GABRIEL FERRUCCI IS running out of room in his home to display the numerous awards he’s received over the decades as a self-made businessman, philanthropist and supporter of education as well as the Diocese of Orange and the Catholic Church.
GABRIEL FERRUCCI IS PICTURED WITH THE HON. RAFFAELLA VALENTINI, CONSUL GENERAL OF ITALY IN LOS ANGELES AND BISHOP KEVIN VANN. PHOTOS BY
IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
He’s not worried about where to put his latest accolade. It holds a permanent place in his heart.
On Nov. 8, the Hon. Raffaella Valentini, consul general of Italy in Los Angeles, bestowed upon Ferrucci the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia (Knight of
the Order of the Star of Italy) in front of more than 40 guests, including Bishop Kevin Vann.
The high-level civilian distinction, conferred by Italian head of state Sergio Mattarella, the country’s president, represents a particular honor on behalf of Italians abroad or foreigners who have acquired special merit in the promotion of friendly relations and collaboration between Italy and other countries.
GABRIEL FERRUCCI (CENTER) IS WITH FR. MICHAEL ST. PAUL, PASTOR OF HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LADERA RANCH, AND MSGR. STEPHEN DOKTORCZYK.
“This honor is especially meaningful for me, because it acknowledges my uninterrupted interest in promoting business and developing healthy relationships between Italy and the U.S.,” said Ferrucci, who grew up in Amorosi, a small town near Naples, before immigrating to the U.S. in 1957 to join his fellow Italian immigrant wife, Maria, in New Haven, Conn.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Speaking no English and with no money, Gabriel started working in construction, then in a machine shop – all the while teaching himself English by reading newspapers and a dictionary and watching TV news. He later took accounting courses in college.
He and Maria, whose first job was in a dress factory, eventually were able to build an extraordinary life for themselves and their son Joseph and daughters Rina and Anna.
“Our sacrifices, especially during the early years in America, were very challenging,” Ferrucci recalled, “but with our trust in God similarly to when we lived in Italy before, the challenges did not seem insurmountable to us then.”
The Ferruccis relocated to Southern California in 1983.
Valentini, in her remarks at the Nov. 8 dinner celebration, called Ferrucci’s story “one that beautifully embodies the Italian spirit of resilience, ingenuity and generosity.”
Added the consul general: “Here in our large country, Mr. Ferrucci has long been a central figure in the Italian community, someone whose warmth and generosity have touched so many lives…. You have honored Italy not only through your professional excellence, but through your devotion to our shared heritage and values.”
GABRIEL FERRUCCI RECEIVED A SPECIAL PAPAL BLESSING FROM POPE LEO XIV.
A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENTS
Federico Pacchioni, Ph.D., a professor of Italian Studies at Chapman University, also spoke at the celebration. He is founding director of the Ferrucci Institute for Italian Experience and Research, made possible by a gift from its namesake in 2023.
Pacchioni detailed some of Ferrucci’s achievements that supported him receiving the Star of Italy.
When Ferrucci was 20 and still living in Italy, the Provincial Department of Agriculture selected him to teach modern agricultural methods to young farmers throughout the region.
“In many ways,” Pacchioni said, “that was Gabriel’s first act as a bridge-builder: helping others adapt to change through education, translating tradition into progress.”
After earning a degree in accounting from Quinnipiac University, Ferrucci rose through the ranks of American industry, starting at Raybestos Manhattan Inc., which made products including brakes and clutches.
In the mid-1970s, Ferrucci worked closely with Gardella, an engineering firm in Genoa, to oversee the design of a groundbreaking manufacturing process for producing environmentally safe asbestos products. The process was the first of its kind to comply with government regulations and a true feat of engineering that united Italian ingenuity with American ambition, with most of the components sourced from Italy.
“Tonight, we recognize the lasting lesson Mr. Ferrucci teaches us: that the most powerful bridges are built not of steel or stone, but of hope, courage and love — the very materials that shaped Gabriel’s remarkable life,” Pacchioni said.
SPECIAL PAPAL BLESSING
In Southern California, Ferrucci acquired a small machine shop, Keystone Engineering, and transformed it into a leading maker of precision parts for military applications, space exploration and later for satellites.
He was credited with leading the design of the first machine of its kind that produced fuel tanks for space launch vehicles. He sold Keystone Engineering in 1998 and turned his full attention to the Catholic Church and to the promotion of Italian art, music, and values on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ferrucci’s beloved Maria died in 2021.
To mark the occasion of Ferrucci receiving the Star of Italy title, Msgr. Stephen Doktorczyk helped arrange a surprise apostolic blessing upon Ferrucci of “an abundance of divine graces” from Pope Leo.
Msgr. Doktorczyk, former vicar general of the Diocese of Orange who is on loan as canon lawyer for the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C., travelled all the way from the nation’s capital for the event and returned to D.C. immediately after the dinner.
“It is right and just that Mr. Ferrucci be recognized for his many concrete actions not only to preserve the Italian language and culture in the United States, but to promote it,” Msgr. Doktorczyk said.
Bishop Vann presented Ferrucci with the plaque of the papal blessing. Ferrucci continues to search for a place in his home to display it.