On June 6, at the New York State Convention of the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), the Columbus Lodge members were present when Dan Colantone received the prestigious Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro Award for the year 2003.

The Order Sons of Italy in America was founded in New York City in 1905 by Dr. Vincenzo Sellaro. The purpose of this award is to recognize and acknowledge OSIA members who have distinguished themselves in the ideals and principles exemplified by the order's founder. Candidates for the award must be members of the OSIA for at least 15 years and were judged primarily on their outstanding service and contribution to the Order, based on accomplishment, commitment, devotion and work on behalf of the local, state and national lodges, and participation in community activities which may have benefited Italian Americans.

Colantone, a longtime resident of Massapequa, is a 25-year member of the Columbus Lodge, a past president of the lodge, a past NYS commissioner of arbitration, a past NYS trustee and is presently a commissioner of the Garibaldi Meucci Museum on Staten Island. He is an active, hard-working member of OSIA, very much involved in the Columbus Lodge, local and statewide activities. He is a membership chairman for Nassau County and has also served as District 2 (Nassau County) president and District 2 deputy as representative of the state president.

Colantone was nominated for this high honor by the members of the Columbus Lodge and chosen from nominees from various parts of New York State. He will be part of the New York State delegation to the Order's National Convention to be held in St. Louis this month.

Colantone attended St. Francis DeSales Grade School, St. Mary's High School and then Washington University where he majored in Transportation. All his schooling was in St. Louis. Colantone remained in the transportation industry all of his working life, first in St. Louis, then in New York. He worked his way up from dock hand as a young man to becoming Vice President of Sales and Operations for the Eastern Region of National/International transportation corporations.

Always active and a "people person," Colantone belonged to various traffic and transportation clubs and business related organizations, both in St. Louis and New York, and traveled extensively throughout the United States. Colantone retired at 62, following two back-to-back bouts with cancer. He is thankful that he is a survivor of both lung and colon cancer.

Colantone has been a State Delegate from Columbus Lodge to the Convention for almost the entire time of his membership in the Order and said that he is always happy to serve at Convention in any capacity when needed. In 2001, he was elected as a National Delegate.

It was on an overseas trip for his company in 1977 when he met Gloria, who also worked for an International Transportation conglomerate in Australia. They were married seven months later, June 9, 1978 and this year they will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

Colantone is a devoted family man, with three daughters and five grandchildren. In 2001, the Colantones were named as New York State Family of the Year.

Colantone has strong family ties with his many cousins living in St. Louis. He has one brother, Michael Albert, who lives in Oak Lawn, Illinois with his wife, Marcella, and their five children.

Colantone is as active as he can possibly be in all Lodge, District and State activities and has the full support of Gloria in all of his undertakings. His children are all supportive of his involvement in the Order, as is Colantone proud of his Italian heritage, proud to be an Italian-American and proud to be a member of the Order Sons of Italy in America.