Last week, some of New York’s finest members of the Italian American community gathered to honor some of its brightest in business, sports, entertainment, and politics at Cipriani’s 42nd Street for The National Italian American Foundation’s (NIAF) Annual New York Gala.

This year, there was a major focus on financial and professional services, with honorees including Anthony Scaramucci, Founder, SkyBridge Capital; Vincent A. Cino, Chairman, Jackson Lewis P.C.; Anthony Cammarata Jr., Managing Director of Goldman Sachs; and Shirley and Vernon W. Hill, II, Founders of InterArch and Metro Bank, respectively. Family, preservation of cultural values and a healthy respect for hard work were common themes and showcased in honoree videos, as well as acceptance speeches throughout the evening.

When asked about this year’s financial and Wall Street focus, NIAF President and COO John M. Viola said, “It’s impossible to encapsulate the incredible influence that Italian Americans have had on Wall Street. From the honorees that we were able to celebrate today, like Anthony Scaramucci, to the founders of our organization like Mario Gabelli and Dick Grasso, the names of Italian Americans are everywhere in the halls of great achievement throughout Wall Street.”

As he received his award, Cammarata Jr. reflected, “Today, I stand here, in front of all my friends and family, a first-generation Italian American, married 29 years to my wife Laurie, my high school sweetheart, a house in suburban New Jersey, Fortune 500 company – all the things my parents dreamed of when they came here.”

Scaramucci continued, “It has been the luckiest thing in my life to be born Italian; to grow up Italian, to have Italian grandparents, to eat Italian food and the pride we all have.”

Cino said, “Like so many of you here tonight, growing up Italian American was all about family…”

Other honors included the Mario M. Cuomo Award in Public Service, which was given to Maria T. Vullo, New York State Superintendent of Department of Financial Services; and a community focused award for Cooking with Nonna host Rossella Rago. Live music was also a part of the program, with singer-songwriter and longtime NIAF supporter ALFIO, who having just returned from an Australian tour, belted out Italian classics.

Nearly 700 Italian Americans from New York and around the country were at the gathering, which was NIAF’s most successful New York Gala (NIAF also hosts a fall Gala weekend in Washington, DC). NIAF is the largest association of over 25 million Italian Americans living in the United States. The two most important objectives of the NIAF are to ensure that Italian Americans continue to keep alive and present the rich heritage of their values and cultural traditions, and to make sure the Italian American community preserves and remembers the great contribution Italians have made to the history and progress of the United States.

Rago spoke on the importance of previous generations instilling valuable lessons and guidance: “If there is one thing I’ve learned on this journey, it’s this: We need our Nonnas’ love and guidance now more than ever, because as the world changes so rapidly around us, the values they teach us are timeless. Unlike the ingredients they cook with, these ladies have no expiration date.”

Matilda Cuomo, mother of New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and wife of legendary political force Mario Cuomo, stepped to the podium to bestow the latter’s namesake award to Superintendent Vullo – and talked about the future of the Italian American community, specifically its female torchbearers. She urged the culture’s preservation in the next generation: “Tell your younger daughters and sons and nephews and nieces, push this culture and speak the Italian language – its so beautiful.”

As Vullo took the stage, she spoke on the legacy of Mario Cuomo and how that legacy inspired her. “As an Italian American, Mario Cuomo was an inspiration,” she said. “Be proud to be Italian, be proud to be an American, stand up for your principles always. Be willing to stand up for what was right, rather than what was politically expedient.”

NIAF’s New York Gala will benefit the Foundation’s philanthropic and educational programs.