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PHOENIX, May 3, 1973, Page 7PHOENIX PROFILEHe%u2019s a DedicatedBrooklyn BoosterBY CORRINE COLEMANOn April 17, a ceremony at Battery Park marked the %u201c449 anniversary of the discovery of the Eastern Seaboard of North America%u201d by Giovanni Da Verrazano.%u201d This 20th annual paean to the Florentine explorer who sailed into New York Harbor in 1524 (almost a century before Henry Hudson) results from the almost singular efforts of John N. LaCorte, Brooklyn Heights resident, Borough booster, founder and sole curator of the Italian Historical Society of America; all headquartered at his Columbia Heights brownstone home.The Verrazano focus which began with the Society%u2019s founding in 1949 and included the successful push (against the will of Commissioner Robert Moses) to name the Brooklyn-Staten Island bridge after the Italian navigator, is but one of the concentration points for La Corte in his attempt to provide what he considers long-awaited recognition for the deeds of his countrymen.A listing of coming events in the Historical Society%u2019s calendar (included in the Italian American Review, one of the various publications eminating from the Columbia St. address) attests to La Corte%u2019s involvement in rescuing obscure Italian or Italian American worthies and his promotion of added acknowledgement for those better known.June 1, for instance, brings a Battery Park commemoration ofPeter Caesar Alberti, a Venetian who La Corte notes, became in 1635, the first Italian to settle in New York State. On June 14, Charles J. Bonaparte, the founder of the F.B.I. will be honored in a Washington, D.C. ceremony.Garibaldi, more frequently acclaimed than the last mentioned hero, will once again have a wreath placed at his Washington Square monument on July 4, and on Oct. 5 the annual Columbus Day observance will take place at Brooklyn%u2019s Borough Hall around the two-year-old monument to America's most noted Italian; which was erected through La Corte%u2019s efforts.The listing for December 9, %u201cThe Second Annual Meucci Day Testimonial Luncheon,%u201d centers around one of La Corte%u2019s latest fullfledged moves; the attempt to credit Antonio Meucci, an Italian American who lived in Staten Island, with the invention of the telephone in 1871. La Corte has asked for the printing of the Meucci story in every telephone directory, the issuance of a Meucci postage stamp, and the financing by Bell Telephone of a $1. million Meucci Scholarship fund.The apparently indefatigable historian is also behind the Annual Better Brooklyn Committee which sponsored the Brooklyn Hall of Fame Awards for a decade beginning in 1960. In addition, he puts out %u201cThe Brooklyn Review,%u201d a quarterly, combining reprints of borough news and statistics, with assorted broadsides, %u201cgems of wisdom,%u201d historical material andJohn LaCorte puts wreath on Verrazano Monument at Battery Park, Manhattan, in early April, at ceremonies to commemorate the 449th anniversary of the discovery of Brooklyn by the %u2022Florentine navigator.began his efforts at local Italian consciousness raising, forming an Italian Cultural Club with the help of a few%u2019 friends. During a Columbus Day march past the American-Irish Historical Society 15 years later, he flashed on the idea for a similar institution for Italian Americans.%u201cEveryone I went to including Italian professors at Columbia University liked the idea,%u201d he remembers, %u201cbut they were all too busy. So I started the Society myself.\Brooklyn, the second object of La Corte%u2019s dual concern, %u201chas not come up to expectations,%u201d he feels.Continued on Page 14listings of previous Hall ot l ame winners; all written by the publisher.La Corte, in the sunny front parlor of his harbor-view home, surrounded by rows of file cabinets enclosing what seems to be the entire history of two continents, recalls his arrival in this country as a teenager back in 1929.%u201cI came to Brooklyn with 17 cents in my pocket and couldn%u2019t speak English,%u201d he says. %u201cAt that time the Italians I met didn%u2019t want to be identified as such and changed their names %u2014 from Verdi to Green %u2014 they wouldn%u2019t speak the language.%u201d Within three years of his arrival, however, La CorteFight Continues ForSRO Hotel ReformsCouncilman Fred Richmond, premises bonded security guard, a continuing his campaign to clean T.V. security surveillance of all up the Single Room Occupancy corridors, lobbies and elevators, a Hotels has announced that a recent 24-hour switchboard and break fire inspection of the Franklin Arms Hotel has uncovered 21 violations.Richmond said: %u201cThe April 4th inspection of the Franklin Arms, conducted by the. Fire Department%u2019s Bureau of Fire Prevention, serves notice on the other S.R.O. owners that they too could be in trouble unless they fix up their hotels.%u201dRichmond is the author of two hotel security fire prevention bills in the City Council. These measures call for a 24-hour on theaway fire doors at all entrances to doors in a closed position in the S.R.O.%u2019s. cellar; replace standpipe hoses;%u201e%u2022 and repair holes in the ceiling ofThe Councilman reports that the the lobby and in the wall in the Fire Department issued corrective boiler room. In addition, the fire violation orders to the Franklin inspectors forced the hotel%u2019s Arms%u2019 management demanding management to repair the interior that the hotel: remove rubbish fire alarm system while they were from the roof; maintain adequate at the Franklin Arms, lighting on the 4th and 5th floors of the hotel; maintain self closing fireWed.thru Tues.May 2-8ONE OF THE YEAR%u2019S BEST.%u201dRe* Reed N Y Daily New* Wmsten N Y PostJO A N N E W O O D W A R D%u201c THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ONMAN-IN-THE-MOONSe%u00ae)urThe Paul f Newman V Production of the 1971 Pulitzer Prizewinning playt: 2:20-4:1 5-6 10-8:05-10pmp o HENRY ST ai ORANGE ST, Tel 596-7070 Wed.thru Tues.May 2-8YOUNG *t*.tWINSTONROBERT ANNE SIMONSHAW BANCROFT WARDA f.lm by CARl FOREMAN ond RICHARD ATTENBOROUGHP'O neof the 10 best film s ever m ade!%u201d-KEVIN SANDERS. ABC-TV3:00-5:1 5-7:30-9:45pmTHEH EIG H TS \\ PLAYERS26 W illow P t/Brooklyn /$ * * * * * * * * * * * * * $* * * * * * * * * * * * * * %u00a3%u00bb a i i # %u25a0 W ith th is C oupon* b A V t $ 3 O F F t^ REPAIR44TV SERVICE AIR CONDITIONER SERVICECOLOR SETS $9.95 SPECIALBLACK & WHITE SETS $5.95 TUNE- $9.95STEREO HI-FI $4.95 UPP LU S F IL T E RPLUS P A R T STelevisionStero Hi-FiAir ConditioneryL K&PTELEVISI0N& AIR CONDITIONING ^2 Call 789-0932SERVICE & INSTALLATION ON EVERY MAKE (90 DAY GUARANTEE ON ALL REPAIRS)%u25a0%u2019I f P r hr hr h r \h r h r hr hit h, r %u201cx r r -y. r %u2022% r t r r r %u201cA r %u2022** r > r r r -%*n \0 3 1 c m m0 ) 2 drro g5 r> H-<2>^ H >> X 2< m u m o O 2 c i H n m %u2014jm %u2014 m2 2 >o > >> H %u00a3K> 3 J ,b P 1 !o m-O 03 33 O O 7s> Oo > >O r g X) r- 5oo > O> H ti%u2014I wo o 2O O OF O R C H IL D R E NMay 5 at 2:00 pm:The Little People's Theatre Worshop/Bob Pomeranz Singalong'/Abike Jo'tayo le Omo (House of Children)May 12 at 2:00 pm:Frabjous Friends and Alice (original musical)May 19 at 2:00 pm:The Winnie Wilson Puppets: 'Hands and Strings Review%u2019/ Rat' (BACA Children's Theatre)May 26 at 2:00 pm:The Mildred Mayfield Dancers/The Bread and Puppet PlayersFOR A D U LTSMay 5 at 8:00 pm:The Kings Chorus (Brook lyn) ChapterJ/RorvAld Williams (pianist)/ Nancy Sansevermo (vocalist)/ The Turner Sisters (vocalists)/ The York Christian Group/ The Children of God Gospel SingersMay 12 at 8:00 pm:Brownsville Laboratory Theatre/Festival Repertory Company/The Alonzo Players/The Boerum Hill TheatreMay 19 at 8:00 pm:John Dewey High School Wind Ensemble/Brooklyn College Dance Theatre/ African Cultural Association of America/ Contemporary Choreographers Ensemble/Wingate High School Dance WorkshopMay 26 at 8:00 pm:The Everyman Company of BrooklynALL SEATS $1.00Brooklyn Academy of Music 30 Lafayette? Ave, B klyn ,N . Y.Box Office 783-6700Attended Parking Available