WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR HERITAGE “THE ROMAN MURAL IN THE COMMUNITY HALL AT VILLA MARCONI”?

jun03b

From: Angelo Filoso
To: Domenic Ricci

Domenic

I was at Villa Marconi last Saturday and I noticed the Roman Mural was removed from the Multi Purpose Hall wall. As you are aware we donated this in 0998 at the first raising the Roof Fund Raising event honouring retired Justice of the supreme Court Frank Iacobucci. The artist we hired was Louisa Carota through the Italian Canadian Community Centre to which organization the Multi Purpose Hall was dedicated with the granite wall next to it. I would like to know what your intentions are in restoring the Mural on the wall which is part of our dedication?

Please let me know as soon as possible so that I can meet with my directors to discuss this issue. In order to remind you our organization has given Villa Marconi over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from 1995 to 2002.

The value of the mural is five thousand dollars.

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From: Domenic Ricci
To: Angelo Filoso

Hi Angelo

I am not sure to what you are referring too?

My understanding was that the Roman Mural was donated by Louisa Carota as a back ground stage prop in Honouring the retired Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci, at no time was there any conditions given to Villa Marconi by Louisa Carola or made by Villa Marconi to Louisa Carola in connection with the Roman Mural donation.

You will recall I was part of the organization committee with you, Lawrence Greenspon, Pat Santini, Rob De Toni, and others. I attended every meeting at no time were there any conditions made or given regarding the Roman Mural.

After the event as the Artist did not want it, she left it for Villa Marconi, the Board at that time decided to hang the Roman Mural in the Hall as part of the Hall decoration only and in no way set it up as a Dedication.

The Dedication to the Honourable Frank Iacobucci Supreme Court Justice proudly hangs in our Main Entrance Piazza to Villa Marconi LTC Centre that is seen by hundreds of people daily.

The Honourable Frank Iacobucci has visited our centre numerous times since October 28, 2004 and has expressed to us how proud he is to has this Dedication in such a predominate location, the entrance of the Villa Marconi Long Term Care Centre.

The Community hall is one of our primary sources of raising funds for Villa Marconi and we have had many people asking us to remove the Mural. We are also aware that we have lost numerous bookings directly due to the Mural being there.

We had no choice but to remove the Roman Mural to be able to market the hall to the large multi cultural community that we are a part of.

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From: Angelo Filoso
To: Domenic Ricci

Dominic

I totally disagree with your interpretation of the Roman Mural. It was part of the cultural sensitive conceptual complexity of building the Villa Marconi Campus. Our Campus similar to Villa Colombo in Toronto should not and must not take direction from other Ethnic Groups. Before I publish an article in the Postino on the removal of this Roman Mural I would like to know the Villa Marconi Board’s position on this matter.

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From: Mario Cuconato
To: Angelo Filoso, Domenic Ricci, Mgiannetti, John Mion, Rudy Mion, Nello Bortolotti

Dear Mr. Fills,

As President of the board of Directors of Villa Marconi and behalf of the board we stand by the decision taken.