On Monday October 12, 1998, the Scotch Plains Community gathered around the Village Green and specifically for the dedication of a three-ton marble sculpture honoring Christoforo Colombo during its annual Columbus Day Festivities. Former State Senate President and Scotch Plains native Donald DiFrancesco called it, "a fabulous tribute to the work ethic of the entire community."

The coordinator for the project and the Scotch Plains UNICO Chapter founder John Appezzato, described it as, "It's something that brought the town together." Between UNICO, the Knight of Columbus, and the Italian-American Club they raised $50,000 for the sculpture and shipped it from Italy (where it was sculpted), to Port Newark (like many of us who settled in New Jersey), and eventually to its home today at the Alan Augustine Village Green in Scotch Plains.