Designating the week of Sunday, October 12 through Saturday, October 18, 2025, as "Italian American Heritage Week" in the City of Philadelphia. This is done in celebration of the countless contributions Italian Americans have given to our country and honoring Bob Pantano as Grand Marshall of the 2025 Philadelphia Italian American Heritage Parade.

Designating the week of Sunday, October 12 through Saturday, October 18, 2025, as “Italian American Heritage Week” in the City of Philadelphia. This is done in celebration of the countless contributions Italian Americans have given to our country and honoring Bob Pantano as Grand Marshall of the 2025 Philadelphia Italian American Heritage Parade. WHEREAS, The annual Philadelphia Italian American Heritage Parade began in South Philadelphia in 1957 and has since become one of the City’s premier ethnic celebrations. On Sunday, October 12, 2025, the 1492 Society will host the annual parade. In addition to the active participation of the Delaware Valley’s Italian American community, the Philadelphia Columbus Day Parade tradition includes the world-famous Philadelphia Mummers string bands, outstanding high school and elementary school marching bands and many other marching groups representing the various ethnic traditions of our great City. The Parade seeks to foster a spirit of multi-culturalism and respect for people of all ethnic backgrounds; and WHEREAS, Grand Marshal Bob Pantano, a South Philadelphia native, started spinning at the record hops in the late 1960s and then the nightclubs in the 70s. His professional radio career began at WCAM in Camden, New Jersey in 1971. Bob pioneered the live-radio broadcast, “The Saturday Night Dance Party”, in 1977, which airs every Saturday night live on 98.1 WOGL HD2 and Audacy and is the longest running radio dance party in the nation, an…