Glen Cove hosts delegates from Italian city

In English and in Italian, the sentiment was the same: Glen Cove and Sassano, Italy, had formed a bond of friendship.

A delegation from Sassano on Tuesday exchanged gifts and words of thanks with Glen Cove officials as part of its visit to Long Island. The group also attended the Glen Cove Fire Department's 175th anniversary celebration last weekend.

"It's a great honor for all of us to reach across the ocean to become friends and sister cities," Mayor Ralph Suozzi said at Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Sassano councilman Mario Trotta, speaking in Italian and wearing a sash in his country's colors, thanked Suozzi for hosting his delegation.

Trotta's gifts to Glen Cove included a framed photo of Sassano's hilly landscape, a tile featuring one of its famed orchids, and bottles of Amaro Penna liqueur.

"I knew there was something missing from these meetings," Suozzi joked about the liqueur.

Among Glen Cove's gifts to Sassano were plaques citing the "meaningful cultural exchange," city pins, and baseballs autographed by city officials.Suozzi said he hopes to honor Sassano's Aug. 17 feast day as a Glen Cove celebration.