Page 6 - Italian American Herald - March 2024

6 ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM | MARCH2024 ITALIAN-AMERICANHERALD ACHIEVER
Roma Club Philadelphia: Extremely devoted futbol fan club is a family affair
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do." —Leonardo da Vinci
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at the stadium in Rome. Or his burial plans:
in Rome, with a Roma jersey in his coffin.
Gigio Longo is somewhat less intense,
but still spirited enough to devote whatever it took to head to the Union of European Football Associations finals last May in Budapest, Hungary, where he was honored as the Roma fan who had traveled the farthest. “Even though we lost, it was one of the best sporting events of my life,” he said.
Musumeci is presidente and Longo vice presidente of Roma Club Philadelphia, the only official club in the Philadelphia area for Associazione Sportiva Roma, which has played in the top tier of Italian football since 1927.
The club meets at Gran Caffè L’Aquila in Center City Philadelphia for every match. Luckily for the tifosi, the caffè opens early and closes late, because AS Roma matches start as early as 6:30 a.m. Eastern. The caffè has even opened extra early, Longo said, for important matches.
Not that Musumeci is enjoying anything off the lengthy menus, including one that each week highlights a different Italian city. “I can’t eat anything while I watch,” he said. “I pace back and forth.”
Musumeci was born in Rome and was just 6 when he started with Roma trading cards. “Love doesn’t cover it,” he said of his lifelong fandom. He moved to the United States when his father was promoted, and he later settled here, establishing a career as an educator.
“Massimo was part of Roma Club New York, and when he moved to Philadelphia he realized that support for Roma was not set up here,” Longo told ASRoma.com. “So he began the club with one of the biggest events we’ve ever had – Roma’s friendly against Inter in Philadelphia in August 2014.”
Longo is a first-generation Italian American. His father moved to Philadelphia in 1973 from Rome, and he summered in Rome while growing up. “I was inspired
by many things from these travels, and
that molded me into who I am today,” he told ASRoma.com. “The amazing art and architecture of Rome led me to become an
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architect and designer. The love for the food of Rome led me and my family to open a Roman-style pizza al taglio place.” That’s Alice Pizza in Center City, known for its light dough and crispy crust.
Today, Longo is operations manager
for his family’s four restaurants, which also include the caffè, Toscana 52 in Feasterville, Pa., and Ristorante Toscana in Cherry Hill, N.J.
The club is a family affair. Brother Riccardo Longo is a member, and they usually see a Roma match together each year. So are Riccardo’s daughters. Musumeci’s wife, Linda, is segretario e tesoriere.
Fans from across the United States and even around the world have stopped in the caffè for matches, Longo said. Philadelphians who are dedicated home-team fans (and Longo cites his love of the Eagles) can understand how much Roma fans care about their city and their team.
“Roma has some of the most recognizable songs and chants in sports,” Longo said. “It’s probably one of the biggest things about being a Roma fan.”
When José Mourinho started as Roma’s coach in 2021, he moved the fans’ rendition of “Roma Roma Roma” to just before the match starts. “It changes the focus of the game, and it gets the players emotional,” Longo said. “It’s very deep when you hear 70,000 people sing it, and you can hear it outside the stadium.”
Here goes an English translation (“the romantic nature of the words gets lost a little,” Longo said)
Roma Roma Roma
heart of this city of dreams
proud to be a part and follow
the passion and the excitement
of this football team.
Roma Roma Roma
let me cheer and sing
thousands of voices singing
the joy that you are bringing
and opens off my heart.
Roma Magic Roma
god painted your soul divine golden like the sun
and red just like this heart of mine.
Gigio Longo (holding a glass) and Massimo Musumeci at a Roma Club Philadelphia gathering at Gran Caffè L’Aquila in Center City Philadelphia. | PHOTO COURTESY OF GIGIO LONGO
Roma Roma Roma
born to be so rich
you will never fool me forever and great you’ll be. Roma Roma Roma
heart of this city of dreams
proud to be a part and follow
the passion and the excitement
of this football team. IAH
Membership in Roma Club Philadelphia
is $40 and includes discounts at Gran Caffè L’Aquila, the Philadelphia Union and other spots in Philadelphia and Rome. The club can be found on social media.
AS Roma official anthem live from Stadio Olimpico
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See and hear “Roma Roma Roma” at
youtube.com/watch?v=kQwMpd5Cb54
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