The Italian American Civil Rights League (IACRL), a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of Italian American heritage and history, named Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella “Italian American Man of the Year,” during the organization’s annual Christmas celebration and awards ceremony Sunday in the Little Italy section of Manhattan.

The IACRL’s mission is to honor Italian traditions, celebrate Italian American family values and recognize those who contribute to Italian American culture. At the same time, the IACRL works to educate the American people about and fight anti-Italian American bias and persecution, and, above all, to fight anti-Italian American discrimination both through the judicial system and in the public arena, according to a statement issued by the organization.