Connecticut business owner uses wine to save lives
$100,000.00 Check donation presented to Boston University Medical Center Scleroderma Research Department. From left to right: Dr. Lafyitus, Bob DeCesare, Vice President ASFSR, Joe LoSchiavo, President ASFSR, Carmen J. Cartiglia, Treasurer ASFSR, Joy LoSchiavo, Board Member ASFSR, Lou Turiano, Board Member ASFSR (Photo by ASFSR.com)
Connecticut business owner Carmen Cartiglia said he follows the old adage find something you love and figure out how to make money at it. But this year, he’s taking it one step further by using that money to hopefully save lives. The Connecticut Wine and Food Wine Festival on November 21 - 23, 2008 at the Stamford Marriott will give area residents a chance to sample fine wines and delicacies while raising money to find a cure for Scleroderma – a potentially fatal disease.
The Festival will feature nearly 30 different exhibitors from wine and spirits companies, restaurants, caterers, and package stores. Friday, November 21 from 12 – 6 p.m. is open to industry professionals. Saturday and Sunday are open to the general public from 12 - 6 p.m.
“We anticipate a good crowd. We think it’s going to be a real fun couple of days,” said Cartiglia, who plans to expand the annual event to New Haven County next year.
Cartiglia, the founder of Carich Expos, Inc., fused his experience in producing trade shows with his love of wines and good restaurants to benefit the American Society for Scleroderma Research (ASFSR), a 501(c)(3) co-founded by Cartiglia and Stratford’s Captain Deputy Chief of Police Joseph LoSchiavo in 2004.
Cartiglia said he began researching Scleroderma after learning that LoSchiavo had a family member affected by the disease. Scleroderma is a potentially fatal incurable disease.
“[Scleroderma] literally means hard skin,” said Cartiglia. “The first form is superficial or cosmetic; the hands crinkle and the face gets tight. The next two fatal forms attack various internal organs. It is an auto-immune disease.”
“The tragic part is with over 300,000 diagnosed - 50 percent of these will die within the first five years,” said Cartiglia, who estimates there might be many more people with the disease but that it’s often misdiagnosed.
“Since 2005 we [ASFSR] have raised and contributed over $127,000 to research,” said Cartiglia. “We are very proud of that. Every penny that we raise goes to research. None of the officers or board members draws a salary or takes money in any way.”
Boston University Medical Center has been the recipient of the funds thus far.
“We looked at Yale and UCONN, but there were none locally that were geared up to do intensive heavy duty research that Boston Medical is,” said Cartiglia. “We have been satisfied with the work they [Boston Medical University] are doing but there is still no known cause or cure for scleroderma.”
Cartiglia said he came up with the Festival because “he wanted to be able to do something for the foundation.”
Sam DeVellis, owner and chef at Carl Anthony’s Trattoria in Monroe will do cooking demos and provide samplings of a few of the restaurant’s signature dishes like Balsamic Calamari - fried calamari with balsamic reduction sauce.
DeVellis said he is excited to “raise money for scleroderma and share with some people what I like to do every day.”
Amity Wine and Spirits of Hamden will offer attendees a chance to order any of the wines they’ve tasted. The store’s operations manager and wine director, Jim Boyrer, has been in the Connecticut beverage industry for over 20 years.
Boyrer said Amity had “no problem getting behind” Cartiglia’s cause.
“Mohegan Sun has a large wine and food festival but it doesn’t raise money for anyone but the casino,” said Boyrer.
– By Keysha Whitaker