Alpha Phi Delta

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title: "Alpha Phi Delta" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["student-organizations-established-in-1914", "student-societies-in-the-united-states", "north-american-interfraternity-conference", "italian-american-culture-in-new-york-(state)", "italian-american-organizations", "1914-establishments-in-new-york-(state)"] description: "American Italian college fraternity" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Phi_Delta" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American Italian college fraternity ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox Fraternity"]

Field	Value
name	Alpha Phi Delta
letters	ΑΦΔ
motto	Faciamus!
crest	Alpha Phi Delta crest.png
image_size	170px
founded
birthplace	Syracuse University
colors	Royal Purple and White
flower	Garofano (white carnation)
symbol	Fasces
chapters	103 collegiate

| | affiliation | Independent | | former_affiliation | NIC | | status | Active | | type | Social fraternity | | scope | National | | emphasis | Italian heritage | | publication | The Kleos | | flag | [[File:Alpha_Phi_Delta_flag.jpg|120px]] | | members | 22,000+ | | member badge | [[File:Alpha Phi Delta fraternity badge.png|80px]] | | pledge pin | [[File:Alpha Phi Delta fraternity pledge pin.png|40px]] | | address | 257 East Camden Wyoming Avenue, Unit A | | city | Camden | | state | Delaware | | ZIP code | 19934 | | country | United States | | homepage | | ::

| name = Alpha Phi Delta | letters = ΑΦΔ | motto = Faciamus! | crest = Alpha Phi Delta crest.png | image_size = 170px | founded = | birthplace = Syracuse University | colors = Royal Purple and White | flower = Garofano (white carnation) | symbol = Fasces | chapters = 103 collegiate

60 alumni | affiliation = Independent | former_affiliation = NIC | status = Active | type = Social fraternity | scope = National | emphasis = Italian heritage | publication = The Kleos | flag = [[File:Alpha_Phi_Delta_flag.jpg|120px]] | members = 22,000+ | member badge = [[File:Alpha Phi Delta fraternity badge.png|80px]] | pledge pin = [[File:Alpha Phi Delta fraternity pledge pin.png|40px]] | address = 257 East Camden Wyoming Avenue, Unit A | city = Camden | state = Delaware | ZIP code = 19934 | country = United States | homepage = Alpha Phi Delta (ΑΦΔ), commonly referred to as APD, is an American collegiate fraternity. Alpha Phi Delta was established at Syracuse University in 1914 as an Italian-heritage fraternity.

History

In 1913, Syracuse University student Nicholas Frunzi had the idea to start a society for Italian students. He recruited six other students who formed an exclusive Italian society known as Il Circolo Italiano ("The Italian Circle") on November 5, 1913.

The seven members of Il Circolo Italiano met on October 14, 1914, to discuss becoming a Greek letter organization; they selected the name Alpha Phi Delta. On November 5, 1914, the seven founders met and swore an oath to Alpha Phi Delta, an Italian-heritage fraternity. The fraternity's founders were:

• Joseph Cangiamila
• Dominic T. Ciolli
• Ferdinand F. DiBartolo
• Anthony T. Frascati
• Nicholas Frunzi
• Otto Gelormini
• Cesidio A. Guarini

Frunzi was elected the fraternity's first president. During its first few weekly meetings, the fraternity's members adopted a constitution and ritual and also selected its banner, charter, coat of arms, handshake, motto, oath, pin, pledge, and whistle. DiBartolo was charged with approaching the university for official recognition, successfully making the case that Alpha Phi Delta's Italian members were prohibited from joining the existing campus fraternities.

When Frunzi transferred to Columbia University in 1916, he became friends with members of the local Italian heritage fraternity Sigma Gamma Phi. Frunzi convinced the founding members of Sigma Gamma Phi to merge with Alpha Phi Delta. Sigma Gamma Phi became the Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Delta, making the latter a national fraternity.

As time passed, Alpha Phi Delta chartered additional chapters. It began publishing its magazine, The Kleos of Alpha Phi Delta. Alpha Phi Delta became a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. On September 2, 1965, the fraternity began accepting members of all ethnic backgrounds.

In 2015, the fraternity reached 20,000 lifelong members. At the February 27, 2016, annual meeting in New Haven, Connecticut, the National Council of Alpha Phi Delta voted to leave the North-American Interfraternity Conference due to concerns over NIC's near-quadrupling of fees, its stripping of smaller fraternities from having voting privileges, and other grievances.

Symbols

The Alpha Phi Delta motto is Faciamus! The fraternity's colors are royal purple and white. Its symbol is the Fasces. Its flower is the white carnation.

The Alpha Phi Delta badge is a shield with a black background bisected by a gold key. Across the shield and key is a white scroll and the letters ΑΦΔ. The shield is rimmed with gold and pearls, with a diamond star above its top and flaming torch at an angle behind the shield.

The fraternity's pledge pin is in the shape of a shield that is divided at an angle between the colors purple and white. Its publication is The Kleos.

Chapters

Main article: List of Alpha Phi Delta chapters}}Alpha Phi Delta has more than 100 chapters at various colleges across the United States.{{Cite web

Notable members

::data[format=table]

Name	Chapter and pledge	Notability
Anthony Cafaro Sr.	Beta Omicron 1965	President of Cafaro Company and real estate development
Mario Cardullo	Delta 1953	Technology engineer
Ernie Casale	Beta Delta 1940	Head baseball coach and athletic director at Temple University
Ben Ciccone	Psi 1933	Professional football player
Albert W. Cretella	Gamma 1919	United States House of Representatives
Nick DeCarbo	Psi 1933	Professional football player
Al DeMao	Psi 1941	Professional football player, Washington Redskins
Joe DeNardo	Psi 1950	Emmy Award-winning meteorologist
Orlando DiGirolamo	Theta Beta 1950	Jazz musician
Phil DiStefano	Xi 1965	Chancellor of the University of Colorado Boulder
Aldo Donelli	Psi 1929	Professional football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers and head football coach at Duquesne University
Gaston L. Gianni Jr.	Beta Theta 1962	Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Inspector General
Harvey Golub	Mu 1960	CEO of American Express and CEO of the American International Group
Ray Mancini	Omicron Epsilon (Honorary) 2009	Two-time world boxing lightweight champion
Armand Niccolai	Psi 1933	Professional football player, Pittsburgh Steelers
John A. Notte Jr.	Mu 1931	Governor of Rhode Island
Ralph Penza	Theta Beta 1951	NBC news anchor
Nicholas T. Pomaro	Beta Mu 1957	Judge and advocate for the blind or visually impaired
Joey Powers		Composer and musician; had Top 10 1964 Hit "Midnight Mary"
George Rado	Psi 1934	Professional football player, Pittsburgh Steelers
Dominic P. Renda	Xi 1933	Founding president of Air Micronesia and chairman, chief executive, and operating officer of Western Airlines
Mark Rodak		Professional football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Rams,
Martin Russo	Beta Mu 1962	United States House of Representatives
Henry Salvatori	Lambda 1921	Geophysicist and founder of Western Geophysical
Peter Sammartino	Eta 1924	Founder of Fairleigh Dickinson University
Alfred E. Santangelo	Eta 1928	United States House of Representatives
Robert V. Santangelo	Beta 1921	New York State Supreme Court Justice
Joseph Ralph Scalzo	Chi 1938	Coach of the University of Toledo wrestling team, referee and coach for nine Olympic Games, president of the Amateur Athletic Union, inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Frank Sinatra	Beta Omicron (Honorary) 1967	Singer and actor
Vito J. Titone	Theta Beta 1949	Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals
Pete Van Wieren	Mu 1962	Announcer for the Atlanta Braves
Sal Vulcano	Gamma Sigma 1994	Comedian and actor
Silvio Zaninelli	Psi 1933	Professional football player, Pittsburgh Steelers
::

References

References

1. "The Beginning".
2. Rolle, Andrew Frank. (1980). "The Italian Americans". Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
3. "About the fraternity".
4. Santangelo, Betty L.. (1999). "Lucky Corner: The Biography of Congressman Alfred E. Santangelo and the Rise of Italian Americans in Politics". Center for Migration Studies.
5. Shepard, Francis W., ed. (1927). [https://books.google.com/books?id=Z1vOAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Alpha%20Phi%20Delta%22 ''Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities'' (11th ed.)]. Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Publishing Company. p. 44 – via Google Books.
6. "Fraternity". Alpha Phi Delta.
7. (9 March 2016). "Council Meeting 2016: Here's What Was Done!".
8. "Our Chapters".
9. "Century Society".
10. "Oak Hill Trial: Anthony Cafaro, Sr. still under investigation".
11. "Chapter Eternal".
12. "Ernie Casale (1974) - Hall of Fame".
13. Russo, John. "History of Psi".
14. "Our Military Brothers".
15. "Gaston L. Gianni, Jr. to Become New FDIC Inspector General".
16. "[http://www.apdfoundation.org/kleos/Kleos_2009_Summer.pdf Council Meeting Elects New Members]". ''The Kleos: The Magazine of Alpha Phi Delta,'' vol 80, no. 3, Summer 2009, p. 9. via APD Foundation.
17. (1984-06-24). "Judge Who Is Bind Relying on 'What's Inside' for Truth". The New York Times.
18. O'Donnell, Jim. (1996-09-08). "Judged on His Own Merits".
19. (2006-09-12). "Dominic P. Renda, 92; Western Airlines Exec, Developed Micronesia Air Route".
20. Lambert, Bruce. (1992-03-30). "Peter Sammartino, 87, Is Dead; Was Fairleigh Dickinson Founder".
21. (1992-03-31). "Peter and Sylvia Sammartino; Founded Fairleigh Dickinson".
22. "Joseph R. Scalzo Papers, 1944-1986, MSS-083".
23. "Joe Scalzo".
24. "[http://www.apdfoundation.org/kleos/1967/Kleos%20V%2038%20No%201%20Oct%201967.pdf Frank Sinatra Awarded Honorary Membership in Alpha Phi Delta]". The Kleos of Alpha Phi Delta, v. 38, no. 1, October 1967, p. 1; via APD Foundation.
25. "Epsilon Epsilon Meets Sal Vulcano".

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