PORT OF LOS ANGELES STANDS
WITH ISLAND OF ISCHIA, ITALY
SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Dec. 1, 2022 – Following a perilous landslide that has devastated the island of Ischia off the coast of Italy, Port of Los Angeles officials are voicing support for the hard-hit community that has strong ties to San Pedro and is a sister city of Los Angeles.
“We stand in support of our family and friends in Ischia with whom our harbor community has deep roots dating back more than a century,” said Port of Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi, a descendant of Ischia. “Many of the Italian Americans who live and work in and around the Port of Los Angeles are descendants of families from Ischia and maintain close ties to the island. They include Port staff, longshore workers, commercial fishermen and local business owners and workers across the Los Angeles region.”
San Pedro is home to the Little Italy of Los Angeles Association (LILAA), which plays an active role in celebrating Italian culture and promoting downtown San Pedro, also known as the Little Italy District. LILAA has partnered with Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino and the Ischia San Pedro Los Angeles Sister City Corp. to hold a candlelight vigil for the victims. The vigil will be at 6 p.m. Friday at Piazza Miramare, 639 S. Harbor Blvd. in San Pedro. For information, visit https://lilaa.org/.
LILAA has also established an Ischia Disaster Relief Fund to help survivors. More information is available at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ischiarelief.
Rescue workers continue to search for survivors of the Nov. 26 landslide caused by torrential rains. The disaster destroyed homes and businesses and flooded streets with mud. To date, 11 deaths have been confirmed and one person remains missing.
San Pedro is home to a large enclave of Italian Americans. In recognition of the longstanding relationship, the City of Los Angeles and the island of Ischia became sister cities in 2006. In 2018, the Port of Los Angeles signed a friendship agreement with the Port Network Authority of the Central Tyrrhenian Sea, whose members are the ports of Naples, Salerno and Castellamarre di Stabia.