John Michael Marino Lodge #1389

Giacomo Damita, born in Nusco near Naples was one of the first Italians to come to Port Washington in 1885. His name, changed to James Marino, in the 1900 census shows him married to Stella Diranna with three children, operating a sand and gravel mining company, running a grocery store and a boarding house. He was living in the granite homestead on Port Washington Boulevard. The town had the second largest concentration of Italians on Long Island. Our Lodge is named after his son, Lieutenant John Michael Marino, first Italian American from Port Washington to die serving his country in World War I.

By 1925, the Italian population had increased to sustain several mutual aid societies. The Frappaolo brothers, Eugene Picone, and Alessandro Volpe recruited members for the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) and on November 22, 1925 the lodge received its charter with Dr. Eugene Calvelli, Sr. as its first Venerable. Meetings were held at the Bayview Avenue Synagogue until John Dettori spearheaded the construction of a communal building at 115 Main Street in 1949. The “Villa Nova” hosted meetings and social gatherings until the property was sold in 1990.

The Italian community started celebrating the July 26th Feast of Sant’Anna, patron Saint of Torella Di Lombardi in the first decade of the 20th Century in what is now New Salem. These celebrations were the first on Long Island to bring alluring ethnic favorites that dazzled the olfactory senses, lit fireworks, sang and danced to bands, and greased pole climbing. With the Great Depression, the feasts ceased, but resurfaced in 1979 under Venerable Vincent R. Balletta, Jr.

Grande Festa Italiana, Long Island’s oldest and largest feast continues to be celebrated the week after Labor Day at Hempstead Harbor Park. Late spring sees our stunning assemblage in Memorial Day Parades and typical Italian fare at HarborFest. Together, with Loggia Glen Cove, we gifted the statue of Columbus erected in front of the Supreme Court Building in Mineola. Our Lodge is responsible for initiating the Columbus Day Parade on Long Island. Members march in Pride in Port Parades as well. In memory of Chief of Police, James Salerno, the PAL Field was replenished. Bocce Courts were built at the Human Resource Center, County Parks and at Manorhaven Beach Park as another way of supporting the community.

Over $25,000 is given annually to community/state charities along with scholarships. Vanguard of NYOSIA October Culture and Heritage programs, patrons at the public library look forward to the display of heraldic banners, enjoy opera recitals, provincial Italian food tasting, lectures, art, and folkloric performances. Saint Joseph’s Day Masses at local churches help stock community outreach programs.

During eighty years of existence, with two Bene Emeriti, Family of the Year and Dr. Sellaro awardees, we OSIA members are humbled by the successes of our immigrant predecessors. Sandminers and Clam-Diggers one and all, generations of our founders continue to prosper and uphold a fulfilling Italianità in our serene enclave of Port Washington.

John Michael Marino

By Brother Michael F. Ragusa

John Michael Marino was born in New York City, New York, on December 14th, 1894. The 1900 U.S. Census indicates his father James Marino, married to Stella Diranna, with three children. Further, that Mr. James Marino operated a sand and gravel mining company, grocery store and boarding house, in the Port Washington area.

John Michael Marino obtained his early education at the Flower Hill School, Roslyn Free School, and Port Washington High School. He also attended Franklin and Marshall Academy in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for one year. Mr. Marino subsequently traveled to the great Central West, enrolling as a student at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana. On August 13th, 1914, he graduated, receiving a Bachelor of Pedagogy, a degree pertaining to the art and method of teaching. On August 14th, 1915, he was summoned home by his family, due to the serious illness of his mother. At that time he lacked a thesis only in order to achieving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Valparaiso University.

In October 1915, he matriculated at Georgetown University Law School, Washington, D.C., where he played a very active part in debates and oratorical presentations.

On April 29th, 1918, John was inducted into the U.S. National Army, missing just five weeks in obtaining his Bachelor of Law degree from Georgetown University.

Upon being drafted, Private Marino was assigned to Company D, 316th Infantry, at Camp Meade, Maryland. Two weeks later, he was transferred to Camp Lee, Virginia, and became a member of Company C, 112th Field Signal Battalion. Shortly thereafter, his Company was integrated into the 37th (“Buckeye”) Division, a National Guard unit from Indiana, filling the Division to full war strength. On June 11th, 1918, the 37th Division became a vital part of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I, departing for overseas from the Port of Embarkation, Hoboken, New Jersey.

Military records indicate, that Pvt. Marino and his unit were engaged in the most fierce battles for approximately 200 days. Notably, the Voges Mountains of Eastern France, commencing on August 2nd, 1918. On September 24th, 1918, historical writings revealed that the 37th Division covered itself with glory in a battle at the forests of Meuse-Argonne, France. John and his Company faced heavy rain for days, adding to poor combat conditions. Military historians have recorded that the 37th Division’s enemy engagement at Meuse-Argonne, was the greatest battle fought by American troops in World War I.

The last significant battle fought by the 37th Division was in the Flanders Offensive, at the crossing of the Lys and Escaut Rivers, Belgium. It began on October 31st, 1918, when the Germans unleashed a poisonous gas attack, along with devastating , constant machine gun fire.  Such enemy attacks could not deter the troops, who donned gas masks and relentlessly pushed the Germans to the Cruysawten Ridge, advancing through German lines, a distance of five miles, during the night of November 3rd, 1918.

Private John Michael Marino fought gallantly and heroically in the trenches of Northern France and Belgium, where he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country on November 9th, 1918, at age 23, and less than forty eight hours before the signing of the Armistice on November 11th, 1918, 11 a.m.

It should be noted that Pvt. John Michael Marino was the first Italian-American from Port Washington to die in World War I.

On November 22nd, 1925, the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA) (Port Washington), received it’s charter, naming it the John Michael Marino Lodge #1389, in his honor.

Order Sons of Italy In America (OSIA)

The OSIA is an important fraternal and philanthropic society started in 1905 by Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro in New York City's famed "Little Italy" district. The original name of the organization was "L'Ordine Figli d'Italia". The Order was founded by the Doctor along with five other Italian immigrants who came to the United States during the great Italian migration period of 1880-1923. The ideals behind the OSIA was to support Italian immigrants in everything from attaining English language education to eventually attaining citizenship. In their infancy the OSIA created free schools fort immigrants of all ages. The group formed Lodges and established orphanages and retirement homes for the elderly. Similar to some other Fraternal Societies such as the "Odd Fellows", the OSIA offered life insurance, mortuary funds, credit unions, welfare societies and scholarship funds to aid impoverished members. During World Wars I and II, members supported the American war Effort by actively purchasing War Bonds and War Stamps. Lodges held competitions to outdo each other in contributing monies to the Red Cross. The OSIA Supreme Council Officers requested its membership to donate one day's salary to the national defense during the Second World War. Over the years the OSIA has donated over $93 million to education, disaster relief, cultural advancement and medical research. The Organization is very much alive and thriving today. Regalia from the OSIA is not too common.