Nicole Casamento is a Queens native of Italian and Sicilian descent (on her father’s side) who is passionate about local NYC culture, the arts and travel. She is the Social Media Manager at the Art Dealers Association of America, a nonprofit membership organization for the nation’s leading art galleries. In addition to running the ADAA’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts, Nicole launched the ADAA’s Tumblr blog Inside Stories, where she covers exhibitions and international art fairs and goes “behind the scenes” with renowned dealers to learn about their journeys through the art world.

Joining NOIAW is an exciting opportunity for her to connect with her Italian roots and to learn more about the traditions of different regions of Italy.

1. How did you hear about NOIAW?
   
   Victoria Passarella contacted me after she started NOIAW’s Young Professional Committee. I originally met Victoria while we were both board members for the Younger Women’s Task Force—another great group for young, professional women.

2. What drew you to join the organization?

I attended the Italian Women Trailblazers wine tasting in June to see what NOIAW was about. I decided to become a member because I was inspired by both the dynamic women in the group and the opportunities to explore different aspects of Italian culture, from modernist Italian art to wine created by Sicilian women today.

3. How has your NOIAW membership helped you personally and/or professionally so far?

Though I have only been a member for a couple of months, I’ve already made several great connections in the fields of art, travel and communications. I look forward to meeting more members!

4. Tell me about your connection with your Italian heritage. How has it influenced your life and your career?

I feel more Italian-American than Italian per se, but greatly value the history of Italian-American culture, especially in New York City.

Casamento house in Astoria, Queens

My grandfather’s parents, the Casamentos, immigrated through Ellis Island in the late 1910s. They came with about a dozen kids and built a house in Astoria, in which three generations were then raised. They were very proud to be American and help build New York—literally! My grandfather started his own roofing business as an adult and put the original roof on the iconic Flatiron building on 5^th Avenue, among many others. He also worked on the demolition to prepare for the construction of the Empire State building.

Grandmother and her sister’s first communion

My grandmother was born in Brooklyn to Italian parents from Naples. Her birth name was Fanny Desidario but she renamed herself Francis, though everyone called her “Chicky.” She was a bit of a rebel and married at a relatively late age for an Italian-American woman of her generation. She wanted to live a cosmopolitan lifestyle and take advantage of the glamour of New York City. Once she did “settle down” with my grandfather, however, she was very dedicated to her family—but never to staying in the house too much!

Grandparents wedding day

As a child, I realized everyone in the neighborhood knew and liked my grandparents very well because they were always chatting with everyone on the street and often helping people out. I like to think they mixed the best of Italian and American culture—a strong sense of community with a fierce independence streak—and passed that along to their grandchildren, including me. Those are the core values that guide my life.

5. Do you have a favorite memory of your Italian family?

First generation Casamento cousins

In my family specifically, I most fondly remember how much time was spent laughing around the dinner table with the entire extended family present—something hard for a young NYC professional to keep up with today! Not to mention the fact that so many people in my family have passed away or moved away in more recent years…

From the neighborhood in general, it’s the little things about “the old block”: the nicknames everyone had (“Rockin’ Freddy”), the old-timers’ “club” on the corner, the summertime Giglio Feasts my family helped run and everyone in Astoria came out for.

Casamento boys playing bocce

6. Anything else you’d like to share?
Networking, especially with other women, has proven to be one of the most important elements of both my professional and personal growth over the past few years. And I think having a sense of community is extremely important in general—especially when you’re young and trying to build a career and life in New York today. It can be easy to disconnect from the “little” things in pursuit of larger goals but keeping a connection between your past and future alive can help you stay balanced, focused and inspired.

I’m also very appreciative of the organization’s recent efforts to reach out to younger women specifically and to Beth for all her great work in that area!