STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — On Tuesday evening at Bocelli Ristorante, a very sacred tradition was reprised by members of the legal and medical professions, family members and friends, as a way to commemorate the Feast Day of St. Joseph on March 19.
The evening of camaraderie, community spirit, commitment — and true celebration — was founded by retired New York State Supreme Court Justice Philip G. Minardo, retired state Supreme Court Justice John Fusco and the late state Supreme Court Justice Anthony Giacobbe, who kept the custom alive for many years.
The original St. Joseph’s Day Association was a black-tie affair and staged in the grand ballroom of LiGreci’s Staaten around the year 1990, as a way to celebrate the traditional feast day and Italian ethnicity.
This year the banquet room at Bocelli Ristorante overflowed with revelers who raised their glasses to honor St. Joseph, the patron saint of families, and at the same time reflect on their ancestry.
Always a prerequisite for the special occasion is that the eventful gathering take place on March 19, St. Joseph’s actual feast day, no matter the day of the week.
And because those of Italian descent have a special devotion to St. Joseph — or San Giuseppe as he’s often referred — Italian specialties native to the “old country” are traditionally part of the day’s fare.
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