History
Our History
At the request of the Democratic National Committee, Italian American leaders in the Clinton-Gore campaign founded the Italian American Democratic Leadership Council in 1993 to serve as the national voice of Italian Americans in the Democratic Party. In 2022, the name was changed to Italian American Democrats.
The organization’s objectives are:
Raise Funds
Raise and contribute campaign funds to Italian American Democratic candidates for Congress and major statewide candidates in every election cycle
Organize Outreach Efforts
Assist Democratic presidential campaigns in organizing and implementing outreach to Italian American voters in the U.S. and abroad
Advocate for Appointments
Advocate for the appointment of Italian Americans by Democratic presidential administrations to Cabinet positions, federal judgeships, ambassadorships, White House and other administration staff positions, and federal boards and commissions
Increase Participation
Recruit Italian American Democrats to participate in campaigns, party-building activities, and public service
National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council
Helped found and continue to lead the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council within the Democratic National Committee
Host Receptions
Host receptions, for Italian American delegates to the Democratic National Convention and for Italian Americans attending inaugural events honoring Democratic presidents
Leadership
Honorary Co-Chairs
The Honorable
Frank J. Guarini
U.S. House of Representatives
NJ-13th
(1979-1993)
The Honorable
Leon Panetta
U.S. Secretary of Defense
(2011-2013)
Officers
Chairman
Joseph Paolino, Jr.
U.S. Ambassador
to Malta
(1998-2001)
Vice-Chairman
Jim Rosapepe
U.S. Ambassador
to Romania
(1998-2001)
Vice-Chairman
John Calvelli
Treasurer
Robert Perna
Secretary
Marilyn DiGiacobbe
Board Members
Stephen R. Aiello
Madison Arcangeli
Peter Barca
U.S. Representative
(Ret.)
Chris Berardini
Linda Carlozzi
Gene & Betsy Conti
Dennis DeConcini
U.S. Senator (Ret.)
Steve Dodd
Richard Fiesta
Arthur Furia
Angelo Genova
Maggi Lazarus
William Meaux
Benjamin Palumbo
Lisa Regnante
Wayne Rogers
Gerald Salemme
Betty Santangelo
Aileen Riotto Sirey
Linda Stasi
Loretta Ucelli
Mary Louise Vitelli
Janice Zarro
Networks and Initatives
Networks
Italian American Next-Gen Network
The Next-Gen Network brings college-age and young professionals together to engage in national politics and to provide connections and support for their personal and professional development.
Initiatives
Women’s Leadership Initiative
The Women’s Leadership Initiative seeks to provide education, training, support, and connections to help Italian American women integrate and articulate the values of their heritage in service and leadership. Through this initiative, we aspire to further extend Italian American values into the Democratic Party, its agenda, public policies, and public service.
Italian American Democrats
2020 K Street NW, Suite 505, Washington, DC 20006
TEL 202-466-1651
EMAIL info@iadlc.org
Paid for by Italian American Democratic Leadership Council,
www.iadlc.org. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s
committee. Contributions or gifts to IADLC are not tax-deductible.
© 2022 Italian American Democratic Leadership Council