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Austrian
Seamen's Benefit Society of St. George of Fianona
(founded in 1912)
The St. George Society, whose official
name is Austrian Seamen's Benefit Society of St. George of Fianona, was
founded by its seamen forefathers who sailed on the Adriatic Sea and the
Atlantic Ocean and then emigrated to the United States. The Society's
name is based on the patron saint of the Parish of St. George in
Fianona, Istria and on the originating country's name which at that time
was part of the Austrian Empire. The founding fathers' primary
objective, as stated in the society's charter, was to provide aid to
those members who were not capable of performing their normal occupation
due to illness.
The compelling initiative to form the
Society in 1912 was a result of an incident in which one of the seamen
was injured by a streetcar in New York City. His friends came to his aid
with donations for medical assistance. This group of benevolent men, all
from the Parish of St. George, realized the need to help one another,
and so the St. George Society was founded in Hoboken, New Jersey. The
names of its originators, as registered in the charter, are Rocco
Zustovich, John Tonetti, Joseph Sirola, Joseph Nacinovich and Joseph
Zustovich, who resided both on Manhattan's West Side and in Hoboken, New
Jersey.
Members of the Society are either
originally from, or descendants of persons from towns which are under
the Parish of St. George. The major towns included in the Parish are
Plomin (Fianona), Porto Plomin, Vozilici, Zagorie and some other
neighboring villages. Membership has progressed over the years and there
are presently, third and fourth generation members in the Society.
During the early years, the society's
meetings were held in Hoboken, New Jersey since most of the members were
involved in the shipbuilding industry in the New York and New Jersey
area. In later years, as members began to move their residences, and as
new members had diverse occupations, the meeting locations were moved to
Astoria, New York, first to Turn Hall and Bohemian Hall, and later to
the Istria Sport Club and Rudar Club.
The St. George Society has grown over
many decades into an organization which not only maintains its original
purpose, but has also taken on a new dimension. Social events are
sponsored by the society for its members which they enjoy with their
families and friends. The Society provides for its members dinner-dances
featuring fine ethnic and American music, picnics at the seashore with
activities from bocci to volleyball, and trips to Atlantic City for
added entertainment. Also, in recent years those members who are
full-time college students have been awarded scholarship aid usually
from raffle proceeds. The Society offers many benefits and a unique
opportunity for members to be mindful of their ethnic backgrounds in a
benevolent fraternal setting.
In the United States, the members of the
St. George Society realize the importance of maintaining a culture which
their children can know and enjoy as part of their heritage. This
culture will continue to be passed along through generations as the
founding fathers of the St. George Society had intended.
Anthony J. Bucich, Secretary
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