This weekend on “In Focus,” we open a conversation on Italian American Heritage Month and the achievements and contributions of Italian Americans across upstate New York.
JoDee Kenney sits down with Watervliet Mayor Charles Patricelli, who raised the Italian flag this past week in the city.
Patricelli said his great-grandparents emigrated to the United States and recalls being raised in a neighborhood of immigrants, not only Italian but Irish, Ukrainian, and Polish as well.
Patricelli said the values he learned from growing up and involvement in community events and scouting inspired him to public service with the Housing Authority and then as mayor.
Patricelli said Italian American Heritage Month is just one reminder of what immigrant communities contribute to this country, even as new immigrant groups are calling the area home.
The city of Watervliet, Patricelli said, is also celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal in 2025 and the 200th anniversary of the Meneely Bell Foundry in 2026.
You can watch the full interview with Mayor Patricelli above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York, on “In Focus” with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.
