Memorial Unveiling For Port Chester's Mount Rushmore Carver

A memorial for Westchester’s Luigi Del Bianco, instrumental in the creation of Mount Rushmore, will be held in Port Chester.

On Saturday June 21 at 1:30 pm, residents of Port Chester and beyond will hold a memorial honoring Luigi Del Bianco, a talented immigrant artist who truly lived the American dream.

Lou Del Bianco with his grandfather’s likeness in marble

- Advertisement -

Bianco was the chief carver on for the nation’s most iconic sculpture, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Bianco was born in the small town of Meduno in Italy, immigrating to the United States in 1920. Designer Gutzon Borglum—the son of Danish immigrants—hired Bianco in 1933 to assist him creating the “refinement of expression” in the sculpture’s faces.

When The Carving of Mount Rushmore by Rex Allen Smith was published, the Del Bianco family was surprised to see no mention of Luigi in it. Luigi’s son, Caesar, and grandson, Lou, made four separate trips to the Library of Congress to research the Borglum papers. They found letters of Borglum praising “Bianco” and his importance to the sculpture.

Lou Del Bianco is now fighting the National Park Service to recognize his grandfather as the Chief Carver. Despite documentation, the National Park Service has yet to recognize Del Bianco with the title. Westchester Magazine did a Q&A with Lou Del Bianco about his efforts to honor his grandfather, which you can read here.

Our Best of Westchester Readers' Ballot is open through January 15!

Our Women in Business Awards event is November 21!

Our Best of Business event is October 30!

Our CEOs & Business Leaders Golf Outing is August 5!

Our Best of Westchester Party is July 24!

Our Westchester Home Design Awards event is June 26!

Our Wine & Food Festival returns June 4-9!

Our Wunderkinds event takes place on May 23!

Our Best of Business Ballot is open through May 15!

Our Healthcare Heroes Awards event takes place on May 9!

Our Westchester Home Builders Awards take place on April 4!

Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Forum is March 14!

Unveiled: A Boutique Bridal Brunch is February 25!

Holiday flash sale ... subscribe and save 50%

Limited time offer. New subscribers only.