MILL BASIN — The Federation of Italian American Organizations (FIAO) held its annual fundraising brunch — a prerequisite to the Brooklyn Columbus Day Parade — at El Caribe on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Hundreds of guests came together, filling the banquet room to near capacity, celebrating Italian heritage, as well as honoring this year’s four parade grand marshals: Hon. David Carr, member of the NYC Council and chair of the Council Italian Caucus; Dr. David Pretto, superintendent of Community School District 20; Joseph Rosato, Esq., president of the Brooklyn Bar Association; and Chiara Spagnolo, principal of Public School 100. 

“It was a really wonderful time,” Carr told the Brooklyn Eagle. “Receiving this distinction of being a parade grand marshal means so much to me.”

Carr, who attended the soiree with his family, noted that his mother’s side, also the Italian side, is where so much of his identity as an Italian American comes from. 

“Brooklyn has been and still is the home of so many Italian Americans,” he said. “So many neighborhoods in Brooklyn were built by the growing Italian American community. It’s a great moment of pride for southern Brooklyn overall and a moment for Italians to celebrate our deep connection to this country. We were connected to the history of this country from before its founding. We’ve been part of the history of this place for centuries.”  

Carr explained that he hopes the takeaway from FIAO’s fundraising brunch is that people recognize Brooklyn is a huge and tight knit community, and whether one is Italian or not, all Americans should pay homage to the upcoming Columbus Day Parade. 

“[Christopher] Columbus’ legacy to us as Italian Americans is extremely significant,” Carr said. “And this is really one of the premier Columbus celebrations in the country. Of course, October is also Italian American Heritage Month. It’s truly a moment of great pride, and a reminder of all that we’ve accomplished in the generations since our ancestors started coming here.” 

Carr is councilmember for the 50th Council District, which includes portions of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach and Fort Hamilton, as well a number of neighborhoods on Staten Island.

The 42nd annual Brooklyn Columbus Day Parade is slated to be held on Oct. 12. The pre-parade mass will be celebrated on Saturday, Oct. 12, at St. Athanasius Church, located at 2154 61st Street, at 11:15 a.m. The parade will follow, kicking off at 1 p.m. at the corner of 61st Street along 18th Avenue and will conclude in front of Il Centro (8711 18th Avenue).