[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 21155-21157] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS 2001 ELLIS ISLAND ______ HON. DAN BURTON of indiana in the house of representatives Tuesday, October 30, 2001 Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, standing on the hallowed grounds of Ellis Island--the portal through which 17 million immigrants entered the United States--cast of ethnic Americans who have made significant contributions to the life of this Nation were presented with the coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor at an emotionally uplifting ceremony. NECO's annual medal ceremony and reception on Ellis Island in New York Harbor is the Nation's largest celebration of ethnic pride. Representing a rainbow of ethnic origins, this year's recipients received their awards in the shadow of the historic Great Hall, where the first footsteps were taken by the millions of immigrants who entered the United States in the latter part of the 19th century. ``Today we [[Page 21156]] honor great ethnic Americans who, through their achievements and contributions, and in the spirit of their ethnic origins, have enriched this country and have become role models for future generations,'' said NECO Chairman William Denis Fugazy. ``In addition, we honor the immigrant experience--those who passed through this Great Hall decades ago, and the new immigrants who arrive on American soil seeking opportunity.'' Mr. Fugazy added, ``It doesn't matter how you got here or if you already were here. Ellis Island is a symbol of the freedom, diversity and opportunity-ingredients inherent in the fabric of this nation. Although many recipients have no familial ties to Ellis Island, their ancestors share similar histories of struggle and hope for a better life here.'' Established in 1986 by NECO, the Ellis Island Medals of Honor pay tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise America's unique cultural mosaic. To date, approximately 1,400 American citizens have received medals. NECO is the largest organization of its kind in the United States serving as an umbrella group for over 250 ethnic organizations and whose mandate is to preserve ethnic diversity, promote ethnic and religious equality, tolerance and harmony, and to combat injustice, hatred, and bigotry. NECO has a new goal in its humanitarian mission: saving the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions. NECO has found The Forum's Children Foundation, which brings children from developing nations needing life-saving surgery to the United States for treatment. Ellis Island Medals of Honor recipients are selected each year through a national nomination process. Screening committees from NECO's member organizations select the final nominees, who are then considered by the board of directors. Past Ellis Island Medals of Honor recipients have included several U.S. Presidents, entertainers, athletes, entrepreneurs, religious leaders, and business executives, such as William Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, George Bush, Richard Nixon, George Pataki, Mario Cuomo, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Michael Douglas, Gloria Estefan, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Elie Wiesel, Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Barbara Walters, Terry Anderson, Dr. Michael DeBakey, Senator John McCain, and Attorney General Janet Reno. Congratulations to the 2001 Ellis Island Medals of Honor Recipients This year's recipients and their ethnic communities are Melvyn Aaronson, Treasurer UFT, (Lithuanian/Polish/Russian); Monte Ahuja, Chairman and CEO, Transtar Industries, Inc. (Indian); George L. Argyros, Chairman & CEO, Arnel & Affiliates, (Hellenic); Ted J. Balestreri, Chairman and CEO, Cannery Row Company/Sardine Factory, (Italian); Stasys J. Baras, Executive V.P., Director, Lithuanian Foundation Inc., (Lithuanian); Richard H. Bard, Chairman & CEO, Bard & Co., Inc. (Russian); Donald D. Belcher, Chairman and CEO, Banta Corporation, (Irish/Scottish); Robert A. Belfer, Chairman & CEO, Belco Oil and Gas Corporation (Polish); John Montgomery Belk, Chairman and CEO, Belk, Inc. (English/Scottish/Irish); Lawrence Peter ``Yogi'' Berra, Retired Yankee great, (Italian); Bill C. Beutel, WABC-TV Anchorman, (German/ English); Madeline Boyd, Member of the Board, NY Mercantile Exchange, (Irish); Rick Boyko, President and CCO Ogilvy & Mather, (Ukrainian/Italian); David D. Carr, President & CEO, Brennan Industries, (Russian/English); Thomas F. Carr, President, Thomas F. Carr & Associates, Inc., (Irish); Henry J. Caruso, Chairman and CEO, HJC Investment Corporation, (Italian); Sonny Chabra, CEO, AMC Corporation (Indian); Gus A. Chafoulias, Chairman, Chafoulias Company Inc., (Hellenic); Arthur Cheliotes, President, CWA Local 1180 Communications Workers of America, (Hellenic); Mary Higgins Clark, Author, (Irish); Hon. Una S. Tomlinson-Clarke, NYC Council Member, (Caribbean); Robert A. Cornog, Chairman, President, and CEO, Snap-On, Inc. (Welsh); Christos M. Cotsakos, Chairman & CEO, E* TRADE Group Inc., (Hellenic); George E. Danis, CEO, IntegraTECH Solutions, (Hellenic); William E. Davis, Chairman & CEO, Niagara Mohawk Holdings, (Irish/English). Erroll B. Davis, Jr., Chairman, President & CEO, Alliant Energy, (African); Earnest W. Deavenport, Jr., Chairman & CEO, Eastman Chemical Company, (Irish/Scottish); Sr. Marion DeFeis, Chaplain, NYC Department of Corrections (Italian); Philip R. DiGennaro, Managing Director/Group Leader, TIAA- CREF, (Italian); Simos C. Dimas, Attorney, Pavia and Harcourt, (Hellenic); H.E. Bishop Stephen H. Doueihi, Office of the Bishop, Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, (Lebanese); Nikitas Drakotos, President and CEO, M & N Management Corp., (Hellenic); Brigid Driscoll RSHM, Ph. D., President Emerita, Marymount College, (Irish); Col. Brian Duffy, Astronaut, NASA/USAF (Irish); Anthony Drexel Duke, Founder & President Emeritus, Boys & Girls Harbor, (English/ Spanish); Archie W. Dunham, Chairman, President & CEO (Native American/English/Irish/Scottish/German); John R. Durso, President, Local 338, (Italian, Irish, German, Danish); Robert M. Dutkowsky, Chairman, President, & CEO, GenRad Inc., (Polish); Charles S. Ensley, President, AFSCME Local 371, (African); Joseph J. Esposito, Chief of Department NYPD (Italian); Jamie Farr, Actor, (Lebanese); James L. Ferraro, Esq., President, Ferraro & Associates, (Italian); Kenneth Fisher, Partner, Fisher Brothers (Russian). Renee Fleming, Soprano, (Czech/Scottish/Welsh); Charles L. Flynn Jr., Ph.D., President, College of Mount St. Vincent, (Italian/Irish); Harry C. Fotopoulos, President & CEO, INT Management, (Hellenic); Joseph L. Fox, President, J. Fox Investigations, (Irish/English); William P. Galatis, Executive Director, Sports Museum of New England, (Hellenic); George G. Gellert, Chairman, Atalanta Corp., (Russian/ Hungarian); Michael J. George, President, Melody Foods, Inc., (Chaldean); Lt. Col. Rodney W. Gettig, Commander, U.S. Army Garrison, (French/German); Hon. Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mayor of New York City, (Italian); Jack M. Greenberg, Chairman & CEO, McDonald's Corp., (Eastern European); Pedro J. Greer, Jr., M.D., Assistant Dean for Homeless Education, University of Miami School of Medicine, (Cuban/Irish); Gedalio Grinberg, Chairman & CEO, Movado Group Inc., (Cuban); Hon. Felix Grucci, Jr., Congressman, United States Congress, (Italian); Edward Guiliano, President & CEO, New York Institute of Technology (Italian); Charles J. Hamm, President, CEO, & Chairman, Independence Community Bank Corp., (Irish/Swiss); Marion R. Harris, CEO, International & Domestic Development Corp., (African); Alan G. Hassenfeld, Chairman & CEO, Hasbro, Inc. (Polish); Ralph Hittman, Retired Executive Director, Boys Brotherhood Republic of New York, Inc., (Austrian/ Polish); David R. Holmes, Chairman, The Reynolds & Reynolds Company, (English/Irish/German); Morton P. Hyman, Chairman & CEO, Overseas Shipholding Group Inc., (Russian). Joseph F. Inzinna, M.D., Founder & Medical Director, Medical Imaging, P.A., (Italian); U.S. Army General George Joulwan (Ret.) (Lebanese); Vice Admiral Michael P. Kalleres, USN (Ret.), Naval Fleet Commander, (Hellenic); Dimitrios Kaloidis, Owner, Terrace on the Park, (Hellenic); Bozena Kaminski, President, Polish and Slavic Center, (Polish); Stephen P. Kaufman, Chairman, Arrow Electronic Inc., (Russian/Romanian/Austrian/Hungarian); Hon. Bernard B. Kerick, Police Commissioner, NYCPD (Russian/Irish); Peter E. Kilissanly, President & COO, Preferred Employers Holdings, Inc., (Lebanese); Soonja Park Kim, President, M.K. Enterprise Inc., (Korean); Richard Jay Kogan, Chairman & CEO, Schering- Plough Corp. (Russian/Austrian/Hungarian); Evris Kontos, President & Founder, Kontos Foods, (Cypriot); John A. Koumoulides, M.A., Ph.D., Professor of History, Ball State University, (Hellenic); Richard L. Krzyzanowski, Esq., Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., (Polish); Vello Alexander Kuuskraa, President, Advanced Resources International, Inc., (Estonian); Ralph J. Lamberti, Executive Vice President, Staten Island University Hospital, (Italian); Evelyn H. Lauder, Sr. Corporate Vice President, The Estee Lauder Companies Inc., (Austrian); Jay Lee, President & CEO, By Design LLC, (Korean); Joseph H. Lemieux, Chairman & CEO, Owens-Illinois (English/Canadian); Howard Li, Chairman & CEO, Waitex International Co., Inc., (Chinese); Michael F. Manzulli, Chairman & CEO Richmond County Bank, (Italian); Markos Marinakis, President & CEO, MKM Chartering Inc., (Hellenic); Hon. Dominic R. Massaro, Justice, Supreme Court of New York (Italian); Joseph A. Melillo, Chairman, Richmond Investment Corp., (Italian); Samuel H. Miller, Co-Chairman & Treasurer, Forest City Enterprises, Inc. (Polish/Russian); Sidney A. Miller, Chairman, Delta Financial Corp., (Romanian/ Russian); Larry A. Mizel, Chairman & CEO, MDC Holdings, Inc., (Russian/Polish). Joseph Monti, President, Crest Hollow Country Club, (Italian); Nicola Mossa, President, Nico Hairstylists, Inc., (Italian); John H. Myers, President, GE Asset Management Inc., (German); Richard J. Naclerio, Ret. President & CEO, Naclerio Contracting Co., Inc. (Italian); Richard Nicotra, President, The Nicotra Group, (Italian); Hon. George Onorato, Senator, NY State Senate, (Italian); Paul J. Orfalea, Founder & Chairperson Emeritus, Kinko's Inc. (Lebanese); Constantine Papadakis, Ph.D., President, Drexel University & MCP, Hahnemann University, (Hellenic); Peter J. Pappas, CEO & President, P.J. Mechanical Corp. (Cypriot); John Youn Young Park, President, Four Seasons Fashions, (Korean); Margaret LaGana Pataki, Volunteer & Homemaker, (Italian/Irish); Kathleen M. Peslie, Principal, Peslie Financial Group, (Italian); Joseph Pfeifer, President, Joseph Pfeifer Foundation (German); Vincent T. Pica, Vice Chairman Voyant Corporation, (Italian); Diane Portnoy, President/Director/Co- Founder, The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc., (Polish); Leslie C. Quick, (Posthumously) Former Chairman & CEO Quick & Reilly/Fleet Securities, Inc. (Irish); Peter Quick Jr., President, American Stock Exchange, (Irish/English); [[Page 21157]] Richard S. Rhee, M.D., Clinical Professor of Neurology, UMD of NJ & President of KAHF, (Korean); Daniel D. Ricciardi, M.D., Chief, Division of Rheumatology, LI College Hospital, (Italian); Marie Rust, Director N.E. Region, National Park Service, (Italian). Jim Ryan, TV Anchor, FOX 5, (Irish); Peter John Sacripanti, Attorney/Partner-In-Charge, McDermott, Will & Emery, (Italian); Nicholas J. Sakellariadis, Managing Director, Salomon Smith Barney, (Hellenic); Charles G. Samiotes, Chairman, Samiotes Consultants, Inc., (Hellenic); Camille F. Sarrouf, Esq., Attorney, Sarrouf, Tarricone & Flemming, (Lebanese); Hon. Bret Schundler, Mayor Jersey City, (German); Robert A. Sgarlato, President, Slater & Sgarlato P.C., (Italian); Joseph Shaker, Chairman, Shaker Advertising Agency, Inc., (Lebanese); Sinan Sinanian, President, Sinanian Development Inc. (Lebanese/Armenian); Shun Yen Siu, Chairman & CEO, Lafayette 148, Inc., (Chinese); Kaloust P. Sogoian, CEO, Director of Engineering, K P Sogoian Mfg. Inc., (Armenian); Daisy M. Soros, Philanthropist, (Hungarian); Ted G. Spyropoulos, President, TGS Petroleum Co. Inc., (Hellenic); Jerry Stiller, Actor, 2000 Medalist, (Polish); Frank Stillo, Chairman & CEO, Sandy Alexander Inc. (Italian); Christopher Stratakis, Senior Partner, Poles, Tublin, Patestides & Stratakis LLP, (Hellenic); Fred R. Sullivan, Chairman, Richton International Corp., (Irish/Welsh); Thomas C.C. Sung, Chairman & CEO, Abacus Federal Saving Bank, (Chinese); Anthony J. Szuezczewicz, President Polonia Bank, (Polish); Ivan Tiger, Secretary/Treasury New York State United Teachers, (Russian); Joseph Volpe, General Manager, Metropolitan Opera, (Italian); Farah M. Walters, President & CEO, University Hospitals Health System, (Persian); Bruce D. Wardinski, Chairman & CEO, Crestline Capital, (Irish/Polish); Ludwik Wnekowicz, President, Doma Export Co. Inc., (Polish); James G. Wood, Executive Director, New York State United Teachers, (German/Welsh); Emily Woods, Chairman J. Crew Group Inc., (Dutch/Austrian/Russian); Stephen G. Yeonas, Chairman, Stephen G. Yeonas Co., (Hellenic); Hon. Dennison Young, Jr., Counsel to the Mayor, Office of the Mayor, (Russian/Polish/ Latvian) and Dr. Joseph Zagame, Philatelist, Italia Philatelic Society, (Italian). ____________________