Families and friends of the Italo-American Lodge celebrated the organization’s 90th birthday on Nov. 17 with a wonderful Italian meal and plenty of reminiscing having to do with fraternity, fellowship, and support given to the Merced community.
They talked about the history of the lodge that dates back to 1933, when Valentino Bardini was president, and a group of local Italian men would meet on 17th Street. Those early beginnings led to the purchase of a lot at 18th and U streets for only $10 at the time. The lodge building that residents know today was completed on the lot in 1949.
A year later, the lodge hosted two of its first wedding receptions: one for E.J. ‘Almo’ and Evelyn Lorenzi, and one for Al and Joanne Bardini. Two enlarge photos of the events were on display at the anniversary celebration, and it was announced they would remain at the lodge as a memory of those early days. Back then it cost around $55 to rent the lodge for a wedding. Nowadays that number is around $680 bucks.
Weddings, family celebrations and community events continued to be held at the popular venue, and in 1979, a large-scale renovation took place with expansions to the bar, kitchen and restroom areas. The interior has also been remodeled a few times over the years.
Tim Razzari and Mike Salvadori were praised for their vision to create the Italo-American Lodge Scholarship Fund for students. Over the past 37 years, the fund has awarded more than $72,000 to 151 students. A separate lodge fund — the Ray and Alfreda Pia Merced Scholarship Fund — has awarded more than $207,000 to 410 students over the past 23 years.
Fifteen percent of the lodge’s annual profits have been donated to local charities, including the Boys & Girl’s Club, Valley Children’s Hospital, and recently, the victims of the floods in Planada.
During the celebration, both E.J. Lorenzi and Al Bardini were honored for their lifelong dedication to the lodge, as well as for being two surviving past presidents who were around when the organization started in 1933.
“We were always great friends, great brothers — in sickness and in health — we were always there, and we still are,” Lorenzi said of the members. “I’m so lucky to be born in Merced. To be born to Italian parents, and to have all my good friends here at the Italo-American Lodge.”
Also during the dinner, Lillian Dal Porto was presented with a membership pin for her devotion to the community, as well as her family’s support of the lodge and its countless dinner events over the years. She is the first woman to ever receive such a distinction from the club.
By MICHAEL BELLUOMINI
Nobile Santo Dio,
Re dell’Universo,
Creatore di tutte le cose,
Padre Nostro,
God Our Father
Four score and 10 years ago, our forefathers, immigrants from Italy formed a fraternity in Merced to provide, foremost, a community of hope for the future with values and traditions of the “old country” giving its members a sense of security, of being understood, of being accepted and appreciated, in a strange country that spoke English, ate mediocre food, followed other religious traditions, did not celebrate extended family relationships, and was sometimes unfriendly and selfish.
God Our Father, we praise you for your faithfulness to us through the generations. We thank you because you have bounteously provided for all our needs. Thank you for fostering our fellowship through the Italo-American Lodge.
Lord through your guidance and intervention, the families of members of the Lodge have contributed to the success of the communities of Merced County, as farmers, businessmen, doctors, attorneys, politicians, teachers and contractors. We thank you for your many blessings, and help in learning how to contribute to this great country that is our home. Lead us to improve our nation by fostering justice for all, by promoting opportunity for all to have life, liberty, honorable work, and the pursuit of happiness, and by worshipping you and following your commandments.
We recall with gratitude the loved ones who used to gather with us and sit at the table with us. We thank you for the inspiration which has come to us through their lives. May we inspire each other.
Lord we pray you strengthen this fraternity in fellowship, increase its prosperity, protect it from evil and guide it to follow your ways of love, mercy and justice in its dealings with others and in building the community of Merced.
Amen.