47th annual Morris Park Columbus Day Parade takes place Sunday – Bronx Times

The upcoming 47th Bronx – Morris Park Columbus Day Parade will honor Bronx Chamber of Commerce Chairman Anthony Mormile as Grand Marshal and Bronx author and educator Tony Morante as Honorary Marshal.

The celebration of Italian-American heritage hosted by the Morris Park Community Association will travel down Morris Park Avenue on October 13 and culminate with a Columbus Day Carnival in Loreto Park.

Mormile is a Bronx native and community leader. He is Senior Vice President and Senior Loan Officer for Orange Trust and Bank, where he has worked since 2018. In 2022, following the death of his mentor Joe Kelleher, former chairman of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, Mormile was unanimously elected to succeed him.

Al D'angelo, president of the Morris Park Community Association, spoke about the decision to honor Mormile in this year's parade.

“Anthony Mormile was very active in the community,” D’angelo said. “Anything the community needs, he’s right there at the bank to support the community. He came in and immediately set off.”

Mormile grew up on historic Arthur Avenue, a neighborhood in the Bronx long known for its Italian-American culture. He was an advocate for small businesses in the Bronx and received grants to support Bronx businesses during his more than ten years as treasurer of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce.

Morante also grew up on Arthur Avenue and celebrates the Italian-American culture, food and music he enjoyed as a young man in the Bronx. He became an usher at Yankee Stadium before joining the Navy.

With the Bronx County Historical Society, Morante began conducting tours of Yankee Stadium in 1979 and opened a tours section at the stadium in 1998. Proceeds benefited the Yankees Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides sports and education to New York City's youth.

Morante, a lifelong advocate for education, wrote, “Baseball: The New York Game – How the National Pastime Matched U.S. History” to help look at the great American pastime through the lens of its historical context, particularly in Times of conflict or crisis.

The weekend's events begin Friday with a party at the Morris Park Community Association on Bronxdale Avenue starting at 7 p.m. The Community Association presents Miss Columbus, Victoria Francimore of Cardinal Spellman High School, and Junior Miss Columbus, Maria McNerny of St . Theresa School.

D'angelo also acknowledged this year's Miss Columbus pageant, saying Francimore's grades were “incredible” and calling her interview “dynamic.”

This year's parade begins at 12 p.m. and includes marching bands, school groups, community groups and local vendors. Families can then try their luck at carnival games and win prizes. Children under 12 automatically receive two tickets to try their luck.