14272 HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG HON. ROSA L. Delauro HON. JEFF
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14272 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 24, 2005 night. In front of their hometown crowd, the 53rd Brigade is already in Afghanistan pre- brate their 80th Anniversary—a remarkable Spurs demonstrated once again why they are paring for the arrival of this unit. milestone for this New Haven institution! the best team in the Nation. The 53rd Infantry Brigade has earned a na- When Frank and Filomena opened their piz- Following a tight and evenly matched first tional reputation for excellence and achieve- zeria in 1925, pizza was not considered a deli- half, the Spurs pulled away from the Pistons ment in service to our Nation and our great cacy or a treat that you found on every street in the final quarter to win 81–74 over Detroit, State of Florida. It was among the first units in corner—in fact, it was a peasant meal. With closing out an incredibly hard fought cham- the Nation to be activated following the tragic hard work, countless hours, and dedication the pionship series four games to three. events of September 11, 2001. Their mission Pepe’s created a successful business that car- Congratulations are also due to the Detroit was to guard airports, seaports and nuclear ried themselves and their extended family Pistons and their coach, Larry Brown, for put- facilities. through the Great Depression and allowed ting up a battle worthy of a championship se- Members of the 53rd also proudly served them to raise their two children, Elizabeth and ries. side by side with Special Operations forces, Serafina (Betty and Sarah). Throughout the With the NBA’s number one and number the 3rd Infantry Division, and the Marine Expe- years, Pepe’s popularity grew outside the two defensive teams battling against one an- ditionary Force during Operation Iraqi Free- Italian-American community of Wooster Street other for the title, this was an exciting game dom. They fought for nearly a year in the and for four generations enthusiastic cus- not only for the Alamo City, but for fans streets of Baghdad and Ramadhi. tomers have returned with their own families. around the Nation and in more than 200 na- Many of those soldiers returned in April The excitement and loyalty of their customers tions around the world where sports fans 2004 and were quickly deployed last summer has never wavered—a truth that is reflected in watched and cheered. to assist Floridians throughout our state who the long lines of anxious patrons that are a Under the guidance of Coach Gregg were devastated by four hurricane strikes. constant on Wooster Street. Popovich, the Spurs’ Tim Duncan, Manu They served for up to 70 days helping with our In fact, Pepe’s has even inspired other pizza Ginobili, Tony Parker, Robert Horry, Bruce state-wide recovery effort. entrepreneurs, the first of which was Frank’s Bowen, Nazr Mohammed, Brent Barry, Beno A large number of the troops my wife Bev- nephew Sal Consiglio who opened his own Udrih, Rasho Nesterovic, Glenn Robinson, erly and I met with today at Camp Shelby are restaurant, Sally’s, just steps from his uncle’s Devin Brown, and Tony Massenburg played eagerly volunteering for a return to Southwest restaurant. Years later another former em- valiantly to bring the NBA trophy back home to Asia to serve with Task Force Phoenix after ployee opened Randy’s Wooster Street Pizza San Antonio. My congratulations go as well to having served earlier tours in Afghanistan and Shop. the Spurs’ owners, Peter and Julianna Holt, as Iraq. When Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana first well as the many other people in the Spurs or- The troops that deploy for this mission join opened in 1925, it was the dream of Frank ganization. 1,976 Florida Army Guard and 200 Florida Air and his wife Filomena to have a successful Much credit is due to Tim Duncan, who with Guard troops who are currently deployed over- neighborhood business where friends and 25 points and 11 rebounds, was appropriately seas. Since 9/11, 6,980 of the Florida Guard’s neighbors could gather. Frank and Filomena named the Most Valuable Player of the Finals 12,000 soldiers and airmen have been acti- could have only dreamed of the success their series. This marks the third time he has won vated overseas to join in the international war small business has come to be. Four genera- the award for his outstanding athletic skills, on terrorism. tions later, the business is still run by family leadership and performance on the court. Mr. Speaker, it was an honor and a privilege and the walls are still adorned with family This is the Spurs’ third championship victory to be with these soldiers today to see the spirit photos as well as those of Bill Murray, Meryl in franchise history. They won their first in of pride and devotion with which they serve. Streep, and Matthew Broderick—just a few of 1999, followed by their second in 2003. Three They are America’s Team that seeks to root the stars who have dined at Pepe’s in the titles in 7 years isn’t just a magnificent accom- out terrorists to protect our nation and our al- past. Their pizza is legendary and the ambi- plishment—it’s a basketball dynasty. lies. Their motto is ‘‘From the Front!’’ which is ance is unforgettable—enjoyed by neighbors Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate and where Florida’s Guardsmen have found them- and celebrities alike. However, it is not just the thank Coach Popovich and all the Spurs play- selves over the almost 4 years that we have pizza that make Pepe’s such a special part of ers for an unforgettable season. fought this international campaign against ter- our community. It is the history and community f rorists. Under the outstanding leadership of spirit of Frank Pepe and his family that has Florida’s Adjutant General Douglas Burnett, made it a New Haven landmark. HONORING TASK FORCE PHOENIX the 53rd Brigade Combat Team is ready to Today, as they mark their 80th anniversary, IV, THE 53RD BRIGADE COMBAT carry out this latest mission to serve as am- it is not just a celebration of a successful fam- TEAM bassadors for freedom and peace overseas. ily business, but of a thriving community treas- They are a credit to our state, our Nation, and ure. It is with the greatest pleasure that I rise HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG the United States Army. today to join Frank Pepe’s children, Elizabeth OF FLORIDA f and Serafina, grandchildren, Anthony, Francis, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Lisa, Bernadette, Genevieve, Jennifer, and HONORING FRANK PEPE PIZZERIA Friday, June 24, 2005 Gary, as well as their family, friends, and ex- NAPOLETANA AS THEY CELE- tended family of customers and fans as they Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this BRATE THEIR 80TH ANNIVER- celebrate this very special occasion. SARY morning I had the great honor to join in cere- f monies at Camp Shelby, Mississippi as we sent Task Force IV, The 53rd Brigade Combat HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS Team headquartered in Pinellas Park, Florida OF CONNECTICUT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL AWARD COUNCIL to join Operation Enduring Freedom in Af- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ghanistan. The backbone of this task force operation is Friday, June 24, 2005 HON. JEFF MILLER a contingent of 1,200 citizen soldiers from Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Speaker, early in the OF FLORIDA Florida National Guard units. They will be led twentieth century, Frank Pepe, an Italian immi- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES in this operation by Brigadier General John M. grant living in New Haven, created the first ‘‘Mitch’’ Perryman, the first Florida General Of- American pizza by putting tomatoes on top of Friday, June 24, 2005 ficer to deploy and lead a Florida formation in old bake-shop bread. The creation was so Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on be- combat overseas since World War II. popular that he opened America’s first pizzeria half of the United States Congress, it is an These 1,200 patriots from Florida, along on Wooster Street—and so the local legend of honor for me to rise today to recognize sev- with 250 soldiers from units in Tennessee, Pepe’s pizza is recounted. Today, I am proud eral members of my district who have given Kentucky, Iowa, Nebraska, and Vermont, were to stand and join the thousands of Pepe’s fans their time in support of Congressional Award mobilized in April to begin their training and across the Nation in extending my sincere program. preparation for this mission to train the Afghan congratulations to Frank Pepe Pizzeria Since 1979, the Congressional Award pro- National Army. An advance party from the Napoletana and the Pepe Family as they cele- gram has encouraged young people around VerDate Sep 11 2014 11:29 Feb 03, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00172 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 9920 E:\FDSYS\2005BOUNDRECORD\BOOK10\NO_SSN\BR24JN05.DAT BR24JN05 ejoyner on DSK30MW082PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE.