BUFFALO (WBEN) - Just one day ahead of Columbus Day, Mayor Byron Brown joined members of the Federation of Italian-American Societies at St. Anthony's Church to announce that October will be officially recognized at Italian Heritage Month in the City of Buffalo.
"It has been very difficult to celebrate our annual events as we traditionally have," said Federation President Peter LoJacono. "We've had to rethink, reinvent, even cancel some of our celebrations and go virtual...it surely hasn't been easy and nor is it ideal, but I know that we will get through this just as our very own families did right here in this area where we are today."
On July 10, the Federation, along with Brown, announced they had removed the long-time Christopher Columbus statue in a proactive measure to prevent vandalism and violence.
"We wanted to preserve this space for a future memorial to the Italian immigrant, and we wanted the renaming of Columbus Park to be in honor of Italian heritage," said Don Alessi of the Federation back in July.
On Sunday, the new vision for the statue was unveiled:
"It will be entitled 'La Terra Promessa' - The Promised Land," said LoJacono. "The beautiful bronze statue not only pays honor and tribute to all those Italians that called the West Side home for 100 years, 1880's to 1980's, but it is also universal in that it's a tribute to all immigrants who have come to Buffalo."