By Ellen Weisberg

On behalf of President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, Italy's Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero bestowed the prestigious Order of the Merit of the Italian Republic (Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) to Joseph V. Del Raso, chairman of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) and Frank Giordano, member of the Foundation's board of directors and the President/CEO of The Philly POPS, during a private ceremony at Villa Firenze in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, July 14, 2015.

At the Ambassador's residence, Del Raso received the Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica for fostering greater relationships and partnerships between Italy and the United States. Giordano received the Cavaliere Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana for his tireless work within Philadelphia's Italian American community and his leadership with the Italian language initiative in that city.

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Source: http://patch.com/