Chairwoman Susan Molinari
Former Congresswoman Susan Molinari (R-NY) was born and raised in Staten Island, New York. She grew up surrounded by a large family with strong Italian roots. Her grandparents immigrated to the United States from Calabria and Naples, Italy in the early 1900’s. From an early age, Molinari was involved in politics and grew up working on her father’s political campaigns.
Molinari’s Bar & Spaghetti House, owned and run by the first generation Molinaris in Staten Island.
In 1985, at the age of 27, she won her first campaign and was elected to the New York City Council.
Five years later, the New York Staten Island Republican Party asked Molinari to run for office. After being elected to Congress in 1990, she went on to win reelection five times. Throughout her time in office, Molinari served on the Education and Labor; Transportation and Infrastructure; and Budget Committees.
Susan’s 2nd Birthday, sitting on her maternal grandfather’s lap (center left). Her grandfather, Raffaele Nacchio, came to America from Naples in the early 1900s.
Notably, as a member of the Budget Committee, Molinari participated in crafting the nation’s first balanced budget in 25 years. She also worked hand-in-hand with then-Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) on the Violence Against Women Act, which provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and more.
After her time in office, among other positions, Molinari went on to become co-host of the CBS News Saturday Morning show; chair of The Century Council, a non-profit, corporate social responsibility program; and founder and chair of Susan Molinari Strategies, LLC.
Most recently, Molinari served as the Vice President of Public Affairs at Google for the Americas and oversaw dozens of policy offices throughout North and South America. She currently serves on the board of Harvard University’s Kennedy School Institute of Politics, The American Action Foundation, APCO Media, Protiviti, and many more organizations and nonprofits. She was selected as one of the Women of the Year by Glamour Magazine and recognized by Time Magazine as one of 40 most influential people under 40.
Reflecting on her Italian-American heritage, Molinari recalls the importance of Italian food to her family.
“My maternal grandmother, baptized Asunta Nacchio, was the third oldest in a family of ten. Her parents and two of her sisters migrated from Pagani, Italy to NYC. Shortly after landing in America, my grandmother was born.
They were a loud and joyful family who got together frequently, always around a meal. Their meals were simple and healthy. They couldn’t afford a lot of meat, so they relied on beans, lentils, fresh vegetables, and pasta. My grandmother was an amazing cook, even though we didn’t own measuring cups nor spoons. When I would watch her cook, she would explain, “you take a little oil, a dash of salt, some oregano...” It was all to taste - her taste - and she always got it right. How I loved coming home from school, with beautiful smells emanating from the kitchen as she prepared our dinner. It smelled like heaven; it smelled like love.
This summer, we were privileged to visit Corpo Di Christo – the center of my family’s life in Pagani. The locals welcomed us with open arms. Sometimes, you can feel “family” generations back. The church contained a lot of information about my grandmother’s family.”