NIAF 39th Anniversary Gala 2014 Honoree - Daniel D’Aniello

The National Italian American Foundation’s 39th Anniversary Awards Gala celebrated the rich heritage and culture of Italian Americans and Italians as well as poignant memories of ancestors who immigrated to America to create today’s community. NIAF Board member and Emmy Award-winning Fox News Anchor and Global Markets Editor Maria Bartiromo, and NIAF Celebrity Ambassador, actor, entertainer and radio host Joe Piscopo, co-hosted the NIAF Gala at the Washington Hilton on October 25, 2014. They welcomed guests from across the United States and Italy to the annual black-tie dinner.

Honorees joining Turturro included Daniel D’Aniello, co-founder and chairman of The Carlyle Group, a global-asset management firm specializing in private equity, who received a NIAF Special Achievement Award in Business. In his acceptance speech, D’Aniello explained how he knew the word “feminism” before it was invented, because his grandmother had a simple business plan for him: “Keep me close to the faith and to the family” D’ Aniello spoke about all the good luck he has experienced in his life, as well as his first business lesson at the market when his uncle pointed out a potato on the floor: “My uncle said, ‘Dan, do you see that nickel over there?’ I said, ‘What nickel? And he said, ‘See that potato? It’s worth a nickel.’ ”