A Bridge Across the Sea: Congratulations to John Viola on the “Children of the Sea” Award

L-R: Silvana Mangione, John Viola, Germana Valentini, and Patrick O'Boyle

I would like to take a moment to offer my heartfelt congratulations to my dear friend John Viola, who was honored on Wednesday afternoon with the Children of the Sea Award—an accolade as meaningful as it is beautiful.

The award was presented during 

Figli del Mare award by Dante Mortet

"Children of the Sea: The Legacy," a moving event broadcast live from Red Sauce Studio in Little Italy, New York, and Naples, Italy. More than just a ceremony, it was a celebration of identity, belonging, and the enduring legacy of Italian migration and its living descendants. With moving testimonies from Italian Americans across generations, and the participation of Don Luigi from Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, the evening traced a powerful arc from the shores of departure to the streets of new beginnings.

The Children of the Sea Award—Figli del Mare—is a tribute to the millions of Italian emigrants who, sailing from the port of Naples, traced the route toward a new life in America. It is a recognition not only of individual merit, but of a collective journey—a bridge between two cities.

The award, crafted by internationally renowned sculptor Dante Mortet, was born from an idea by TV author and writer Germana Valentini and Laura Valente, artistic director of the Naples 2500 celebrations. The event was part of the "Al Faro" Festival, a livestream staged directly from Molo San Vincenzo, the historic dock in the port of Naples from which countless ships once departed for the United States.

Painting of a ship ticket superimposed over
the Bay of Naples by Lorenzo Mortet

At that very port, a powerful ritual once unfolded: as migrants departed, a loved one would hold one end of a ball of yarn while the ship slowly pulled away, the thread unspooling across the widening water. The thread would remain taut until it snapped—marking the painful severance of physical ties, while preserving the invisible bond of the heart. As the ship faded into the distance, the last images were often of San Gennaro and Mount Vesuvius, guardians of a beloved land left behind.

This tradition of the thread was movingly commemorated during the “Al Faro” Festival through a choreography conceived by Germana Valentini and performed in front of Castel Clinton in New York by dancer Elodie Fraga. The golden thread, used in the performance, was specially crafted by Dante Mortet. And it was with this very symbolic thread that, following the presentation of the Figli del Mare award, John Viola and Patrick O'Boyle stitched together two paintings by Lorenzo Mortet—one representing Naples, the other New York.

Painting of a ship ticket superimposed over the
New York City skyline by Lorenzo Mortet

Crafted with artistry and deep emotion, the award itself takes the form of an ancient ship ticket, rolled and shaped like a cartoccio—a paper cone from Italian culinary tradition. But instead of food, it holds something far more enduring: ideals, dreams, and sacrifices. It is the poetic embodiment of a journey that is not only geographical, but also spiritual.

The sculpture rests on a sea-blue base, representing that vast ocean threshold between old world and new—not as a divide, but as a connection. At its peak, a dove takes flight: a symbol of peace, purity, and the Holy Spirit, watching over those who once crossed, and those who inherit their courage.

That John received this honor is no surprise to anyone who knows him. His story, his work, his quiet strength—he embodies what it means to honor one’s roots while planting new ones.

John, your journey inspires. You remind us that heritage is not just something we inherit—it’s something we live, cherish, and pass on.

Bravo, my friend. This honor is richly deserved.