ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Oct. 13, 2014 — For more than five decades, John DiMarco Sr., chairman and chief executive officer of DiMarco Group, has been an inspiring advocate for the promotion of Italian culture and heritage in the Rochester community. On Monday, Oct. 13, he will be honored for these contributions and more as he receives the Italian Civic League of Rochester’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award will be presented during the organization’s 74th annual Columbus Day Luncheon at the Diplomat Banquet Center. Founded in 1932, the Italian Civic League, whose member groups include social clubs, institutions of learning and cultural organizations, serves as a forum for Italian organizations to share ideas and coordinate events.
“My brother is my best friend and has been my partner in our family businesses for more than 50 years,” said Richard DiMarco Sr. “I am so proud of his accomplishments as not only a businessman, but as a brother, father, uncle and grandfather. The Rochester community is a better place thanks to John DiMarco Sr.”
“There is no better person to be selected for this award than John,” said Quintino Di Cesare, president of the Italian Civic League. “He has been a longtime contributor to the Italian community, both through his participation in our organizations and through his financial support. Among our members, there is not one person who hasn’t received some kind of help from John or the DiMarco Group.”
Di Cesare also noted that DiMarco’s success as an Italian businessman and entrepreneur is a point of pride for the organization. As CEO of DiMarco Group, DiMarco leads a family of diverse companies in real estate development, property management, construction management, facilities maintenance, realty services and commercial air charter, as well as construction equipment rental, sales, service and parts. Under DiMarco’s guidance, the family-owned and -operated business, which was formed in the early 1900’s, has expanded significantly, operating throughout New York and Pennsylvania, and into the Eastern seaboard. Today, his three children, John II, Joel and Anne, work alongside him, carrying the business into the future.
Throughout his career, DiMarco’s civic engagement translated into significant philanthropic efforts, and under his leadership, DiMarco Group and its employees have raised funds for a variety of causes, including breast cancer awareness, cancer research and Red Cross relief efforts, among others.
A graduate of McQuaid Jesuit High School (1960) and St. John Fisher College (1963), DiMarco Sr. has been an active member of professional and community organizations. Nationally, he is a member of the Associated General Contractors of America, Associated Builders and Contracts Inc. and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Locally, he has served on the boards for the Rochester Business Alliance, McQuaid Jesuit High School and Rochester Italian Charities Inc.
