Robert Allegrini, President and CEO of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF), believes Italian Americans can contribute to America’s future not simply by preserving their heritage, but by bringing more of Italy’s values into American life.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Allegrini described his own family history, NIAF’s evolving mission and the importance of maintaining a strong relationship between Italy and the United States at a complicated moment in international affairs.
Allegrini’s Italian roots stretch across several regions. His father’s family had origins in Piedmont, Valle d’Aosta and the province of Viterbo, while his mother, Lida Giometti, was born in Lucca. His maternal great-grandparents left Tuscany for Nevada in the late 19th century, becoming potato farmers in the American West. They married in Virginia City in 1896 – an unusual chapter in the history of Italian immigration, which is more commonly associated with the major cities of the East Coast.
That personal history helps explain Allegrini’s approach to NIAF. He told Corriere that one of his priorities is encouraging Italian Americans, particularly younger generations, to discover the full richness of Italian history and culture beyond food and familiar traditions.
His message is distinctly forward-looking: Italian Americans can help make America better by making it “more Italian,” particularly by promoting the Italian emphasis on family, human relationships and community.
Under Allegrini, NIAF also seeks to reinforce its role as a bridge between Washington and Rome. The organization works across political divisions and counts both Republicans and Democrats among its supporters. Allegrini cited recent examples of bipartisan advocacy, including efforts to preserve the U.S. Consulate in Florence and the collection of signatures from 14 Italian American members of Congress in opposition to tariffs affecting Italian pasta.
Developing future Italian American leaders is another priority. NIAF sends college students to Italy, while young professionals are being introduced to Italian institutions and major forums so that their understanding of modern Italy comes from direct experience rather than stereotypes.
Allegrini’s own career took an unusual route. Before leading NIAF, he spent 35 years in the hospitality industry, including two decades with Hilton and more than a decade overseeing communications for hundreds of hotels across the Americas.
Today, however, his focus is on a different kind of relationship management – strengthening the human, cultural, political and economic ties connecting Italy and the United States, while ensuring that Italian American identity remains relevant to new generations.
