Coccia Foundation/Theresa Inserra Memorial Scholarship for Italian Studies

Mr. Joseph Coccia was committed to promoting a positive image of his Italian heritage and culture and the accomplishments of Italian Americans. Through the Coccia Foundation, Mr. Coccia and his wife, Elda, established student Italian clubs at several colleges and universities, supported Italian study abroad programs and funded cultural programs. The Coccia Foundation currently has seven sponsored scholarships. At Montclair State University, the Coccias established an institute to promote an understanding of the links between Italy and America and to foster interest in Italian and Italian-American fields of study.

For these and other contributions to Italian culture, Mr. Coccia was knighted as a Cavaliere in 1976. This honor is bestowed by the Republic of Italy for “merit acquired by the nation in the fields of literature, the arts, economy, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities.”

One of the programs Mr. Coccia supported during his lifetime was the Italian Club at Ramapo College. “He came to all of our lectures and often provided matching funds so that students could attend the opera,” said Rosetta D’Angelo, professor of Italian. “He often came to the Italian conversation hour, held every Monday afternoon, and he spent a lot of time with our students. The students loved him.”

As a member of UNICO, an organization that promotes Italian culture, education and the accomplishments of Italian-Americans, the Coccias met the members of the Inserra family. When Lawrence Inserra was knighted as a Cavaliere, it was Mr. Coccia who had the honor of pinning him.

“That is when their relationship started to grow,” said Elisa Coccia, Joseph and Elda’s daughter. Elisa is president of the Coccia Foundation and serves on the Coccia Foundation board with Lawrence Inserra’s son, Larry Inserra. “Now Larry and I are following in their footsteps, carrying on the tradition our fathers started,” she said.

This scholarship is named for Theresa Inserra, Larry’s mother, who passed away in 2009.