Washington Township Supervisor Sebastiano Previti held a reception honoring the mayor of Terrasini (Palermo), Giosuè Maniaci.  Also in attendance were Fr. Pino Ingraio, a Sicilian folklore group of singers and musicians, and a delegation of citizens from Terrasini who traveled to Michigan with the mayor.

Local communities were represented by Bruce Township Supervisor Mike Fillbrook and Shelby Township Trustee Lucia DiCicco, and Club Terrasini by president Fernando Pappalardo. The purpose of the visit from the Italian contingent was to strengthen the ties between Michigan and Terrasini, to showcase the tourism of Terrasini and to encourage the purchase of Sicilian products.  

Distinguished guest the Consul of Italy in Detroit Allegra Baistrocchi was present to welcome Mayor Maniaci.  She encouraged the audience to return to their roots in Terrasini often and support the local economy, and to continue to build cultural and economic bridges across the ocean. 

Mayor Maniaci expressed his pleasure in seeing how his fellow citizens have immersed themselves into the social, cultural, and economic environment of the community in which they now reside.  He stated that this was “A moment of celebration and joy, but also a moment to seal a friendship between our communities that favors especially the new generations, strengthening preservation of traditions, historical memory, and the possibility of new opportunities for work and investment.  And for this reason I want to thank all the Italian-Americans who are working towards this goal.  Let’s move forward knowing that we will continue to cultivate our relationships with our American brothers with greater strength, who in this land have found opportunities and the possibility to realize their dreams.” 

Another objective of the visit was to reintroduce “La Festa di li Schietti” to the community in Michigan.  The Feast of the Bachelors is celebrated in Terrasini on Easter Sunday when young men lift an orange tree to demonstrate their physical prowess to women searching for husbands. The tradition originated when a young man would lift an orange tree beneath his beloved’s window to prove his strength and readiness for marriage. 

Thousands of Italian Americans in the metropolitan Detroit area trace their roots back to Terrasini. Terrasini and Warren, Michigan are sister cities, each having an identical monument, “Monument to Immigrants”, by Domenico Zora, commemorating the relationship.  The monument was dedicated jointly by the cities of Warren and Terrasini to all Italian workers abroad, in memory of Jerome Grillo (1935-1986), who was born in Terrasini and died in Detroit.