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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media relations contact:
Joe Ciarallo
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Announcing the 150th San Francisco Italian Heritage Parade

The nation’s longest continuously running Italian Heritage Parade takes to the streets of San Francisco on Sunday, October 7, 2018

Carmen Policy, Peter Pace and Thomas “Tippy” Mazzucco Named Grand Marshals

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 6, 2018 — The 150th annual San Francisco Italian Heritage Parade will take to the streets of San Francisco on Sunday, October 7, 2018. The San Francisco Italian Heritage Parade is the longest continuously running Italian Heritage Parade in the United States, celebrating the accomplishments and culture of all Italian-Americans and welcoming all. The inaugural parade took place in 1868 in San Francisco’s downtown, featuring the bands and marching units of Italian fraternal organizations, including the Garibaldi Guard, Swiss Guards, and Lafayette Guards. Throughout the years, it has remained a sign of the vitality of the Italian communities in the Bay Area.

This year, the parade coincides with San Francisco Fleet Week and for the first time with the newly announced Italian Heritage Day holiday, which is celebrated on the second Monday in October. For the sesquicentennial anniversary, parade Grand Marshals are former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace, former San Francisco 49er’s executive Carmen Policy and San Francisco Police Commissioner Thomas “Tippy” Mazzucco.

Peter Pace is a former United States Marine Corps general and the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Raised by Italian American parents (from Noci, Italy), Pace is recognized for his distinguished four-decade military and public service career. He has been honored with numerous awards and distinctions, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Distinguished Graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) Special Achievement Award for Military Service.

Carmen Policy is an attorney and American football executive best known for his work for the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s and 1990s. Policy played a key role in the 49ers Super Bowl victories in 1985, 1989, 1990, and 1995. In 1994, he was named the National Football League Executive of the Year by The Sporting News and Pro Football Weekly, as voted on by NFL owners and executives. The Sporting News and GQ also named him one of the “Most Influential People in Professional Sports”. Policy has established a wine under the label of Casa Piena, Italian for “full house”, in recognition of his five children.

Thomas “Tippy” Mazzucco is Vice President of the San Francisco Police Commission and an attorney at Murphy, Pearson, Bradley, and Feeney. Mazzucco served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California for nine years and as an Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco for ten years. Mazzucco is the Vice President of the San Francisco chapter of the Saint Thomas More Society and a former varsity football player at the University of California at Berkeley.

“There are many important reasons to be proud of the Italian heritage in this part of America,” said Lorenzo Ortona, Italian Consul General in San Francisco. “I am participating in the 2018 celebrations of the Italian Heritage Parade rejoicing for all the extraordinary achievements obtained by the Italian American community of San Francisco and the Bay area, and embracing the new immigration of Italians coming to this part of the world with a similar spirit. It is a particularly important milestone that we celebrate this year, let us highlight the contribution of Italian Americans to this great country and join the festivities of the Italian Heritage Parade underlining its spirit of inclusiveness and, in particular, this year, celebrate in unity among all communities.”

The 150th annual San Francisco Italian Heritage Parade begins at 12:30 pm at the foot of Jefferson and Stockton Streets in Fisherman’s Wharf and ends in Washington Square in front of Sts. Peter and Paul Church. The parade will feature Italian and Italian-American dignitaries, music, performances, floats, and representatives of Italian and Italian-American organizations and businesses. The parade welcomes all to be Italian-American for the day and enjoy our shared culture!

For additional information, visit: www.SFItalianHeritage.org, or follow: