The Van Westerhout Cittadini Molesi Cultural, Sport & Social Club's story is this. From the 1950's
to the 1970's over ten thousand Italian immigrants settled in Carroll Gardens, then known as South Brooklyn-Red Hook. Some two thousand pus were from Mola di Bari. By the seventies there were eighteen immigrant social clubs, each from different towns in Italy. Only two remain, Ours is named after a classical music composer born In Mola di Bari.
Having embraced a future in our adopted and deeply loved United States of America, over the years among our members and their children and grandchildren have been artists, an assemblyman (now a New York Supreme court Judge), attorneys, (including two Brooklyn Bar Association presidents) brokers, mechanics, carpenters, construction workers, directors (broadway stage), developers, doctors, entrepreneurs, gardeners, house painters, insurance executives, law enforcement, longshoremen, decorated members of the United States military (including recipient of two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars), restaurant owners, teachers, and more....and yes, a rocket scientist!
Sadly, we were also impacted by the loss of four on 9/11.
The club was created from a merger of Mola Social Club, Inc. (1957) located at 67-69 Woodhull Street and The Van Westerhout Mola Social Sport club, Inc. (1961) located at 134 Summit Street, and Circolo Cittadini Molesi, Inc. (1967) located at 345 Smith Street.
As with all other immigrant clubs, it provided a place for members to gather and learn about events in their "home town" community, both here and in Italy. Our club in particular was in the mainstream of community activism engaging in civic and political action, social and cultural initiatives, religious and sporting events.
On October 2, 2011 Citizens of Mola di Bari Way was unveiled as an added street name on Court Street and Fourth Place. The statue in the garden is "Our Lady of Sorrows" considered the Parton Saint of Mola di Bari, whose name day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday in September with a procession through the street of Carroll Gardens. Every year a Miss Mola Brooklyn USA is elected and exchange classical music concerts are also promoted.
We are committed to our neighborhood, city and adopted nation, as we are to nourishing future accomplished generations.
Feel free to peruse our garden and take images.
to the 1970's over ten thousand Italian immigrants settled in Carroll Gardens, then known as South Brooklyn-Red Hook. Some two thousand pus were from Mola di Bari. By the seventies there were eighteen immigrant social clubs, each from different towns in Italy. Only two remain, Ours is named after a classical music composer born In Mola di Bari.
Having embraced a future in our adopted and deeply loved United States of America, over the years among our members and their children and grandchildren have been artists, an assemblyman (now a New York Supreme court Judge), attorneys, (including two Brooklyn Bar Association presidents) brokers, mechanics, carpenters, construction workers, directors (broadway stage), developers, doctors, entrepreneurs, gardeners, house painters, insurance executives, law enforcement, longshoremen, decorated members of the United States military (including recipient of two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars), restaurant owners, teachers, and more....and yes, a rocket scientist!
Sadly, we were also impacted by the loss of four on 9/11.
The club was created from a merger of Mola Social Club, Inc. (1957) located at 67-69 Woodhull Street and The Van Westerhout Mola Social Sport club, Inc. (1961) located at 134 Summit Street, and Circolo Cittadini Molesi, Inc. (1967) located at 345 Smith Street.
As with all other immigrant clubs, it provided a place for members to gather and learn about events in their "home town" community, both here and in Italy. Our club in particular was in the mainstream of community activism engaging in civic and political action, social and cultural initiatives, religious and sporting events.
On October 2, 2011 Citizens of Mola di Bari Way was unveiled as an added street name on Court Street and Fourth Place. The statue in the garden is "Our Lady of Sorrows" considered the Parton Saint of Mola di Bari, whose name day is celebrated every year on the second Sunday in September with a procession through the street of Carroll Gardens. Every year a Miss Mola Brooklyn USA is elected and exchange classical music concerts are also promoted.
We are committed to our neighborhood, city and adopted nation, as we are to nourishing future accomplished generations.
Feel free to peruse our garden and take images.
