About Us

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UNICO was founded on October 10, 1922 in Waterbury, Connecticut. A group of 15 men came together to create what has become a very special organization. It was their dream to create an Italian American service organization to engage in charitable works, support higher education, and perform patriotic deeds.

The name UNICO was selected as best representing the nature and the character of this fledging organization. The name is the Italian word for unique, one of a kind. The founders believed that UNICO would be the only one of its kind because it placed service to the community before and above fraternity. At the same time they hoped that the rest of society would come to know and understand the real contributions of Italian-Americans to our way of life. Its sole purpose was to unite all Italian Americans and motivate them to become more civic minded. In order to accomplish this, members would have to understand that they would have to make sacrifices, not for personal gain, but for service to others. In the ensuing years UNICO became an acronym that stood for Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity.

The Longmeadow Chapter of UNICO was chartered in 2000. Since it was chartered the members have raised funds to benefit programs for educational scholarships, mental health, community support, and Italian culture.