Astorians Show Support For Onorato At Fundraiser

(L. to r.): Former City Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr., Queens County Clerk Gloria D'Amico, City Councilmember Helen Sears, Athena Onorato and George Onorato surrounding their godson Phillip Barsamian, district leader Gloria Aloise and City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. (L. to r.): William Schwartz, M..D., Athena Onorato, George Onorato and Nazarella Misk. (L. to r.): Luigi Kucica of Ponticello Ristorante, Athena Onorato, George Onorato, Nazarella Misk and Larry Vollano. (L. to r.): Athena Onorato, George Onorato and Sid Lanzafame, Bricklayers' & Allied Crafts union local president. Queens Disrtict Attorney Richard Brown (l.) and state Senator George Onorato. (L. to r.): Eileen Damiani, George Onorato, Athena Onorato, Peter Damiani and Angelo and Dee Di Filippi. Anthony Clemenza of Queens Boulevard Extended Care Facility and George Onorato. Marilyn Levine and Kenneth Gordon, Queens Boulevard Extended

More than 150 people came to Riccardo's by the Bridge last Wednesday, September 26 to show their support for state Senator George Onorato's re-election campaign. More than a campaign fundraiser, the event gave local residents and Onorato's colleagues in state and city government an opportunity to demonstrate their affection and regard for their representative from the 12th state senate district.

Onorato said he was gratified to note the wide range of labor support he enjoys. Members of the Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, Boilermakers, Sheetmetal Workers, Operating Engineers, Electrical, Carpenters and Sign Hangers' unions came to applaud Onorato's 24 years in the state senate. Before his election to his first term in the senate he was secretary/treasurer of Bricklayers' Local No. 41 for 15 years.

Local residents and friends also attended, among them District Attorney Richard Brown, former City Council Speaker Peter Vallone Sr., City Councilmembers Peter Vallone Jr. and Helen Sears and Assemblymembers Ivan Lafayette and Michael Gianaris.

"I heard nothing but praise for Senator Onorato," Gazette Publisher Tony Barsamian, who attended the fundraiser, said. "The event was an affectionate outpouring of support for a public servant who has always been willing to help his constituents in any way that he can."

Onorato, a member of the Taminent Regular Democratic Club since 1950, became chairman of its board of directors in 1972. He has served as Executive Member and Democratic Leader of the 36th Assembly District since 1977.

Since he won a highly contested three-candidate race for a senate seat in a special election in June 1983, Onorato has had a distinguished career as a public servant. He has served in Senate leadership since 1992. Currently, he is vice chair of the Minority Conference and so serves on the Policy Committee of the Senate Democratic Conference. He has also served a two-year term as treasurer and another as president of the Conference of Italian American Legislators.

A veteran of service in the Korean War, Onorato received a Presidential Citation while serving in the United States Army, 118th Medical Battalion from 1950 to 1952. He is Acting Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and a member of the Senate Minority Task Force on Vietnam Veterans. He was among the sponsors of legislation providing for graduate and undergraduate student aid to Vietnam veterans, and introduced legislation to increase the level of such funding. He sponsored and supported legislation requiring that handicapped children of Vietnam veterans be identified in order to assist in developing a database for research on dioxin-related birth defects. In 2003, he was a founding member of the bipartisan Senate-Assembly New York State Armed Forces Legislative Caucus, and currently serves as its co-chair.

A lifelong resident of Astoria, Onorato graduated from Long Island City H.S. He is married to the former Athena Georgakakos and has three adult children, Joanne, George, and Janice, and six grandchildren

Care Facility director. As Joe Risi Jr. (with microphone) speaks, state Senator George Onorato listens with bowed head. (Rear, l.) Eliot Simon, (front, l. to r.): Maxine Simon, Athena Onorato and George Onorato. (L. to r.): State Senator George Onorato, Pat Amerman, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Nubile, Dolly DeThomas and Mr. and Mrs. William Baer. (L. to r.): State Supreme Court Justice Joe Risi Sr., Athena Onorato and George Onorato. (L. to r.): Spiro Levis of Titan Pharmacy, Demetrios Katsanis of Alma Bank, Athena Onorato and George Onorato. Singer Greg Wilder, who provided entertainment for the evening. Judge Anthony Gazzara (retired). (L. to r.): Angie Markham, Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Queens, George Onorato, Athena Onorato and Joe Di Pietro. (L. to r.): Athena Onorato, Rudy Sarchese, Luigi Farina and George Onorato. Photos Tony Barsamian