We the Italians Ambassador, Charles Marsala, has been chosen to be the Italian Grand Marshall of the 2025 Louisiana Irish-Italian Parade. He holds several national positions in various Italian Heritage Organizations. President: American-Italian Federation of the Southeast; Divisional Vice-President: Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), Italian Sons and Daughters of America ISDA; Area Coordinator for the National Italian American Foundation.

In 2019, he provided “boots on the ground” for the Sons of Italy Social Justice Committee in their quest to have the Mayor of New Orleans apologize for the 1891 Massacre that was funded by the City Council. In 2019, Mayor Cantrell not only apologized, but recognized Italian contributions to the City of New Orleans.  In 2024, a historic marker was erected at the site of the massacre. 

His company, AWE News, has been producing films on the Sicilian Migration to New Orleans which includes the 1891 Massacre of Italians in New Orleans that led to the expansion of Columbus Day Parades and erection of monuments starting in 1892.

Marsala’s 2020 film “Who Killa da Chief?” was runner-up in the NIAF / Russo Brothers national competition. The film explains why the Not-Guilty Verdict on the Italians was accurate and sheds light on seven non-Italians who would have benefited from killing Police Chief Hennessy in 1890.

AWE News has also produced a documentary on Col Francesco de Pinedo’s February 1927 crossing of the Atlantic, which was three months before Charles Lindbergh’s crossing.

Awe News has produced a self-guided tour app for New Orleans Little Palermo and is near completion for one that would allow Sicilian-American to do roots tourism.

The 3.7-mile Parade is March 23^rd in Metairie Louisiana. The Grand Marshals Walk the parade with approximately 200 others. There are over 100 floats in the parade with over 250,000 spectators.

If you would like to walk with the Grand Marshalls sign up at www.LAIrish-Italian.org