^{GRAND LODGE of MARYLAND}

^{Il Giornale}

^{Fall 2026}

^{FROM OUR PRESIDENT}

Hello Brothers & Sisters,

Happy Italian Heritage Month! I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful summer, survived the heat, and is now basking in this beautiful crisp fall weather.

I would like to acknowledge and thank those who attended and supported our Columbus Dinner on October 12th, hosted by the Little Italy Lodge and Christopher Pisano, LI Lodge President.

Special thanks to Ali Sliwka, 3rd Vice President, for stepping up in my absence to take charge of our participation in the Italian Heritage Festival in Towson on October 17th as we hosted a booth.

More thanks to Rosalie Ranieri for coordinating our

annual Scholarship Dinner & Awards Ceremony on August 10th.

Please save the date for our annual Christmas Party scheduled for Sunday, December 6, 2026 (see flyer below).

If your lodge has upcoming events, please send them to us and also share them with Dan Longo, Past National President and Past Grand Lodge President, so he can add them to our Grand Lodge website.

As your Grand Lodge President, I always have your support, and for that I am grateful.

Ciao,

Vincent Zaccaria

State President

email Vince

^{OSDIA's Super Scholars}

^{Recognition Dinner names recipients}

ANTHONY MORIN

KATHRYN MARZULLO

EDWARD PABST

Our future rests with our youth

Following the great tradition established by the founders of our beloved order of awarding educational grants to outstanding young students, the OSDIA Grand Lodge of Maryland planned an excellent tribute, Super Scholars Recognition Dinner, held August 10. During our monthly meeting at the Little Italy Lodge, scholarship recipients were introduced, recognized, and took a moment to describe their courses of study. They each emphasized how much the awards helped them on their educational journeys. Families, lodge members, and the community were in the audience.

"The students were very appreciative of their awards. Congratulations to our youth and best wishes for a successful academic year!" says Rosalie Anoia Ranieri, Grand Lodge of Maryland OSDIA Scholarship Chair

Meet our three statewide Grand Lodge
Scholarship Recipients:

ANTHONY MORIN, son of Christie Morin and grandchild of Guy & Carol Caiazzo (Little Italy Lodge), attends St. Mary’s College of Maryland and is planning a career in Education and Performing Arts. Anthony relates in his submission: “Italian heritage plays a role in my love of the arts from painting to music to theater.” He notes that most artists deeply believe it is important to explore and try new things, not knowing where they will lead; and to persevere until successful. The Grand Lodge of Maryland presented this memorial gift.

KATHRYN CHRISTINA MARZULLO, daughter of Christopher & Kelly Marzullo and granddaughter of Lou & Carol Marzullo (Towson Dulaney Lodge) attends the University of Maryland, pursuing a finance major. Kathryn relates in her essay, “What has influenced me by late family members risking all to journey to this country, is the love and appreciation offered to each other ... not only through food and monetary gifts, but in every act of service and charity.” This award is presented by Dr. Carmella & Chuck Walsh in memory of their beloved son, Charles “Chuckie” Walsh.

EDWARD PABST, son of Anna & Edward Pabst and grandson of Jerry & Diane Cerone (Annapolis Lodge), studies Information Management and Business Analytics at the University of Tennessee. In his essay, Edward writes, “Italian culture means showing up for your family and community and giving to those - both within and beyond your inner circle - who need it most.” Edward hopes to carry forward this vision of a life grounded in integrity, hard work, great food, friendship, and the joy of Italian heritage. This scholarship was donated by Vince Zaccaria and Lucy (Zaccaria) Neary in honor of their late parents, Thomas & Sally Zaccaria.

Students receiving awards from our
Maryland filial lodges:

ANNAPOLIS LODGE
Aidyn DeMarinis
Cara Olmo

ANTONIO GATTO LODGE
Brighton DeVivo
Riley DiCamillo

HARFORD COUNTY LODGE
Brooke Congor
Lia Patharkar
Aiden Myers

BEL AIR ROAD LODGE &
NATIONAL EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AWARD
Maria Teresa Gallardo

OCEAN CITY LODGE
April Bondurant
Sophia Ferrante
Laila Pascucci

LITTLE ITALY LODGE
FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

Luca Applauso
Anthony Applauso
Ben Carroll
Madalyn Caiazzo
Kyra Chandler
Mackenzie Chandler
Margaret Doughty
Theresa Doughty
Joseph Faherty
Olivia Heredia

Haylee Kurek
Giuliana Marsili
Rocco Mazzulli
Lydia Montcalmo
Claire Peiffer
Carter Pisano
Dominic Zielinski
Lillie Zielinski
Irene Zielinski

^{OCEAN CITY LODGE}

Charity Committee members (l-r): Joan DeMarco, Bernice Harman,

Judy Zanetti (chair), Janet Ackerson, Sue Ann Baietti (Lodge President)

Charities benefit from St. Joseph's Day Festival

One of Ocean City’s most popular ethnic celebrations - the annual St. Joseph’s Day Festival - raised $10,000 with funds distributed to 28 local and national charities. The festival is hosted by our OSDIA Ocean City Lodge. They have already begun their preliminary planning for the 2027 festival to be held March 20.

Two of the largest local donations went to the WBOC-TV Bless Our Children campaign and the Fostering Wishes Foundation. These charities assist families and children in need. Other local charities which received donations have supported feeding children, hospice care, veterans’ needs, education, and medical care for the needy.

^{TOWSON DULANEY LODGE}

Towson Dulaney Lodge hosted a booth at the October 17th Italian Heritage Festival in Towson, Maryland, selling T-shirts, hats and other Italian novelties.

^{ANNAPOLIS LODGE}

Italian Festa boasts tremendous turnout

Annapolis Lodge celebrated its annual Annapolis Fall Italian Festa September 20th. The tremendous turnout demonstrated the continued enthusiasm for the Festa and the strong connection between the OSDIA Annapolis Lodge and the greater Annapolis and Anne Arundel County communities. Guests feasted on a delicious selection of homemade Italian specialties, including dolci (homemade by some members), hot meatball subs, and a variety of other traditional Italian foods prepared and served by the Lodge's dedicated members and volunteers.

Guests enjoyed the sounds of the Monaldi Brothers band, whose performance helped to create a lively atmosphere. One of the day's most unexpected and popular attractions was a visit from the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, which drew plenty of attention and smiles from guests of all ages. Proceeds from the event supported several important causes, including the Alzheimer's Association, Cooley's Anemia, Anne Arundel County Food Bank, Light House Shelter, and the Lodge's scholarship program.

Annapolis Lodge extends its sincere thanks to the vendors and entertainers who participated, the volunteers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and everyone who helped make the event possible.

^{LITTLE ITALY LODGE}

Celebrating Columbus Day

Order Sons and Daughters of Italy, Grand Lodge of Maryland, celebrated Christopher Columbus Day on Monday October 12th at the Little Italy Lodge through the generous offer from its President, Christopher Pisano. Professor Dr. Marc DeSimone (pictured on the right with Vince Zaccaria on the left) was the guest speaker; a light dinner and dessert were served. Marc presented a film which included myths and facts about the Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus, followed by a question and answer session - of which there were many. The LI Lodge thanks those who attended and especially thanks our knowledgeable professor for taking the time to share his expertise on Columbus' history and to help celebrate the holiday.

CARNEVALE is back!

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

(That's Cajun French for "let the good times roll!")

Little Italy Lodge will once again celebrate Mardi Gras on February 21, 2027, for the sixth year in a row. A New Orleans-style Carnevale celebration comes to Little Italy on the second Sunday of Lent and features an all-you-can eat & drink buffet dinner with house wine and beer. The event features a costume party offering a plethora of prizes and the traditional "March of the Saints" outside of the Lodge. (See flyer in this issue.) The Lodge is proud to keep the 2027 Carnevale priced at $40 per person (payable at the door). There is plenty of room in its spacious 200-occupancy hall. This event is free for kids under age 5 and half price for ages 5-18. For additional info, call 703-328-9233.

FUN FACTS ABOUT MARDI GRAS

Carnival is a season. Mardi Gras is one day.
Carnival season officially starts the night of January 5th (known as Twelfth Night) and lasts until Fat Tuesday, which translates into Mardi Gras.
Fat Tuesday (or Shrove Tuesday) marks the final day of feasting and celebration before Lent begins with Ash Wednesday (40 days before Easter).
Carnival is celebrated not only in New Orleans, but all over the world!
In Italy, tourists flock to Venice’s Carnevale, which dates to the 13th century and is famous for its masquerade balls.
Louisiana is the only state in which Mardi Gras is a legal holiday.

LODGES ... Send us your news, photos, and event flyers!

EVENTS

visit festaitaliana-annapolis.org

LODGES ... Send us your news, photos, and event flyers!

^{SUPER RAFFLE WINNERS}

July 2026 Winners

August 2026 Winners

September 2026 Winners

How does our

Super Raffle work?

We pull a raffle ticket winner every day of the year. Winning tickets are placed back into the bin for the possibility to be pulled again. Winners are mailed a check.

How much can you win?

Daily winner $25
Last day of the month $50
Christmas $200
New Year's Day $100
Mother's Day $100
Father's Day $100

IL GIORNALE GOES DIGITAL

As voted on at our January 2026 Council meeting, the Il Giornale newsletter is now created on Constant Contact (an email marketing platform) and EMAILED. The previously printed version (which was mailed) has stopped. This is a cost-effective and efficiency decision for our organization. It is now the responsibility of each lodge president to create hard copies should any of your members prefer / require a printed newsletter.

If you know someone who does not yet receive Il Giornale by email (or maybe this issue was forwarded to you by another member), please ask them to join our GRAND LODGE EMAIL LIST to be included in future e-news distribution.