Building influence, Italy-Philly-D.C.

[SHRO Media Press]

oseph Del Raso, the Pepper Hamilton partner who chairs the National Italian American Foundation -- NIAF -- had to send out for an extra tuxedo shirt Wednesday so he could cut a bella figura at the Union League dinner honoring Philadelphia Energy chief Phil Rinaldi.

It's been a heavy-dry-cleaning week for Italian American leaders, what with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's state visit to Washington bringing out CEOs and stars from Philly to Padova for repeat formal occasions. Some highlights, from Del Raso:

"Monday night we had the Ambassador's Reception at the residenza in Washington. So we had Mario Andretti, the racing champion, down from Bethlehem. And the Prime Minister saw Mario, and he lit up. "I use what you say as my campaign slogan," Renzi told Andretti: "'The faster I go the more control I'm in!'" 

Also: "Sergio Marchionne was there, the chairman of Fiat Chrysler, and Fabrizio Freda, who is CEO of Estee Lauder. Giovanni Caforio, who is CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb. And Roberto Begnini, the actor from A Beautiful Life...

"Tuesday we had the White House reception, hosted by Biden -- you know his wife Jill (from Hammonton, N.J.) is Italian-American and he's always telling us how proud he is of his Italian friends from Wilmington," who are largely developers, and thus campaign donors. "And the State Department luncheon."

Speeches were typically "diplomatic," Del Raso said, though "everyone knows" Renzi prefers Clinton over Trump.

There were other Philly visitors at the Washington events: "There was the Italian Consul here in Philadelphia -- our European diplomat -- Andrea Canepari, he set up the Italian American Business Council, which has done a lot to really increase Italians' understanding that this is a sophisticated city and commercial center. And Luca Mignini, he heads the non-soup businesses at Campbell's Soup; and Antonio Giordano, who runs the Sbarro Institute at Temple." (Corrected)

Del Raso said Canepari has leveraged Philadelphia's designation, under former Mayor Nutter,  as the U.S.'s first UNESCO World Heritage City to promote events here -- see the Ciao! Philadelphia 2016 October calendar -- and events like the Sun. Nov. 13 simulcast truffle auction and luncheon, from Alba, in Italy's Piedmonte, at the Union League.

"We'll auction five lots of truffle here," Del Raso said. "The biggest truffle usually goes for $1,000. Piedmont has asked that we send the first 10 percent of proceeds to Alba charities. The rest will go into Foundation programs."

The Foundation has its own yearly gala Saturday in Washington. "We raised $600,000 for earthquake relief" in Amatrice and other mountain towns stricken last month, Del Raso said. Brooks Brothers matched donations. NIAF paid to send a group of Harvard trauma doctors to treat survivors, Del Raso said. 

See also

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/Italy-.html