Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Recently tapped to chair the National Italian American Foundation, John Calvelli is fueled by a dedication to Italian culture that dates to his early childhood.
If there is someone who embodies wholehearted devotion to the cause of preserving and promoting Italian heritage, it’s John F. Calvelli.
Calvelli was elected chairman of the National Italian American Foundation in April after serving for more than 25 years on its board of directors, most recently as executive vice chairman.
He also was a founder in 1984 and first president of FIERI, a national organization of students and young professionals dedicated to promoting Italian American culture and heritage.
Calvelli has extensive leadership experience in both the public and private sectors. He currently works as executive vice president of public affairs for the Wildlife Conservation Society.
He talked to Fra Noi about his deep connection to the Italian American community, which began in his early days attending Italian American community events with his parents, John and Rose, in the Bronx and Westchester, New York.
ELENA FERRARIN: Where did your parents emigrate from and what was your upbringing like?
JOHN CALVELLI: Both my parents are from Vico, Aprigliano, in the province of Cosenza, in the foothills of the Sila Mountains in the Calabria region. My father was strict about only speaking Italian at home, although we actually spoke Calabrese. We maintained many of the Italian traditions, including Calabrese cuisine like cuzzupa at Easter and pitta ‘mpigliata for Christmas.
EF: Why were you so devoted to your community and culture so early on in your life?
JC: It all comes back to your family and the values you were raised with. Mom and Dad felt strongly that we should always respect and promote our Italian heritage, but it was never to the exclusion of other communities. We shared our table with many friends who were not Italian, but it was always important to live our Italian American values: Be an active part of your community, respect people, be passionate about everything that you do and never forget the importance of food. I think of our great writers and leaders: Lampedusa, Giovanni Verga, Silone, Caesar. I felt that being Italian was a great gift and even greater responsibility. How could we let our heritage be lost?
EF: Tell us about founding FIERI.
JC: I had just returned from studying in Italy and felt this incredible desire to stay connected with my heritage and identify other young professionals who shared similar values. I was president of the Italian Honor Society at Fordham University in the Bronx and was also asked to lead a group called the Bronx Italian American Cultural Association. I met the president of the Italian club at nearby Lehman College, Gina Biancardi, and realized that we had the ability to think much bigger than just the Bronx or a college campus. The name came to me straight from Toto Cutugno, whose song “L’italiano” was my inspiration. Siamo FIERI, we are proud.
EF: What was it like to form an organization for young adult Italian Americans back then?
JC: It was truly groundbreaking. No one had ever tried to build a national Italian American organization for students and young professionals. From the older generation, there was a “wait and see attitude” while we were trying to figure out how to build stronger linkages with them to support our networking goals. We were very much the topic of discussion and emulation, with NIAF and OSIA (Order of Sons of Italy in America) replicating elements of what we were attempting to build. At our height, we had approximately 1,000 members and 13 chapters.
EF: You served as the chief of staff and counsel in the Washington office of Congressman Eliot Engel and were instrumental in the passage of landmark legislation highlighting the Italian American experience, including the first nationally recognized Italian American Heritage Month. How did you manage to carve out so much time to work on Italian and Italian American projects while you were working for him?
JC: Congressman Engel and I had an incredible respect for the importance of culture and heritage. He studied Italian in public school, and his wife is Italian American, so he wanted to better understand her culture. He appreciated my passion for my heritage and gave me complete autonomy to work on issues of importance to our community.
EF: In recognition of your contributions to U.S.-Italy relations, you were bestowed the title of Commendatore in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2022. How did that feel?
JC: Honors of this nature are an incredible recognition, but at the same time you sit there and wonder, “Are they talking about me?” Some of us have been blessed with the opportunity to improve people’s lives. Whether it was the work done with the Italian government to bring peace to the Balkans and justice to the Albanian people, or being asked by the U.S. State Department to serve as the U.S. lead for earthquake relief in central Italy, I was in a position to help. My Jesuit teachers and Italian American upbringing taught me that in those moments it is your responsibility to engage and make a difference. For me, the greatest honor was the opportunity to share this special recognition with my parents, Rose and John, my wife, Maria, and our son, John Domenico. They have been my greatest advocates and supporters through the years.
EF: When did you first get involved with the National Italian American Foundation?
JC: In 1985, when I was in law school and FIERI was less than a year old. Through the active support of Rose Marie Gallina, director of Italian American affairs for New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, we were asked to participate in a conference focusing on the Italian American high school dropout rate in New York City. We helped organize the conference, told our stories — many of us were first in our family to go to college — and served as mentors for the students. This experience led us to better appreciate the benefits we had received and the importance of paying it forward. I started off as the NIAF “go to” person on Capitol Hill. I met Italian leaders and even had the honor of showing Luciano Pavarotti around the Capitol!
EF: You are extremely active — you chair the International Conservation Partnership, the FIERI Scholarship Fund, serve as vice chair of New York City Tourism and Conventions, and sit on the board of the Public Affairs Council and the Italian American Forum. You are a past chair of the New York City Cultural Institutions Group, New Yorkers for Culture and Arts, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Government Affairs Committee. What advice do you have for younger generations who want to follow in your footsteps?
JC: Stay engaged. Take advantage of the opportunities placed before you. Find leaders that will allow you to make mistakes. It is truly the only way you will learn how to improve and succeed.
The article above appears in the August 2025 issue of the print version of Fra Noi. Our gorgeous, monthly magazine contains a veritable feast of news and views, profiles and features, entertainment and culture. To subscribe, click here.
