The Advisory Board of New York University's Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò supports the cultural activities of the Casa by the identification of cultural interests, the development of strategies for contact with the American and Italian cultural scene, and suggestions regarding financial support.
The members of the Board are prominent Italian and American personalities in the fields of culture, art, finance, and public service. Baroness Zerilli-Marimò is the Chairwoman of the Board.
Stefano Acunto
Stefano Acunto received both his B.A. and M.A. in classical philology from New York University. He is the president of CINN Worldwide, Inc. Currently, Mr. Acunto sits as a Trustee of the College of Mt. St. Vincent and La Scuola d'Italia, New York, as well as the Chairman of the Italian Academy Foundation and the Westchester Opera Society. Mr. Acunto is the author of Westchester County and the editor of Giobbi Representative Works.
Lawrence E. Auriana
Giovanni Bazoli
Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is Chair of the Department of Italian Studies and Professor of Italian Studies and History of New York University. She received her B.A. in History from the University of California Los Angeles and her Ph.D. in comparative history from Brandies University. She is the author of Fascist Modernities: Italy 1922-45 (Berkeley, 2001, 2004), and the editor of Gli imperi: dall’antichità all’età contemporanea (Mulino, 2009), and (with Mia Fuller) of Italian Colonialism (New York, 2005, 2008). She is currently writing a book entitled Fascism’s Empire Cinema: Histories and Journeys of Italian Conquest and Defeat to be published by Indiana University Press. She has also completed research for Italian Prisoners of War and the Transition from Dictatorship, to be published by Princeton University Press. She has been the recipient of National Endowment for the Humanities, Guggenheim, Getty, Fulbright, and other fellowships, and she has been a visiting Professor in the Department of History at the Ecole Normale Supérieure
Giancarla Berti
Mamdouha Bobst
Mamdouha Bobst, a trustee of New York University and of the NYU School of Medicine Foundation, has spent her life caring for the cultural, medical, and educational needs of people throughout the world. Together with her late husband, Elmer Holmes Bobst, she helped establish NYU’s Elmer Holmes Bobst Library and Study Center. Mrs. Bobst is also president of the Elmer and Mamdouha Bobst Foundation and serves on the boards of several prominent medical institutions throughout the country.
Giovanni Castellaneta
Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta, born in Gravina in Puglia, is the Italian Ambassador to the United States. He holds an advanced degree in law from “la Sapienza” in Rome and pursued further specialization in International Legal Affairs and Economics in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. Prior to his current position, Ambassador Castellaneta was Foreign Policy Advisor of Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and later of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Ambassador to Australia and the Pacific Islands, Special Envoy to Albania for the Italian assistance program, Ambassador of Italy to Iran, Diplomatic Advisor to Treasury Minister Giuliano Amato, Spokesman and Head of the Press and Communications Department and held other positions in Rome as well as other posts abroad including Somalia, Portugal, France, and Switzerland. In 2005, Ambassador Castellaneta was decorated Knight of Grand Cross, the highest honor of the Republic of Italy. He has been bestowed with several foreign decorations, such as "Officier de la Légion d’Honneur". Ambassador Castellaneta is a member of the Board of Directors of Finmeccanica with special powers, on behalf of the Italian Government.
Matilda Raffa Cuomo
Matilda Raffa Cuomo, former First Lady of the State of New York graduated cum laude from St. John's University's Teachers College. As First Lady, she established the New York State Mentoring Program, which evolved into Mentoring USA, a national nonprofit organization. Mrs. Cuomo is the editor of and contributor to the recently released book, The Person who Changed my Life, a compilation of over 75 Prominent Americans recalling their mentors. Currently, Mrs. Cuomo is involved with several prominent non-profit organizations including the American Cancer Society, the Lupus Foundation, and the National Italian American Foundation.
Isabella del Frate Rayburn Eich
Isabella Eich del Frate was born in Rome, Italy and currently resides in New York, where she is an art advisor promoting Italian and European art in the US. She also serves as president of the Murray & Isabella Rayburn Foundation, Trustee of the Strang Cancer Prevention Center, and member of the boards of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Save Venice, Inc., and Teatro alla Scala Foundation, USA.
Dean Richard Foley
Richard Foley is the Dean of New York University's Faculty of Arts and Science and a professor in the Department of Philosophy. He came to NYU from Rutgers University, where he served as the Executive Dean of Arts and Sciences and Dean of the Graduate School. Before coming to Rutgers, Dr. Foley chaired the Philosophy Department at the University of Notre Dame from 1983 to 1990. He received his PhD from Brown University and a BA from Miami University.
Bona Frescobaldi Franceschi Marini
Marchesa Bona Frescobaldi comes from one of the oldest and most prestigious families in Italy, known particularly throughout the world for its production of fine wines. In 1993, she became the founder of the publishing group, Ponte alle Grazie Editrice, which specializes in political and economic issues. The Marchesa is also the president of the consortium for the enhancement of Tuscan olive oil and the Vice President of the environmental association, Italia Nostra. She has been active in the founding of the Friends of La Pietra.
Bunny Grossinger
Long active in community affairs, Mrs. Grossinger served as a New York State Commissioner of Tourism through two administrations. She also served on the New York State Job Training Partnership Council, the U.S. Congressional Tourism Caucus Advisory Board, and the Governors Economic Advisory Board, as well as, the Port Authority Gateway Task Force. In 1981 Mrs. Grossinger received the Travel Industry of America Award for Woman of the Year. In 1984 she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Johnson & Wales University. Mrs. Grossinger is the 2002 recipient of the prestigious Hotel Sales Marketing Association International’s Winthrop W. Grice Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a graduate of Beaver (now Allegheny) College.
Frank J. Guarini
Frank J. Guarini represented New Jersey's 14th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives for 7 terms beginning in 1978. He received his BA from Dartmouth and his JD and Master of Law degrees from New York University School of Law. He later pursued advanced studies at the Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands. During his tour in congress, Mr. Guarini was a member of the Trade Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee and played critical roles in several important initiatives including Free Trade Agreements with Canada, Israel, and Mexico (proposed), the Tokyo and Uruguay rounds of GATT, and the Task Force on Urgent Fiscal Issues. Currently he is the president of the National Italian American Foundation.
Beatrice Holden Guthrie
For thirteen years, Beatrice Guthrie served as Director of Save Venice, Inc., an organization dedicated to the preservation of the art and architecture of Venice. She serves on the board of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, as an Advisory Director of the Metropolitan Opera Association, and was recently elected Vice Regent for the state of New York to George Washington's Mount Vernon.
Katherine Duer LaGuardia
Katherine Duer LaGuardia is a physician in the Department of Obstretrics and Gynecology at Brookdale Hospital and an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at SUNY-Downstate. She studied at American University, George Washington University, and Columbia. Dr. La Guardia has given numerous consultations on women's health issues and has received several prestigious grants. Among other organizations, she sits on the boards of The Italian Welfare League, the Italian Academy Foundation, and LaGuardia Memorial House.
Paolo M. Martino
Paolo Martino was born in Santa Ninfa Sicily and educated in Milan before moving to New York City in 1963. Here he continued his education, studying interior design at Parsons School of Design, and marketing, business, finance, and film at NYU. In 1968, he founded Paolo M., Inc., a full service salon specializing in hair coloring. He has also developed a full line of hair and skin care products under the label "PAOLO".
Dominic R. Massaro
Throughout his career, Dominic Massaro has served as lawyer, jurist, author, and lecturer, as well as Human Rights Commissioner for the city and state of New York. He received the International Dorso Prize for his treatise, Cesare Beccaria, The Father of Criminal Justice: His Impact on Anglo-American Jurisprudence. Judge Massaro has been decorated with the highest honors both from the Holy See and from the Italian Government. He also serves as representative of the American Judges Association to the UN. Currently, he holds the position of Justice in the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Antonio Monda
Antonio Monda was born in Velletri, Italy and currently resides in New York. He teaches in the Film and Television Department of NYU. He writes for La Repubblica and has a column on the Italian edition of Vanity Fair. He has organized exhibitions for the Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art and Lincoln Center. Among his publications: "La Magnifica Illusione", "The Hidden God", "Do you Believe?" and the novel "Assoluzione". He is the co-founder and the artistic director of the Literary Festival "Le Conversazioni". He has directed the film "Dicembre", presented at the Venice Film Festival.
Letizia Brichetto Arnaboldi Moratti
Letizia Moratti received a degree in political science from the University of Milan in 1972. Since then, she has served in various high ranking positions for several prominent organizations, including Banca Commerciale Italiana, Securfin, and RAI. In 1998, she was appointed Executive Chair and Managing Director of News Corp. Europe.
Aniello Musella
Federica Olivares
Federica Olivares received her degree in monetary policy from Milan State University and has studied economics in the US and international politics and economics at the Cini Foundation in Venice. She has been a management consultant for international consulting firms, and is the founder and CEO of the publishing house Edizioni Olivares. Ms. Olivares has served on various boards of commercial, publishing, and women's organizations, and since 1991, has been the president of the Fondation Européenne des Femmes.
Salvatore M. Salibello
Salvatore M. Salibello - born August 21, 1945 in New York City founded Salibello & Broder in 1978 and is the firm’s managing partner. Sal brings more than 40 years of knowledge and professional experience in public accounting to each of his engagements. Prior to founding Salibello & Broder, Sal spent 11 years with Big Four accounting firms where he specialized in providing distinct services to various types of organizations, particularly small businesses and middle market companies. Currently, he sits on the Board of Directors of three publicly traded closed-ended mutual funds for Gabelli Asset Management and Russ Berrie and Company, Inc. where he is the chairman of the audit committee. Sal also sits on the Advisory Board of Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo at New York University. Sal is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has obtained the status of Cavaliere from the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy and held several positions on the Board of Directors of the National Italian American Foundation, and he is currently their Executive V.P. He received his undergraduate degree from St. Francis College and received a Master of Business Administration degree from Long Island University. Sal, his wife, and two children reside in New York City.
Massimo Soncini
Massimo Soncini received a BA in Political Science from York University in Toronto and his MBA in finance from New York University. He began his professional career in the export department of Cucirini Cantoni Coats in Milano, and shortly thereafter moved over to the automobile industry, holding various positions with Alfa Romeo and with Fiat. Since 1974, he has worked for various organizations in the finance industry, gaining progressively greater responsibilities. Currently, he is an independent portfolio manager and a member of the boards and/or managing director of several startup companies.
Giorgio Spanu
Giorgio Spanu lives in New York and is the CEO of Pronto Promo, a promotional marketing company. Former positions include VP and Marketing Director of Logicommunication and Director of Software Distribution at Cetelec. He is a benefactor of La Scuola d'Italia Guglielmo Marconi, The American Craft Museum, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights. He completed his studies in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pisa in 1978.
Priscilla Rattazzi
Francesco Maria Talò
Born on August 16th, 1958, in La Spezia (Italy). He completed his studies in Rome where he attended the Faculty of Law at La Sapienza University. In 1984 he started his diplomatic career and was assigned to the Press Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was then transferred to Tokyo and Bonn. He returned to Rome where he was assigned to a Delegation established to organize the Italian Presidency the European Union and at the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the Office for Relations with Parliament at the Minister’s Cabinet. From 1998 to 2002 he was at the Italian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. From 2002 to 2006 he worked for the Prime Minister’s Office of the Diplomatic Counselor. In October 2005 he was appointed Deputy Diplomatic Counselor of the Prime Minister. From July 2006 to July 2007 he was at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Directorate General for Americas as Head of the South America Desk. Francesco Maria Talò is Cadet Lieutenant in reserve of the Carabinieri Corps. Francesco Maria Talò assumed his post as Consul General of Italy in New York on August 2007.
Giulio Maria Terzi di Sant'Agata
Ambassador Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata is the Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations in New York since August 20, 2008. Prior to this assignment, Ambassador Terzi served at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Deputy Secretary General, Director General for Multilateral Political Affairs and Human Rights, and Political Director. From 2002 to 2004, he was Ambassador of Italy to Israel. From 1993 to 1998, he was in New York at the Italian Mission to the United Nations as First Counselor for Political Affairs and later as Deputy Permanent Representative. Born in Bergamo, Giulio Terzi, earned a degree in Law at the University of Milan, specializing in International Law.
John Sexton
Vito Vincenti
Vito Vincenti earned his A.B and J.D. degrees from Columbia University. He has been a practicing attorney in New York City for over forty years and is the founding partner of Vincenti & Vincenti, P.C. His practice of law has engaged him extensively in international transactions, particularly the representation of Italian business entities, both public and private. He has served for over five years as the chairman of the Tiro a Segno Foundation, the founder of the Visiting Faculty Fellowship in Italian American Culture at New York University.
