MAHOPAC, N.Y.—After a six-year hiatus, a Mahopac fall tradition that began in 1988 is returning on Oct. 5, when the Putnam County Columbus Day Parade will once again play a central role in the town’s annual Street Festival.
The story behind reviving the parade, which dropped off the calendar due to COVID, is one of persistence, commitment and community spirit.
The parade has a storied history.
The Italian American Club of Mahopac began sponsoring the Putnam County Columbus Day Parade 37 years ago to celebrate Italian American culture.
The parade began as a joint venture with St. John the Evangelist Church, on the occasion of the church’s centennial celebration. Deacon Esposito and Sr. Judith were the first marshals. Tony Morfea was the president of the IAC at the time, and he recruited Giulio Cefaloni, an ambitious Italian teacher and businessman, to help him with the parade. He mentored him and quickly deputized him as the Columbus Parade chairman.
Since then, the Columbus festivities have risen to a new level under Cefaloni, who now leads the IAC.
In 1992, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus landing in the Americas, the Italian American Club of Mahopac commissioned local sculptor, Anthony Padovano, to design and sculpt a statue of explorer. Members and numerous community fundraisers financed the statue and pedestal project. Columbus now proudly stands next to the 9-11 Memorial at Carmel Town Hall on McAlpin Avenue.
In the years that followed, the Columbus Day Parade grew as a fall tradition, attracting participants that went beyond people of Italian heritage.
When the COVID pandemic struck in 2020, the parade and almost every other activity came to a grinding halt. The clubhouse rentals and other events that helped financed the parade ceased and the IAC was forced to abandon the Columbus Parade. The last one was held in 2019.
In 2024, a robust effort was made by IAC members to revitalize the parade. Some money was raised from donations by local merchants and individuals, but not enough to finance a parade.
In the latter part of 2024, a more aggressive fundraising campaign was launched. It included major sponsorship level opportunities to support the parade and bands, the reintroduction of the Columbus Festivities Journal, and the return of the Columbus Day Gala at Villa Barone.
With the combined efforts and support of club members and the community, these events were all a success, even attracting more than 300 people to the Columbus Gala.
“The community encouraged and rallied around the Italian American Club to bring back this long-standing tradition which has enriched Putnam County for over 30 years,” Cefaloni said.
This year’s parade features a new addition — a float modeled on the Santa Maria, the flagship of the trio of vessels that carried Columbus and his crew from Spain to the New World.
In 2017, when Lola Lauro was named Little Miss Columbus, her grandfather and local business owner Ken Lauro vowed to build a more symbolic float for the Columbus Parade. With the return of the parade – and Lola now being crowned Miss Columbus – Lauro’s vision came into focus, and the Santa Maria Project was presented to the club.
“It was something I had in my head for eight years,” Lauro said. “In 2017, they had a little flatbed with something that looked like an outhouse on it. It was broken down. When I saw Lola on the back of that, I thought it was embarrassing. So, I become a member [of the IAC] and my mission was to build a real float.”
Lauro began researching the idea and turned to friend who was a professional engineer for help.
“He drew up some plans and I stayed true to his drawings,” he said. “We built it out of pressure-treated lumber, so it should last forever.”
Joseph Fierro, IAC vice president and honorary grand marshal, joined Lauro in making the project a reality. Through their joint efforts, club President Cefaloni, architects/engineers Iris and Boris Ravvin, lumber donations from Mahopac Railroad Tie, and key sponsors, the club was able to fund and develop the float.
"The Santa Maria float not only commemorates the return of the 32nd Putnam County Columbus Day Parade, but also symbolizes the resilience and resourcefulness of the Italian American Club members and the community, to work together,” Cefaloni said. “The generosity and support of our sponsors and local merchants, members and friends have allowed us to overcome, find solutions, and persevere together.”
The float boasts many authentic touches, such as an antique steering wheel at the helm where Christopher Columbus (played by Tony Scannapieco) will navigate and wave to the crowd, as well as a mast, fishnet, anchor, and flags.
Lauro, who owns a fiberglass swimming pool installation company, said he used carpenters from his crew to help build the float.
He also solicited his fellow business-owners for donations to help defray the costs.
“I went around to local merchants and told them that [for a donation] they could get their company name on the boat in perpetuity. We will burn the name into 6-inch wooden planks that will be displayed on the back of the boat.”
Also, on board the Santa Maria float will be all the 2025 Columbus Festivities honorees including honorary Grand Marshal Bonnie Palmiero, recording secretary and longtime member of the IAC; honorary Grand Marshal Joseph Fierro, vice president and longtime IAC member; special honoree Eric Gross, educator and journalist; Miss Columbus Lola Lauro, 17, an MHS senior, singer, IAC volunteer, and aspiring performer; Little Miss Columbus Anastasia Cefaloni, 5, gymnast, dancer and aspiring veterinarian; and Master Columbus Andrew Henderson, 9, athlete, scout, Scopa and bocce player.
However, the parade’s grand marshal Frank Lombardi said instead of riding on the float with the other honorees, he will walk out in front so he can interact with the crowd.
“Celebrating Columbus Day is really important to me and my family, and other Italian Americans,” said Lombardi, who is the IAC’s legal counsel and serves as a councilman on the Carmel Town Board, “We celebrate the contributions of Italian Americans and all the sacrifices they’ve made. To be named grand marshal is a humbling honor.”
Key sponsors who made the parade and Santa Maria project possible include Putnam County Legislator Dan Birmingham, Landwork Construction, Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano LLP, Lynlil Associates, Tompkins Community Bank, Kearney Group, OLA Consulting Engineers, Sen. Pete Harckham, PCSB Bank, the Sullivan Agency, Dutchess County Masonry Supply, TNF Site Development, Villa Barone Hilltop Manor, the Artese family, Cresenzo & Artese Electric, Electric, Clear Choice Pools, the Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce, Florida Concept Pools and Spas, Lola Lauro Miss Columbus 2025, Mahopac Railroad Tie, and Italian American Club of Mahopac.
This year’s parade lineup will include public officials, military groups, dance schools, karate schools, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, community organizations, classic cars, fire departments and much more.
The parade steps off at 2:30 p.m. at the intersection of Lake Casse Road and Route 6 and will march to Chamber Park to meet up the the Mahopac Street Fair.
The Italian American Club is also sponsoring the Columbus Statue Ceremony, which will be held Oct. 13, 2025, at 10 a.m. in the Carmel Town Hall parking lot
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