Westchester Italian Cultural Center Introduces Itself to Younger Demographic

It was a full house last Thursday night at the Westchester Italian Cultural Center, as over 125 people gathered for a night of pizza and beer—and to learn a little more about what the Tuckahoe-based Center offers local Italian-Americans and Italophiles. 

Hosted by the Center's Young Professional's Group, the event was geared towards those between the ages 21 and 39.

"What we're trying to do is basically create an environment where people within that age bracket—they don't necessarily have to be Italian-American—just anybody who has an appreciation for Italian culture, can get together," he said, "to network, raise money for philanthropic causes and so forth," said Jonathan Giannettino, who at 38, is one of the youngest members on the Center's Board of Trustees.

Giannettino, who lives in Yonkers and grew up in Bronxville, has been on the Board for 5 years, and helps offer a perspective from the younger generation. He said that, initially, young adults weren't as represented at the Center.

But with events like those on Thursday, they're hoping that will change and membership among the age range will increase.

The YPG group itself was created to "give younger adults a sense of ownership and pride about their affiliation with the Center, as a means of keeping Italian culture at the forefront for the next generation," said Center Director, Maria Masciotti, in an email before the event.

And on Thursday, they came from as close by as Eastchester, to as varied as Brooklyn and Manhattan for the event.

Guests mingled in two rooms upstairs, one in which Pleasantville-based Captain Lawrence Brewing Company provided beer, and the other which featured some finger foods.

Downstairs, in the kitchen and wine cellar, guests were presented with wine to taste—an impromptu part of the festivities—and saw how to make pizza, which they then were able to try.

Michele Scicolone, who has authored 15 cookbooks on Italian cooking, was on hand with her husband, Charles, a wine expert, to talk about pizza-making while Matteo Cataldo, from Salerno, Italy who works at Zero Otto Nove on Arthur Ave., in the Bronx made pizza for the crowd.

"We're helping Matteo to present the pizza because he's so busy cooking them," she said.

Those in attendance enjoyed the food and the crowd.

"I think it's a great turnout," said Vincent Violino, who lives in Brooklyn and grew up in Yonkers, "It's really inspiring to see so many young Italian-Americans coming together."

Last year, the YPG hosted a wine tasting event as well as a casino night. They plan to have about 3 events per year, said Masciotti, including another casino night that will be open to all-ages.

The Center itself, which is housed in the Generoso Pope Foundation building in Tuckahoe, and aims to promote Italian culture and lifestyle, has been open since 2007. Various activities occur throughout the year, including language classes for kids and adults, a camp for kids, cooking classes, lectures and film screenings.