In November 2009, moved by his passion for his homeland, Puglia, Luciano Lamonarca founded the Puglia Center of America, a premiere organization for the promotion of the Puglia region of Italy in all its aspects, especially through the creation and exchange of cultural, tourist, and educational assets between the Apulia region of Italy and the United States. Other goals and projects included the support of global social objectives as well as missionary and humanitarian projects aimed at fighting cancer.
Through the Puglia Center of America, Luciano organized the December 2010 concert “United for Peace” at Carnegie Hall as a tribute to the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the United Nations Logistics Base located in Brindisi, Apulia.
The Puglia Center of America was a co-signatory and facilitator of joint declarations between the Westchester County Government, New York, and the Province of Bari, and between the State of Connecticut and the Province of Bari.
Among other social projects related to the United Nations, the organization sponsored also the project “United Academia“, which was an initiative that had as its goal to create international partnerships in the academic field and to extend access and membership to the United Nations Academic Impact (“UNAI”). Through this initiative, Fordham University, Hofstra University, the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, the University “Aldo Moro” of Bari, the Politecnico of Bari, and the University of Salento at Lecce joined UNAI.
Among those who loaned their support for the Puglia Center of America were the American actor Joe Mantegna and the Italian actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Lino Banfi, who became Advocates of the Puglia Center of America.
Luciano was raised in the region of Puglia, and he has happily guided friends and guests on trips to Italy to discover the hidden parts of the region that are not included in typical Italian tours.