When the board of directors at the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum contemplated planning its annual fundraiser luncheon and joined forces to brainstorm ways to ensure its success, thoughts on how to showcase the Rosebank museum’s deep-rooted Italian heritage came to mind.

When it was confirmed that Maria Gabriella Garibaldi and her brother, Alessandro Garibaldi — descendants of Menotti Garibaldi and the son of Giuseppe Garibaldi — would attend, they knew they had succeeded. LiGreci’s Staaten in West Brighton provided the perfect backdrop for the event, where Joseph Sciame, the Sons of Italy Foundation national president, served as master of ceremonies.