Two of the four Wall of Distinction inductees, town of Lenox Supervisor Rocky DiVeronica and Greg Sgroi, also participated by riding in cars in the parade. Retired Navy Admiral Edmund Giambastiani Jr., boxing great Carmen Basilio, Sgroi and DiVeronica will be honored at a dinner ceremony tonight at the Rusty Rail in Canastota. Basilio was unable to attend because of an illness, according to Canastota Central School District Athletic Director and Wall of Distinction Chairperson Stephen Tornatore. Giambastiani was also unable to attend because of a state dinner he was already committed to attending.
DiVeronica is a 1955 graduate of Canastota High School, Giambastiani graduated in 1966, Sgroi is a member of the class of 1937 and Basilio is a graduate of the class of 2009 thanks to the military’s service of Operation Recognition Program.
Community members gathered at the Rusty Rail by 6:30 p.m. after the parade for cocktails and mingling time before the dinner that the Canastota Wall of Distinction Committee has planned for months. Superintendent of Schools Fred Bragan was in attendance to honor the inductees, as well as other familiar faces that joined to celebrate their neighbors’ success.
Inductees Sgroi and DiVeronica attended the dinner with several family members, some that traveled hundreds of miles to celebrate. Sgroi, now a resident of Cranford, N.J., traveled more than 300 miles with his daughter Betty Burke of Trumbull, Conn.
“I knew he wanted to be here,” Burke said of the importance of making the long trip for Friday night’s induction ceremony. “It’s different from other awards he has won, this is from his hometown, it’s special.”
Sgroi was born and raised in Canastota. He attained his mechanical engineering degree from Syracuse University in 1941 and shortly after, he graduated from Columbia University with his master’s degree in industrial engineering and management. Sgroi is credited for removing several natural disaster issues in Cranford, such as chronic flooding. He also promoted the installation of a pumping station for the Upper Northeast Quadrant of the township which now bears the name, Gregory A. Sgroi Pumping Station.
“It’s quite an honor in my engineering career,” Sgroi said. “This is from my high school, where I my education really began.”
Joined by his wife Dorothy, children and some grandchildren, town of Lenox Supervisor DiVeronica was “honored” to receive this award form his community. DiVeronica said he remembered when Wall of Distinction Chairperson Tornatore was announcing the other inductees, and how “surprised” he was to hear that he would also be honored.
“I didn’t even think of it,” DiVeronica said. “He [Tornatore] told me the nominee was from the class of ’55, and I thought, ‘hey maybe I know him.’”
DiVeronica has served as supervisor since 1988 and also served the Madison County Board of Supervisors chairman for eight years. Honored by the surprise, DiVeronica said this honor means more than any other award he has received.
“I appreciate the honor, and I am the proudest of this award,” DiVeronica said.
DiVeronica said that he thought about the speech he gave to the Canastota High School students earlier that day because he “believes the young people there are going to be the leaders.” Learning from how his parents encouraged him to get involved in the community, DiVeronica said that he sees the same values in his fellow neighbors.
