Jim Sano is a lifelong city resident, educator and coach in the Albany Public School System. For more than 30 years, was a successful teacher and coach in the Albany public school system. Mr. Sano’s teams won numerous championships in the seven sports he has coached.

Looking for another way to demonstrate his commitment to the community, Mr. Sano sought and won election to the position of 9th Ward Councilman for the Albany Common Council in 2001, was the Chair of the Budget and Finance committee from 2002-2013 and Majority leader from 2002-2006.

Jim Sano has been our lifeguard since 1978 and has been involved in almost every possible position from chairing events to President of the organization and its non for profit foundation.

Maria has been a member of IACC since 1998.  Back in those days you needed to prove you were Italian to be accepted.  The fact that Maria was born in Italy and spoke Italian helped! 

When she was 5 years old she and her mother boarded the S.S. Vulcania in Naples and arrived in New York 13 days later.  Her father was already in America. 

Maria's town in the Calabrian province of Cosenza was SARCENA.  It clung to the side of a mountain as so many villages do in Italia and had a long history of invasions by many clans and armies over the centuries.  The ancient homes of most villagers had 18" thick walls for protection and climate control. 

In the Bronx neighborhood of Belmont the 6 story apartment houses were very unlike what she had grown up with but she discovered Television and pretty much learned New York English after a month of watching intently.  But she never lost her Italian dialect and then in high school, she studied Italian (pure Florentine with no dialect) and later continuing to study foreign language.  Maria says teaching Italian at the IACC is one of her proudest accomplishments and is her gift to the club.

Pete and Jeannine Scavullo (daughter of Ben and Margaret Sano) have been members of the IACC since 1995. They were married in 1982 and have 3 children - Alaina, Brian, and Deanna.

Pete has previously served on the IACC Board and served as Treasurer in 2018.  He has chaired the IACC games of chance since 2008 and has volunteered for other activities such as the Festa, Columbus Day Festival, Super Bowl Party and Cigar Night.

Pete received his BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering from RPI in 1978 and 1979, respectively. He also received an MBA degree from RPI in 1982. Pete joined GE in 1979 and the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in Niskayuna in 1981 where he currently works in reactor servicing.

Maggie Putnam has been a member of the IACC since 2020. In her short time at the club, she has left her mark by volunteering for numerous club functions and events.

Maggie is on the IACC Board of Directors, where she serves as Secretary of the Board, has served on the Columbus Grand Gala Committee and Ferragosto Committee, and can be found most Friday nights working in the pavilion at our popular Friday Nights at the Pavilion.

Maggie can also throw a mean bocce ball, playing in the Women’s bocce league.

Even though she is not of Italian descent, she has enjoyed learning about Italian American culture and how much it resonates with her life and upbringing. She truly believes in community and the extended family at the heart of her “Italian family."

She has worked for the NYS Teachers’ Retirement System for over three decades. Maggie is married to Roger and the mom of two wonderful sons, Drew and Stephen. While her youngest son Stephen played youth hockey, she volunteered as the team Treasurer for five years and the organization treasurer for four years.

She was also the team scheduler for two years. Before that, she served on the Bethlehem Volunteer Ambulance as a member for five years and as a Lieutenant for two years.

Dino was born in Naples, Italy. He has been a active member of the IACC for several decades volunteering in many activities supporting the club, he can especially found in the pavilion during the spring and summer months on Friday Nights.

While owning his own business and working as a tailor, he has always taken pride with his exceptional craft, while showing everyone he comes across, both professional and personally, his grace and empathy through his kind loving spirit.

He now is semi-retired residing in Albany enjoying the things he loves like gardening, volunteering at the All Saints Parish, and enjoying his loving family made up of his wife Rosetta his two sons and one daughter all of who is married and have given Dino the honor of his favorite role as "Nonno" which he does with love and pride.

Tony Fazio was born and raised in the Gun Hill Road area of the Bronx. He was the youngest of three children born to Biagio and Josephine Fazio. He attended a trade High School (Food and Maritime Trades). When he was 16 years old, he and his friends crashed a 16th birthday party of one of his friend's sisters, and at that party, he met a girl. When he met her, he knew he would marry her, his wife of 56 years, Terri.  

He and Terri have three children: Robert, Cristina, and Marc. 1972 Tony and his family moved to Peekskill, NY, in Westchester County. The move made commuting to his job in Newburgh, NY, easier.  After owning a couple of businesses and moving to Marlboro/Milton, NY, he decided to take a position in sales. He was transferred to Syracuse, NY, where his family only lived for nine months because he couldn't take the constant snowing, so when an opportunity was presented to move to the Albany area, he took it. It not only got him away from the snow, but it would bring him geographically closer to family.

Tony has lived in the Capital Region for over 30 years. He always says moving to the Albany area was his best move ever. When they decided to join the IACC, they immediately felt the members' warmth. They made so many new friends, and the feeling of inclusion was precisely what the "newcomers" to the area needed.

Since then, Tony has volunteered to do whatever he was asked, from landscaping, cooking burgers at the pool, or selling pull tabs on Friday night in the pavilion. Tony is always there with a big smile and a sense of "we are in this together." Friday Nights in our pavilion would not be the same without hearing Tony yell "We Got A Winner" in his famous NYC accent. Tony has left a mark on our club simply because he cares and wants to be of service in any way he can.

Theresa ( Terry ) is a 2nd generation Italian American born the 4th child to Rocky and Kay Sano Andriano who were very active members of the IACC since the 1970s.

Rocky was extremely social and served as pool chairman, as well as loving his role at the Thursday night Bingo games.  Kay was active with the Women’s league and attended anything social, she even claimed her own table at the pool.

Theresa first became a member of the IACC in 1990 and remained a member through 2005 while her children, Scott & Kathleen, were growing up. She and her children spent summers enjoying the pool with many family members and friends who became like family and are still are to this day.

 
Theresa has deep roots in Albany and grew up off New Scotland Avenue near many of her Sano Relatives. She attended St Teresa's of Avila, Vincentian Institute, and the College of St. Rose as a Graphic Arts Major.

Having rejoined the IACC 3 years ago she feels like she is “home” again where this wonderful culture is still alive with the feeling of family always present.

Theresa is a member of the Women’s Bocce League, Treasurer of the Women’s League and active with many social events during the year. She continues her career of 25 years in professional Sales.

Theresa holds the Culture of this wonderful “club” near and dear to her heart and is very proud to serve on the IACC Board of Directors to continue the legacy of her parents along with the spirit of all those who have served before her.

Ann Marie Lizzi, a proud Italian-American, is the founder, owner, and creative director of Majestic Media Group LLC, a television/film production and media company based in Albany, New York.

She has had the incredible pleasure of working on films, TV shows, documentaries, commercials, corporate industries, and television news.

In addition to her work, Ann Marie is also very committed to her community and has served on and led many not-for-profit and professional Boards.

Ann Marie has proudly served as vice president of the IACC and IACC Foundation Boards of Directors. She began her involvement with the IACC 30 years ago as pr/marketing chair.

Ann Marie resides in Albany with her husband, John, and teen children, Loughlin and Tessa. The IACC is a fundamental part of their lives.

David and Marilyn became members in 2012. In anticipation of retirement David became active in the club to carry forward his Italian heritage that his father John who was a founding member intended in his initial commitment.

John immigrated to this country in 1932. He came from a town called Isola del Lire that is 70 miles due east of Rome. He ended up in the Albany area because of families that were from the same area in Italy. He did a number of different jobs became a citizen and fought in World War II.

When he came home he started a construction business and married the then Anna Gabriel. David was born in 1948 the oldest of three children. He graduated from Bishop Gibbons High School 1966 and went on to Utica College of Syracuse

University taking a BS degree in Contracting and Construction in 1970.

Being the oldest child in an Italian family David’s career took him thru a number of family businesses. He managed a hotel & restaurant. He has constructed an apartment complex, assorted commercial buildings and site development for residential homes.

He held a commercial real estate licenses for over 20 yrs. Finally he finished up with the ownership of a Days Inn. David is presently Treasurer of the IACC Foundation and House Committee Chair for the IACC Club.

Frank Zeoli is a proud third-generation Italian American whose family history is deeply rooted in the City of Albany and whose passion for preserving Italian American culture and traditions has become a defining part of his life. Through his leadership, community involvement, and unwavering dedication to the Italian American Community Center, Frank continues to honor the generations who came before him while working to ensure that their rich heritage lives on for generations to come.

Frank's Italian ancestry traces back to the beautiful regions of Calabria and Campania in southern Italy. His maternal great-grandmother was born in Gimigliano, Calabria, while his maternal great-grandfather came from the neighboring town of Albi. On his father's side, his paternal great-grandparents emigrated from the small town of Santa Croce del Sannio in the Province of Benevento. These ancestral connections have instilled in Frank a deep appreciation for the sacrifices, traditions, and values of the Italian immigrants who came to America seeking a better life for themselves and their families.

Born and raised in the City of Albany, Frank proudly graduated from Albany High School. He went on to pursue his interest in the culinary and hospitality industries, studying Culinary Arts and Hotel and Restaurant Management and earning his degree from SUNY Schenectady. His education reflects an appreciation for food, hospitality, and the traditions of bringing people together, values that are central to Italian American culture.

Professionally, Frank has dedicated his career to public service and currently serves as Executive Deputy Commissioner of the City of Albany Department of General Services. In this leadership role, he contributes to the essential services that support the city's neighborhoods, infrastructure, and quality of life.

Frank and his wife, Nancy, are the proud parents of their son, Michael, who has spent many summers working in the IACC pavilion. For Frank, seeing his own family involved in the club is especially meaningful, as it represents the continuation of the traditions and sense of community that have been passed down through generations.

Frank's love for the Italian American Community Center is evident in the countless hours he devotes to its success. Over the years, he has taken an active leadership role in organizing and chairing numerous events, cultural programs, and celebrations that bring members and families together. His enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment to preserving Italian American heritage have helped strengthen the organization and ensure that its traditions remain a vibrant part of the community.

Having previously served as President of the Italian American Community Center, Frank continues to lead as President of the IACC Foundation. Through these roles, he has worked to advance the organization's mission to celebrate, preserve, and promote Italian culture and heritage, while creating opportunities for future generations to connect with their ancestral roots.

For Frank, his involvement with the IACC is deeply personal. He believes that Italian American heritage is not simply something to remember or celebrate once a year, but something to live and share every day. Whether organizing a cultural celebration, participating in a club event, or gathering with friends and family, he sees each occasion as an opportunity to honor the generations who helped shape his life.

As Frank often says, every time he participates in one of the many activities or programs at the IACC, he honors his grandparents and keeps their spirit alive.