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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of Illinois House of Representatives 
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wish to congratulate Mr. Florian J. Barbi on receiving the Man 
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of the Year Award presented by the Italo-American Soccer and 
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Cultural Club, the "Maroons"; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Barbi is the chairman of the board, president, 
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and CEO of First Nations Bank of Wheaton (FNBW), FNBW-Bank 
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Chicago, and Bank of Bourbonnais; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Barbi was born in Fornaci Di Barga near Lucca, 
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Italy; he came to the United States with his parents when he 
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was a child; the family eventually settled in Elmwood Park, 
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where Mr. Barbi's mother and father, Anna Maria and Luigi, 
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owned and operated an Italian deli know as Alpine Food Store, 
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which flourished under their proprietorship for 45 years; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Barbi went to work at the family business at 
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an early age, helping his parents after school and on weekends; 
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after graduating from Benedictine University in 1970, he 
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embarked on what would become a highly successful career in 
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banking, holding positions at Capitol Bank in Chicago and later 
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at First State Bank of Chicago; he headed up lending 
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departments at those institutions, actively assisting many 
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Italian Americans, some of them immigrants and 
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first-generation customers; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Mr. Barbi is treasurer of the Edison Park Chamber 
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of Commerce and also sits on the Board of Directors of the 
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Illinois Banking Association; he is the third vice president of 
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the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, a council 
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member of Casa Italia, and other various Italian-American 
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organizations, including the Maroon's Soccer Club; he was also 
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co-recipient of the Joseph Cardinal Bernadin Humanitarian 
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Award in 2002; and

 
 


 






HR0792
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LRB093 21652 KEF 49240 r




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    WHEREAS, Mr. Barbi and his wife, Dora, live in Deerfield 
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and have three children; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The Man of the Year Award will be presented to Mr. 
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Barbi on April 17, 2004 by the Maroons Italian American Soccer 
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and Cultural Club; the Maroons Club sponsors players and teams 
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and recognizes their outstanding play by awarding scholarships 
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to various universities and colleges in Illinois; their players 
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have been named National Collegiate Players of the Year, 
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members of Olympic Teams, National Youth Teams, Midwest 
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All-Star Teams, and Pan American National Teams; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Maroons Club also works to advance the 
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interest of the local Italian American community and to provide 
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the opportunity for children of all nationalities to play a 
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sport loved by millions; members perform volunteer work as 
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coaches in many communities in the Chicagoland area; therefore, 
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be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Florian J. Barbi on being honored with the 2004 
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Man of the Year Award by the Italo-American Soccer and Cultural 
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Club, the "Maroons", and recognize his unswerving devotion to 
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the people of the Italian American community; and be it further

 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Florian J. Barbi as a token of our respect.