Background: He was born in Albany and graduated from the University at Albany and went on to earn a master's in business administration. He taught that subject for 32 years at SUNY's Morrisville College. He and his wife Mary live in Albany. He's the founder and president of the American Italian Heritage Association and Museum in Colonie and was knighted by the Italian government in 1994 for his longstanding work in the Italian-American community.

What inspired you to create an organization for Italian Americans?

My father's father, Philip DiNovo, came to the United States in 1901. Later, his wife, my grandmother, came to this country later as did my maternal grandparents, all of them from the same town in Sicily. They had a great influence on my life, but like most young people it was only later that I fully understood that my Italian heritage and culture were a treasure. In 1978, after reading "Blood of my Blood" by Richard Gambino, who is considered the father of Italian-American studies, I put into action a desire to preserve my Italian heritage. I called some fellow professors and we formed the American Italian Heritage Association.