Friday, October 16, 2026
The Life Enrichment Senior Center will celebrate two longtime contributors to the Oyster Bay community at its annual La Dolce Vita Gala, honoring 96-year-old member Filomena Ladisa and the Italian-American Citizens Club of Oyster Bay for their dedication to helping others.
The gala, scheduled to take place at the Brookville Country Club on Nov. 5, will raise money for the center’s programs serving older adults while recognizing Ladisa’s active involvement in the organization and the Italian-American club’s longstanding commitment to community service.
“We are thrilled to honor the Italian-American Club of Oyster Bay,” wrote Judy Palumbo, director of the center, in a statement. “The club has supported the center for decades and has also given generously to many other organizations in our community. Its contributions include funding college scholarships, supporting veterans’ services, and sponsoring food and toy drives, among many other initiatives. Recognizing the club’s contributions to our community is long overdue.”
The evening will also recognize Ladisa, who has attended the center daily since joining in 2021. Palumbo wrote the longtime member has become a familiar presence whose outlook continues to inspire those around her.
“We are also proud to pay tribute to Filomena Ladisa, a beloved member of the center,” Palumbo’s statement read. “At 96 years young, she is a regular presence at the center, gracing us with her wisdom, optimism, and good humor. Filomena inspires us all, and her advice is simple yet powerful: ‘Live your life, do whatever you love, do it, and don’t wait.’”
Ladisa’s daughter, Benedetta, said the recognition has made her mother especially happy. Palumbo informed the family a few months ago, she said, and Ladisa was delighted when the gala invitation was displayed at the center and fellow members congratulated her.
“For her this is a really big deal,” Benedetta said, “and she’s really super honored that they’re doing this.”
Ladisa initially attended the center for bingo, her daughter said, before beginning to go nearly every day. With a range of activities, exercise programs, meals and opportunities to socialize, the center has become an important part of her routine.
Benedetta praised the organization for serving older adults with different interests and needs, describing it as a valuable community resource.
“I think they do so much for so many people, with the lunch program, all the events, the trips,” Ladisa emphasized. “They service a wide range of senior citizens, which is difficult, and they do a really great job of it.”
Born in 1930 to Italian parents from southern Italy, Ladisa was one of nine siblings and spent her childhood in living in Greece. She and her husband, Spiro, moved to Astoria in 1955, where Ladisa became a seamstress. Their four children, Benedetta, Frank, Michael and Nick, have since expanded the family to include 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Today, Ladisa enjoys spending time with family, cooking, dancing, playing bingo and sharing lunch with friends at the center.
The Italian American Citizens Club of Oyster Bay, meanwhile, will be recognized for a history of community involvement dating to its founding in 1906. The organization has 375 members, including its women’s auxiliary, according to club President Ken Minicozzi.
Minicozzi said the club’s mission combines preserving Italian-American heritage by supporting neighbors and local nonprofit organizations. The club provides scholarships, supports food and toy drives, participates in blood drives and assists St. Dominic parish, among other initiatives.
The club awards 15 scholarships each year, typically distributing between $12,000 and $15,000 to local students, Minicozzi said. Its annual St. Rocco’s Festival and other fundraising efforts help finance those scholarships and other community programs.
The club was surprised by the honor, Minicozzi said, because members do not undertake their charitable work expecting public recognition. Minicozzi said the club will be supporting the center’s fundraising efforts for the evening.
“[The center is] the spotlight of the night,” Minicozzi said. “We’re just going to make sure that they have the best night raising their funds that they possibly can with our help.”
The event will feature a cocktail hour with Italian music, dinner and raffles to benefit the center. The gala’s theme, La Dolce Vita, means “the sweet life” in Italian and reflects the evening’s focus on tradition, family and community connections.
Proceeds will support the center’s programs, including nutritious meals for older adults facing food insecurity, social services and counseling, and health and wellness activities intended to help seniors remain active and independent.
For Benedetta, the gala is also an opportunity to introduce more people to an organization she believes deserves broader support.
“I want to make sure how many people know that this place exists, and to support it as much as you can,” she said. “It’s a great gem of our town.”
Tickets and sponsorship information are available at LECOB.org. To learn more about the Italian-American Citizens Club, visit their website at IACOB.com.
