A touch of Italy has been added to the grounds at Niagara Falls City Hall as part of a celebration of Italian American Heritage Month.
In what he described as a first-ever event for the city, Mayor Robert Restaino joined members of the Cristoforo Columbo Society and other residents in hoisting the Italian flag to the top of a flagpole outside city hall on Main Street.
The flag will wave above the grounds through October, which is recognized as a month to recognize the significant contributions of Italian immigrants and their descendants to American culture, history, and society.
Restaino said it was the first time in the city’s history that the Italian American Heritage Month had been celebrated in such a way. It is happening in a year when the Cristoforo Columbo Society, a Pine Avenue organization dedicated to fostering a greater sense of community and preserving Italian culture and heritage in the city, is celebrating its 122nd anniversary.
“I think we can easily say that for over 100 years, Italian Americans and their descendants have been the foundation socially, culturally and in the business community for our city,” Restaino said.