UNICO was created
[in 1922] was to show Italians in a
different light rather than [as the]
mafia, and all this other stuff,” he
says. “As a third generation Italian-
American, I’ve seen the gradual
development of my Italian culture
from when my grandparents
immigrated. I feel my perspective is
quite different from those of our first
and second generation members.”
HE PLANS TO RECONNECT MEMBERS
WITH THEIR ITALIAN HERITAGE.
Zisa believes that his branch of
UNICO has drifted a bit from the
Italian heritage aspect of the
organization. “Since we are an
Italian-American charitable group,
one thing we would like to do is to
refocus on celebrating each member’s
uniqueness,” he says.
In addition to regular Italian-
themed events such as Heritage Day,
10
SPRING 2019 WAYNE MAGAZINE
their generosity as well, including the
Wayne Food Bank, the Juvenile
Diabetes Association and the Breast
Cancer Walk.
the spaghetti and meatballs dinners,
bocce ball tournaments, and
Carnevale, he intends to highlight
and honor a few members during
monthly meetings. They’ll share
a personal experience, family
traditions, and perhaps “a delicious
Italian recipe,” he says. “This will
allow our members to reconnect
on a deeper level.”
FOR ZISA, SERVICE BEGINS
ON THE LOCAL LEVEL.
“Recently, we were able to help a
Wayne family with whom I had a
personal childhood connection,” he
says. “We were afforded the opportu-
nity to financially help this family in
their time of need.” Local high school
seniors have received scholarships
from UNICO; a number of organiza-
tions and causes have benefited from
HE LIKES HOW WAYNE FEELS
LIKE A SMALL TOWN
“I have resided in the Wayne area
my entire life, [with] 43 years in
Wayne,” Zisa says. “What kept me
here is that I love the town. My years
in the schools were great. I actually
grew up in Lionshead Lake [an incor-
porated community in Wayne]. When
people ask where I grew up, I say,
‘The Lake.’ Now I live at Pines Lake.
You know Wayne is pretty big, but it
still has that small town feel. We
know each other, and we try to help
each other. It’s a unique town.”
UNICO GROUP MEMBERS FEEL
LIKE FAMILY TO HIM
“While growing up in an Italian
household, both my grandparents
and parents have reinforced the
importance of treating one with
kindness and to promote the
common good,” says Zisa. “I feel
our Wayne UNICO group members
have become an extended part of my
family, and this camaraderie greatly
enhances this experience for me.”
ZISA CAN EXPLAIN THE
UNICO ACRONYM
“Each letter has a meaning,” he
says. “U is for unity, N is for neigh-
borliness, I is for integrity, C is for
charity and O is for opportunity.” ■
oe Zisa is the new president
of the Wayne branch of
UNICO, the nation’s larg-
est Italian American service
organization headquartered
in nearby Fairfield. He has
been a member of the Wayne UNICO
since 2011. A native of Wayne, Zisa,
58, is the co-owner of Superior Glass
and Metal in Wyckoff. He still lives
in his hometown with his wife, and is
the father of two adult children.