Italian-Americans Celebrated in Lansing

Michigan

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The annual trip began with Maria Stante bringing a group of Italians to the Capitol to visit Representative Laura Toy, and Ramo Salerno also attended at the Capitol as a guest performing with the Coro Italiano.

In 1999 Stante asked Salerno if he would like to join her in the endeavor. Since then, Salerno has spearheaded the Italian American Day in Lansing for the most part at his own expense. A few years back he joined the Columbus Day Celebration Committee and became part of the weeks' events, Since 2020 he has separated from the Committee and has continued on his own.

Along with all the planning involved in procuring two busloads of the Italian American community and a bus for the queens. Salerno also has received congressional proclamations for each year the celebration was held.

The group iwas annually accompanied by the Italian American Cultural Center’s Coro Italiano singers and instrumentalists.

For over 20 years, Ramo Salerno spearheaded the  Celebration in Lansing at his own expense. He received proclamations for each year the celebration was held.

In addition, he was the Grand Marshal of the 2001 Columbus Day Parade and is a past Grand Marshal and Director of the Warren-Centerline Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Among his many other civic duties, he sits on the executive board of the Warren Symphony Orchestra and served as Chairman of the Roast Committee for the Symphony. He is also a member of the St. Mary’s College Senate, a sponsor of the Fitzgerald High School Electric Car Program, a supporter of the Juneau Family Birth Center of Alaska, a supporter of the Career and Technical Educators of Macomb County, and an ambassador to Orchard Lake Schools.

But his service to the Boys Scouts of America is the nearest and dearest to his heart. He has served as chairman of the Michigan District of the Detroit Area Council of Boy Scouts of America and is on the committee to celebrate the 100th anniversary in 2009. In 2020 Ramo Salerno was knighted by the Italian government and became Cavaliere Ramo Arthur Salerno.

“Growing up, we were very poor,” he says. “We lived in a two-bedroom home with four children on [Detroit’s] lower east side. Dad only worked a couple of days a week, and it was in the Depression years. We struggled for many years until I was 12 years old.

“As an Italian, I was not accepted in my neighborhood. Boy Scouts helped me. I earned the  star rank.” Though he didn’t get back into Scouting until he had his son, he then became a scoutmaster. His son earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

Salerno is proud of his son, Ramo Salerno Jr., a doctor of optometry, who is married to Valerie and his daughter, Rhonda Salerno Collins, who is married to Gordon, and his granddaughter Marena.