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Ace Alagna photographic collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: Mss 0018

Scope and Contents

The Ace Alagna photographs consist of photographic negatives, prints, videos, and layout sheets from Ace Alagna's career as a photographer and as editor and owner of the newspaper the Italian Tribune. A large portion of the collection is made up of photographic negatives in several formats depicting a wide variety of people, places, and events, particularly related to the city of Newark and surrounding areas, the state of New Jersey in general, Columbus Day celebrations in Newark, the Italian American community in and around Newark, and politicians and celebrities.

Individuals featured in the collection are generally placed in Series 1: Politicians, or Series 4: Celebrities. Politicians include Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the United States, particularly John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Hubert Humphrey, New Jersey politicians including Governor Richard Hughes and Congressman Peter Rodino, and a large number of state senators and assemblymen, among many others. Celebrities, often associated with the Columbus Day parade and celebrations in Newark, include Danny Aiello, Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, Joe Piscopo, and Tony LoBianco, among many others.

Many of the images are related to the Columbus Day parade in Newark and surrounding events, such as the Columbus Day dinner and luncheon, all sponsored by the Italian Tribune. Most images in Series 2: Columbus Day Parade and Series 3: Italian Tribune were likely created in relation to the activities of the Italian Tribune, and a number of these images were featured in that newspaper. Images in these series also focus on the Italian American community in Newark.

A large portion of the images were taken in New Jersey, particularly in Newark and surrounding areas, but other many other locations are represented. Series 5: Places and events includes images from New Jersey, New York, California, Florida, Italy, and England, among many others. Many of the images from places other than New Jersey and New York were likely personal images from the Alagna family's travels and activities. Series 6: Alagna family personal photographs includes images from personal family events.

Many of the images in this collection are believe to have been photographed by Ace Alagna, but many were likely taken by other photographers, possibly by staff photographers of the Italian Tribune. Earlier images may be more likely to have taken by Ace Alagna; images featuring Ace Alagna were likely taken by staff photographers. Photographic formats include black and white 4x5 sheet film negatives, black and white 120 roll film negatives, black and white 35mm film negatives, color 120 roll film negatives, color 35mm film negatives, color 35mm slides, black and white 8x10 sheet film negatives, black and white photographic prints, and color photographic prints.

Images are described at the file level: each file contains a group of images and indicates how many images are in that group. Many images have been scanned; these images have been assigned individual numbers, listed as "Image" with a span of numbers. Images that were not scanned are listed as "Folder" and have one number for the entire file, with an E or SG in the number. The format of the negatives are specified at the file level.

The prints and videos included in the collection are not yet fully processed. Prints will be added to the appropriate topical series as they are processed and described.

Dates

  • 1944-1998

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is not completely processed. Materials may be available to researchers with staff assistance at the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center. Photographic negatives may only be viewed with the assistance of the archivist.


This collection includes audio-visual materials. Access copies of audiotapes, audio cassette tapes, video cassette tapes, film reels, or other audio-visual materials may need to be ordered prior to on-site research. Please contact us to inquire about access to audio-visual materials.


Otherwise, materials are available for research at the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center. Advance appointments are required for the use of archival materials.

Conditions Governing Use

All materials available in this collection (unless otherwise noted) are the property of the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center and Seton Hall University, which reserves the right to limit access to or reproduction of these materials. Reproduction of materials or content is subject to United States copyright restrictions and may be subject to federal or state privacy regulations. Permission to publish exact reproductions must be obtained from the Director of the Archives and Special Collections Center.

Biographical / Historical

Ace Alagna was a photographer, editor and publisher of the Italian Tribune, and prominent member of the Italian American community in Newark, NJ.

Armando “Ace” Alagna was born 17 February 1925 in Newark, NJ, to Mario and Marianne Barbieri Alagna, both of whom had immigrated to the United States from Italy in 1900. Ace Alagna became a photographer and was a member of the White House Press Corps, assigned to five U.S. Presidents: Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. He also worked as a photographer for the Newark Star and the Star-Ledger newspapers.

In 1968 he purchased the Italian Tribune and served as its publisher for nearly thirty years. Under his leadership, the Italian Tribune became the sponsor for the annual Columbus Day Parade in Newark, NJ, which became one of the largest Columus Day celebrations in the country, starting in 1971. The parade honors celebrities and notable figures, many of Italian heritage, and the Columbus Day Dinner or Gala honors and recognizes contributions of members of the Italian American community. In 1988 he hosted a Columbus Day celebration for President Ronald Reagan in West Orange, NJ. The parade was no longer held after 1999.

After the 1976 Friuli Earthquake in Italy, Alagna established the Italian Tribune News Earthquake Relief Fund, which helped raise more than one million dollars in relief funds for the affected areas. The proceeds were used to create a children's day care center in Udine, Italy. After the 1980 Irpinia Earthquake, the fund raised more than two million dollars, which went to a second children's center in Palomonte. For this work, he was honored with the Boys Town of Italy Humanitarian Award in 1976 or 1977 and the Cavalier Ufficiale, the highest civilian award granted by the Italian government. Among his other awards and honors, Ace Alagna was given the 1991 Gold Medal of Honor from UNICO.

On 3 June 1945, Ace Alagna married Josephine Zuccorello. The couple had four children, Joan, Marion (Fortunato), Camille (Daunno), and Barbara (Greydanus). Marion married A.J. "Buddy" Fortunato, who assumed the role of publisher of the Italian Tribune when Ace Alagna retired in the late 1990s. Joan Alagna works as the managing editor of the Italian Tribune.

Ace Alagna died 1 June 2000 in Newark NJ. Josephine Alagna died 26 July 2006 in Newark, NJ.

Extent

10 Linear Feet (Approximately 40,000 items.)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Ace Alagna was a photographer, editor and publisher of the Italian Tribune, and prominent member of the Italian American community in Newark, NJ. The Ace Alagna photographs consist of photographic negatives, prints, videos, and layout sheets from Ace Alagna's career as a photographer and as editor and owner of the newspaper the Italian Tribune.

Preservica Internal URL

Preservica Public URL

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Collection is the gift of Buddy Fortunato and the Alagna family to the Archives and Special Collections Center in 2006.

Existence and Location of Copies

Select items from this collection have been digitized. To view these items, click here.

Related Materials

Richard J. Hughes papers, 1956-1979, Mss 0003, in the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center, Seton Hall University.

Brendan Byrne papers, 1960-1982 (bulk 1973-1977), Mss 0007, in the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center, Seton Hall University.

Milano Lardiere family photographs, 1930-1970, Mss 0068, in the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center, Seton Hall University.

John Train papers, 1960-2003 Mss 0058, in the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center, Seton Hall University.

Peter W. Rodino, Jr. Archives, at the Peter W. Rodino Law Library, Seton Hall University Law School.

Processing Information

Collection was processed (concurrent with digitization) by Maura Kenny, 2006-2009. Negatives were re-processed for intellectual access and to number unscanned items by Tracy M. Jackson, Lori Lauterbach, Ben Clark, Steven Smith, and Michelle Tager, 2012-2013. Prints and audio-visual materials are currently unprocessed.

Title
Ace Alagna photographic collection, 1944-1998
Date
2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
  • TypeCollection

Repository Details

Part of the The Monsignor Field Archives & Special Collection Center Repository

Contact:
Archives, Walsh Library
400 South Orange Ave
South Orange NJ 07079 US
973-761-9476