Columbus Day Tribute at the New York Stock Exchange

On Monday morning, the New York Stock Exchange hosted its inaugural Columbus Day tribute, showcasing a reception that brought together notable Italian-American financiers of my generation.

Attending the event was a stroke of luck for me, and it wasn’t only about celebrating the ethnic pride of someone like myself. I actually took away some deeper insights about the Italian-American experience, which often gets clouded by debates over the explorer’s controversial past.

This realization was reinforced during a private reception, particularly during the opening remarks made by Frank Bisignano. He is a long-time figure on Wall Street and currently serves as the head of both the Social Security Administration and the IRS under the Trump administration.

Bisignano, who hails from an Italian immigrant family in Brooklyn, was the mastermind behind the event. He has had quite a career on Wall Street, having worked with major banks like Citigroup and JPMorgan, and eventually taking tech companies public. Now, through his financial expertise, he finds himself in a prominent government role.

As he noted, Italian Americans have only recently started moving from the peripheries of Wall Street—often relegated to the back office, where trades and deals were processed—to enjoying more prominent roles. Historically, many people viewed Italian Americans through a narrow lens, associating them with stereotypes of organ grinders or mobsters, which understandably raised doubts about their capability to handle substantial financial matters.

However, against all odds, they managed to push their way forward. As Bisignano put it, “They put us in the back and somehow we got to the front.” In fact, he pointed to those in attendance, referencing a distinguished group whom he called the “1927 Yankees of Wall Street,” who defied expectations and rose to become influential business leaders.

Among them was Dick Grasso, who made a rare return to the NYSE. He is credited with shaping the modern exchange and, in many ways, exemplifies the Italian-American journey on Wall Street. Grasso grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, under challenging circumstances, raised by a single mother. After failing his eye exam to join the NYPD, he took a job in the NYSE’s back office and ultimately climbed to its top position.

During his long tenure, he transformed the NYSE into a revered American institution, where landing a stock listing became a crowning achievement for many companies.

Also present was Vincent Viola, another individual with humble beginnings. Known as “Vinny” among friends, he grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn—when it was still an Italian enclave. His father worked as a truck driver, while Viola himself progressed through West Point and served in the 101st Airborne, eventually transitioning to law school and finding success in the commodities business.

He didn’t just stop there. Viola later led the New York Mercantile Exchange and went on to establish the well-known high-speed trading firm, Virtu Financial, and even bought the Florida Panthers hockey team.

Then there was Ken Langone, whose accomplishments are too numerous to fully detail. At 91, he still calls himself a “kid from Roslyn Heights,” recalling his working-class upbringing. His father was a plumber, and Langone worked various jobs from a young age, including construction during his teen years.

After completing his MBA in college, he began his Wall Street journey as a stock analyst. Langone became particularly notable for being the lead underwriter for the major IPO of Ross Perot’s Electronic Data Systems in 1968.

For many, that would be the pinnacle of a career, but Langone didn’t settle there. He founded his own firm, Invemed, and, alongside the late Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, helped launch Home Depot, a major success story in American business. Today, he dedicates much of his time to philanthropy, including the creation of NYU Langone Medical Center and its MBA program.

I should mention, I have received excellent care at NYU Langone, and my wife is a proud graduate of the Langone MBA program.

Whenever I see Ken, which includes Monday’s event, I make it a point to express my gratitude to him and the others for instilling pride in Italian Americans.