August 2021
CASA SPOTLIGHT
IMPORTANT: Please keep the foundation updated with current contact information 
for you and your spouse, including email addresses and cell phones. 
To provide updates, call 718-273-7660 or email. 
Save the dates! 
Sat, Oct. 23 and Sun, Oct. 24
Save the dates – and support Casa with a sponsorship! This year’s Festa & Motori D’Italia will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23 from noon to 6 pm, and Sunday, Oct. 24 from noon to 5 pm. We encourage you to renew your past sponsorship or support this popular event with a new sponsorship! Please email Joyce@casa-belvedere.org or call the office at 718-273-7660. We are also looking for volunteers who can save those dates to help us at the event. Grazie!
• Making Progress •
The installation of the Mitsubishi Electric Trane heating and air conditioning systems has begun. Workers installed the high-efficiency outdoor condensers and will be running lines throughout the second floor, third floor, and elevator/stair tower extension. Mitsubishi Electric’s technologically advanced split air conditioners and heat pumps can provide superior comfort, lower energy costs, zero emissions, and ultra-quiet heating and air conditioning in any climate. 
Capital Campaign “10 Years of Casa Belvedere”
Our target goal is $600,000 to complete the upper levels.
We have reached over 70 percent of our goal. 

Total Member Donations to Date = $319,775
Giving Tuesday Donations = $1650
Facebook Giving Tuesday Match = $702
NYC LPC Grant = $35,000
Mike & Joyce Pucciarelli Generous Match = $71,425
GRAND TOTAL TO DATE = $428,552
• Casa News •
Nonno’s Garden is producing an abbondanza of beautiful vegetables, thanks to our devoted volunteers who water even on the hottest days, pull weeds, and gather the ripe produce. The Belvedere Club has served fresh zucchini flowers several times as a nightly special. Click here to learn more about the history of Nonno's Garden.

Mary Mennitti from The Italian Garden Project recently visited Casa Belvedere to see and learn more about Nonna’s Garden. She captured and documented the garden in photos and on film, and interviewed several volunteer gardeners on their experience as holders and practitioners of traditional Italian gardening knowledge. She also spoke with staff about the planning and building of the garden over the course of this year. Mary was impressed with the scale and productivity of Nonno’s Garden and said she has not seen anything like it in her experience visiting Italian American gardens in the United States. She was treated to a special lunch prepared by the Belvedere Club using items picked from the garden that morning. Click here to watch a Casa Coffee Chat video featuring Maria discussing her project. 
If you know high school students (sophomores through seniors) whose schools require volunteer hours, please tell them about volunteering at Nonno’s Garden. The experience provides valuable lessons in gardening skills, and helps preserve our Italian heritage that connects people to food, family and the earth.
New Parking Rules: In order to better accommodate vehicle parking at Casa Belvedere, the foundation has reached an agreement with Notre Dame Academy (NDA) to use their parking lot - but only for valet service. Self-parking at NDA is no longer permitted. In a true spirit of cooperation, NDA President Kate Jaenicke has graciously worked with us to make this new agreement. For insurance reasons, only valet parking staff will be allowed to bring vehicles to the NDA parking lot, effective immediately. 

Although some members and event guests have self-parked at Notre Dame Academy for many years, this will no longer be allowed. Please respect these new rules and cooperate with this new policy. If you have any questions, kindly call the Foundation office at 718-273-7660. 
• Upcoming Events at Casa •
Update to September Event
Italian Music and Dinner 
By popular demand, we present another evening of Italian Music and Dinner! “Growing Up With Italian Music” will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 7, coordinated by Lou Barrella. Join us for an evening of fine outdoor dining, live entertainment by Antonio Guarna, and a video presentation by Lou Barrella. – and probably more spontaneous dancing! The event runs from 6:30 to 10 pm; doors open at 6 pm. The four-course dinner includes wine and soft drinks. Cost is $75 for members, $85 for non-members. PRESALE FOR MEMBERS ONLY UNTIL 8/30!!
Click here to register - these programs sell out quickly!  
Here are some unsolicited comments about the last opera dinner: 
"It was a wonderful night. I cannot say enough about Casa Belvedere …
it surely is a gem on Staten Island. I am looking forward to the movie night and I already
signed up for the night of Italian music on the 17th. Thank you for organizing all of the wonderful
events and I look forward to attending many more in the future. Have a great day"
~ Donna F. 

"This was a wonderful event. Everything was perfect and
we look forward to our next visit to Casa Belvedere!"
~ Best, Dina & Joseph A. 
Cinema Sotto Le Stelle: Casa’s movies “under the stars” have been very popular this summer! Guests are enjoying fine Italian films (with English subtitles if necessary) and the snack bar now features pizza prepared in Cucina Colavita, and Flagship Brewing Co. beer. This year, guests do not have to bring their own chairs, and parking is on Casa Belvedere’s property, coordinated by wonderful volunteers - look for them in their reflective vests! Click here to register for upcoming films. 
The season’s first film was Team Marco. The movie’s director, Julio Vincent Gambuto, made a special appearance to speak about the movie and answer some questions. Many scenes were filmed in Staten Island, and some of the movie’s actors were in attendance. 

Here are some unsolicited comments after opening night: 
This was wonderful. I enjoyed it immensely. - Sharon A. 
It was a wonderful film, and we had a lovely time. - Lisa K. 
• Belvedere Club Happenings •
Join us for a
Labor Day Party with Staten Island's premiere DJ Alex!

This is one event you do not want to miss! Delicious BBQ + Porchetta + Great Jams with DJ Alex happening from 5:00 - 9:00 PM on SUNDAY, SEPT 5, 2021. MEMBERS call us today to book your reservation at
(718) 420 - 6040.
• Casa Belvedere’s Blog •
The Basics of Bocce - Interesting facts about the popular game of bocce. 
A Trip Back Home - Casa’s program director, Beatrice Alecci, describes her joyful reunion in Italy.
August 26 is Women’s Equality Day in the United States, and the Italian Cultural Foundation recognizes the influence that Laura Stirn had on women’s rights when she hosted suffrage gatherings at her home – now Casa Belvedere. 
• More News for Casa Members •
The Italian Cultural Foundation is promoting a special Benefit Gala Dinner in New York City on Thursday, Nov. 4, An Inspirational Evening with Giusy Versace, to benefit her charitable foundation Disabili No Limits Onlus. Giusy, who is part of the Gianni, Donatella and Santo Versace fashion designer family, embodies and transmits the values of positivity, optimism and tenacity. She is an entrepreneur, paralympic sprinter in the T43 category, writer, performer, congresswoman, activist and more. To purchase tickets to this event, click here.
Special offer for Casa members! The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce has a partnership with Working Advantage, an employee discount program that can help you save money on tickets, hotels, Broadway experiences, and more. The benefits are extended to Casa members and their employees at no additional cost, granting you access to exclusive savings and special offers not available to the public. This program can save you money on hundreds of travel and entertainment options across the country or closer to home. Working Advantage provides exclusive corporate savings for: 
  • Tickets to the country's top theme parks and most popular shows, including Broadway shows, concerts, and sporting events  
  • Movie tickets 
  • Local restaurants and spas 
  • Top activities and sightseeing excursions in the country's most popular cities 
  • Shopping offers and rental car discounts from top brands 
  • and more!  
Register by clicking here: Working Advantage. Use Company Code: 703907804 
Our newest Reciprocal Club Member is the Arts Club of Washington. Its arts-focused, innovative, and bohemian character provides a unique contrast to the city’s more traditional, all-male private clubs. Click here for a complete list of reciprocal agreements with participating city, golf, athletic and yacht clubs across the US and abroad, as well as the amenities of the ClubCorp Network. 
A reminder that The Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere is a 501(c)(3) public charity. Donations to the capital campaign are fully tax-deductible. Members' annual dues are separate from the capital campaign, but also a tax-deductible donation, earmarked to underwrite our myriad of arts and cultural program offerings. Members' Belvedere Club spends are separate from annual dues and capital campaign donations.