October is Italian Heritage Month; you may or may not be aware of this depending on which media sources you follow. This year, preceding Columbus Day, there was a controversy which wound up spilling into New York’s Columbus Day parade and ignited an unprecedented movement by New York’s still-vibrant Italian American community.

The seemingly well-intentioned campaign spawned by New York City’s First Lady called She Built NYC, which refers to itself as : “a public-arts campaign that honors pioneering women by installing monuments that celebrate their extraordinary contributions to the city and beyond,” wound up waking up a sleeping giant that many in New York forgot was there, Italian American Catholic pride.