Members of the Roma Sports Club gathered at Dowling Gardens on Wednesday evening to pay homage to Christopher Columbus, a controversial figure in American history and a long-standing embodiment of Italian American pride. To Italian Americans, the explorer is glorified for his ocean voyages. To others, he was a brutal viceroy responsible for spreading diseases and trading slaves.

The borough-owned park, home to a Columbus monument unveiled last year by the Roma club, featured three flagpoles behind the speakers at Wednesday's affair: the American flag, the Italian flag and the gay pride flag. The event, called "Rediscover Columbus," featured live music and free food, such as pizza, sausage and peppers, crema di caffè, espresso and lemon sorbet from local eateries, along with a slew of speakers and performers.