Leadership
Meet the people guiding the Italian Language Project.
Mario Macaluso is an Italian-American entrepreneur, actor, and proud son of Sicilian immigrants, Frank and Rosalia Macaluso. His mother instilled in him a deep appreciation for both the Italian and Sicilian languages, encouraging fluency and a lifelong love for their heritage — a passion that continues to guide his work today.
Mario has been deeply involved in cultural and community organizations throughout his life. He co-founded the San Gennaro Feast in Los Angeles, helped launch the Rosary Bowl at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with Family Theater Productions, and was one of the founders of the Guild of Italian-American Actors.
His dedication to preserving Italian-American history was strengthened while performing in Perfidia, a play by JoAnn Tedesco starring Drea De Matteo, which brought attention to the little-known history of Italian-American internment camps during World War II.
As a father, Mario’s mission is deeply personal. His children, Alessandra and William, are a major inspiration behind the Italian Language Project. He wants them — and every child in Italian-American families — to grow up with the language their ancestors fought to preserve, rather than see it fade away.
The Italian Language Project, created together with his family and a passionate team, is dedicated to restoring pride, fluency, and connection through language. Mario believes that through shared roots, stories, and culture, Italian-Americans can rebuild the linguistic thread that history once disrupted.
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Alfredo Macaluso began his career in New York City’s event and nightlife industry, where he quickly became known as one of the city’s leading promoters. He went on to build a successful events company, producing large-scale experiences across the United States and internationally — from Mexico and Florida to major ski destinations — creating memorable trips and gatherings for thousands.
Following his work with HBO, Alfredo transitioned into the food industry, returning to his family roots by opening Pizzeria Café. What began as a family-run business expanded under his leadership into a full-service catering operation, blending his background in events with a deep passion for hospitality.
Over the years, Alfredo has provided catering services for respected organizations including City Harvest, NYU, the Hospital for Special Surgery, and others, earning a reputation for reliability, scale, and quality. Today, he operates two long-standing food locations in New York, serving a loyal customer base and focusing on high-volume breakfast, lunch, and catering services.
Food is more than a profession for Alfredo — it is part of his identity and a lifelong passion rooted in family and culture. His work continues to reflect the values of connection, tradition, and community that have guided him throughout his career.
Alfredo is proud to serve as a Board Member of the Italian Language Project, a mission that resonates deeply with him. Inspired by his mother, who instilled in him a love for Italian language and culture, Alfredo is committed to helping preserve and celebrate the heritage that has shaped his family and his life.
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For over 30 years, Ciro Poppiti has been a leading advocate for U.S.–Italy relations. He was knighted as a Commander in the Order of the Star by the Republic of Italy.
He serves as President of the Delaware Italian American Foundation and previously founded both the National Italian American Foundation Youth Institute and the Delaware Commission on Italian Heritage & Culture.
Ciro is the Register of Wills for New Castle County and is licensed to practice law in Delaware and Washington, D.C.
He is also a military veteran and currently serves as an officer and judge advocate in the U.S. Army – Delaware National Guard.
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As President and CEO, Di Nonno leads the Institute's strategic direction, research, financial, and program initiatives. GDI’s mission is to reinvent, transform and inspire how global content creators and media tell stories through authentic portrayals of the population in entertainment.
She has been honored with the Lilly Ledbetter Lifetime Achievement Award and the prestigious Governor’s Award Emmy for significant contributions to the arts and sciences of television.
Di Nonno is an Executive Producer on the Emmy-nominated series Mission Unstoppable and the award-winning feature film This Changes Everything. She previously held leadership roles at Hallmark Channel, Universal Studios, Starz/Anchor Bay and Nielsen.
She has been featured in Fast Company, Good Morning America, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and more.
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Jennifer began her marketing career in 1988 working on major licensing partnerships for Burger King, including The Simpsons and Looney Tunes.
She later coordinated the JVC Jazz Festival, Eric Clapton’s national tours, and developed programming and press strategy for Film Forum.
At Lincoln Center, she managed advertising, audience initiatives, and sponsorship budgets for 300+ annual performances.
Jennifer then produced programs for HBO’s US Comedy Arts Festival, featuring major performers like Monty Python, George Carlin, Eddie Izzard, and more.
In 1999 she co-founded Grand Central Marketing, later acquired by Allied Global Marketing, where she led award-winning campaigns for Amazon, Netflix, Disney, Hermès, Sephora, and more.
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Tom is an award-winning professor and professional speaker. See his books, podcast & TV appearances, and his faculty profile at BMCC, City University of New York.
He founded the Means Language Center in 1999 for Italian, Spanish & French studies. The Center also offers private film clubs focused on world cinema.
Tom earned his BA, MA, and PhD at Rutgers University. He has been a professor of Modern Languages at BMCC/CUNY since 2010.
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Paul Todaro is a multidisciplinary creative and marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience working with global brands including Facebook, Google, Netflix, HBO, the NFL, the NBA, and Chase Bank.
His expertise spans visual design, brand strategy, large-scale content production, and high-impact commercial campaigns.
In 2023 he founded ADMA, a digital agency specializing in AI-powered business systems, web design, lead generation, and automated client acquisition.
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Kevin is a Sr. Manager of Customer Engagement at Verizon, beginning his career with the company in 2011 after graduating from the University of Toledo.
He is very active within the Italian-American community in Columbus, Ohio, serving as an at-large member of the board at the Columbus Italian Club. The club’s mission is to provide college scholarships to deserving Italian-American high school students (over $456k awarded to date) and foster networking among Italian businessmen.
His grandparents are from Campobasso, Italy, and Caltagirone, Sicily.
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