NY's Italian-American Community Aids Earthquake Victims

After an earthquake in central Italy has left over 200 dead, injured hundreds, and made thousands homeless, New York's Italian-American community is mobilizing to lend a hand. Queens College's Maria Fosco told NY1, "The towns there are very old towns, medieval towns. These are old Roman cities, they're not equipped to handle earthquakes," which is why Italian-American Museum president Dr. Joseph Scelsa said, "They will be devastated. The housing will not hold up. We know that people will be homeless as they were in 1980. I worked on the relief fund with Mario Cuomo at the time when he was lieutenant governor. We sent aid over to Italy and we know we're going to have to do that again." (NY1 has details on donations to the IAM.) According to the American Red Cross, it is "ready to provide further assistance if requested. The Italian Red Cross has not yet asked for international assistance."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on April 7, 2009 10:32 AM

Comments [rss]

schizofriendly

Everybody knows they will one day die, but few imagine — for real — that they will ever be homeless.

valeriob

Over 180+ people have been found dead already, at least 40 unidentified victims around 35 dispersed. 60.000+ have been evacuated, 20.000 are currently homeless.

For Fundraising, please go to http://www.mediafriends.it/, belonging to the Mediaset national media Group.

For US-based donors: https://www.niaf.org/relief/Relief_info.asp

sexisicilian

What is wrong with some people? Unfortunately,it is always the wrong people who die ... the a-holes live forever

blablanyc

The earthquake should have been further south so it could wipe out the Calabrese.

starrygordon

I didn't know this web site attracted third-graders.

valeriob

For those of you on Facebook, the group for relief is here: http://tinyurl.com/c5cqnr

Pictures on Digg here: http://digg.com/d1o4Qe

And finally, the United States' response to hundreds dead and tens of thousands homeless (50,000 USD) here: http://tinyurl.com/djt7do

valeriob

You wouldn't expect much else from blabla.

Indifference is key here.

jchez

I don't think that most third graders think like psychopaths.

thelexiphane

During the week leading up to Columbus Day, there was an interesting exhibit in Vanderbilt Hall in GCT about the 1908 Messina Straits earthquake. Its epicenter was between Sicily and Calabria and the quake, along with the resultant tsunami leveled dozens of towns and claimed approximately 200,000 victims.

A large part of the exhibition was devoted to the response of the U.S. Navy, which was the primary force capable of providing relief at the time. Fortunately, Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet of the most modern naval vessels on the seas was on a world tour from 1907 to 1909, and was thus able to quickly reach the scene of the disaster to provide assistance.