More than 80 people gathered outside Long Branch City Hall on Friday, October 2, as the Amerigo Vespucci Society joined city and county officials for the annual raising of the Italian flag in celebration of Italian American Heritage Month and the generations of Italian Americans who helped shape Long Branch, Monmouth County and the nation.
Long Branch Mayor John Pallone, a member of the Amerigo Vespucci Society, opened the ceremony by recognizing October as Italian American Heritage Month and reflecting on the historic contributions Italian Americans have made to the city. Pallone, joined by Councilman Glenn Rassas and Councilwoman Dr. Anita Vogt, presented Society President Frank Crupi, Esq., with a Certificate of Recognition from the Mayor and City Council honoring the Society.
AVS Executive Board member Roberto Ferragina chaired the event and served as master of ceremonies.
Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone, Commissioner Deputy Director Dominick “Nick” DiRocco and Commissioner Ross F. Licitra — all members of the Amerigo Vespucci Society — also participated in the ceremony.
Arnone spoke about the significant and positive impact generations of Italian Americans have made throughout Monmouth County. He emphasized that the celebration transcended politics, noting that those gathered stood together not as Republicans or Democrats, but as proud Americans of Italian heritage celebrating a shared history of achievement, sacrifice and perseverance.
One of the most stirring moments of the ceremony came as the Italian national anthem began to play. AVS members Giuseppe Alioto, a Long Branch police officer, and Steve DeBenedictis, a New Jersey State Trooper, slowly raised the Italian tricolor above City Hall as the crowd responded with enthusiastic applause and cheers.
Also attending were U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., who represents New Jersey’s 6th Congressional District and is an AVS member, and Municipal Court Judge Michael Celli, who serves Aberdeen, Matawan and West Long Branch.
In his remarks, Ferragina described the Italian American experience as “truly an American story,” recalling the millions of immigrants who arrived in the United States seeking opportunity and a better life.
“They were proud of where they came from and equally proud of the country they chose to call home,” Ferragina said.
He also reflected on the Italian immigrant experience in Monmouth County, where close-knit Italian American communities took root in Long Branch, Red Bank, Asbury Park and elsewhere. Those immigrants raised families, established businesses and churches, formed mutual aid societies and became an enduring part of the region’s civic and cultural fabric.
The location of the ceremony provided a fitting backdrop. The flag was raised near Long Branch’s Christopher Columbus statue, donated by local Italian immigrants in 1961, while the Amerigo Vespucci Society celebrated an organization founded in Long Branch in 1875 and recognized as the nation’s oldest Italian American mutual aid society.
Following the flag raising, attendees gathered on the steps of City Hall for a commemorative group photograph. Arnone then presented Crupi with a framed proclamation on behalf of the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners recognizing the Society and its 152 years of service.
The proclamation described the annual raising of the Italian flag as “a proud symbol of heritage, unity, perseverance, sacrifice, and community” and paid tribute to generations of Italian immigrants “whose hard work and contributions have enriched Monmouth County and the nation.”
The celebration continued at Johnny Piancone’s Italian Restaurant in Long Branch, where Arnone, DiRocco and Licitra sponsored a Christopher Columbus and Italian Heritage celebration and invited those attending the flag raising to join them for food, refreshments and fellowship.
For the Amerigo Vespucci Society, the ceremony served as both a celebration of Italian heritage and a tribute to generations of immigrants who preserved their traditions while embracing America as their home — a legacy that remains deeply woven into Long Branch and communities throughout Monmouth County.
