NEW YORK, NY April 07, 2009 —Local Italian-American groups are collecting donations to help the victims of the earthquake in Italy. Dr. Joseph Scelsa is the president of the Italian-American Museum on Mulberry Street in Manhattan. He's part of a group that's set up a relief fund at the museum.

SCELSA: We will throw the money to responsible parties directly for the rebuilding of the facilities, so that these people will not be homeless.

The earthquake struck the Abruzzo region of Italy and killed more than 200 people and injured over 1000. Estimates put the number of homeless at 50,000.