Word: ussia
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Divided between his American birth and his Italian heritage during World War II, Ussia nevertheless remained in Italy to study during the war. Eventually earning doctorates in electrical and mechanical engineering from the University of Naples, he and his Neopolitan wife, Toni, moved back to the United States in 1958 "for better professional opportunities...
...return to Europe had sharpened Ussia's appreciation of Italian culture, making him more determined to see it brought to Italian-Americans. "It's said if you take Italian culture out of Western civilization, there's nothing left," Ussia says, adding, "Rome brought civilization to a world that was barbarian beyond its confines...
Italy awarded Ussia its "Cross of Knight," the equivalent of an English knighthood, in 1972 for his cultural services to the Republic. He has won numerous professional awards for his projects, including the design of the mechanical and electrical systems for the Midwest Coliseum, a 20,000-seat arena in Richfield, Ohio, and home of the Cleveland Cavaliers...
...Sure, I love ravioli, and I can kill a bottle of wine, but I'm also part of the intellectual and civic community, both among Italian-Americans and the community at large.' --Samuel Ussia...
...Ussia says changing demographics and a resurgence of ehtnic pride will form a new American culture, and that Italian-Americans must play a part...