Contact:   Elissa Ruffino (NIAF) 202/939-3106 or elissa@niaf.org

(WASHINGTON, DC — March 31, 2003) Vincent Viola, chairman of NYMEX Holdings, Inc. and the New York Mercantile Exchange Inc., has been elected to the board of directors of the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). The elections were held on March 7 during the Foundation’s annual board meeting at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Board Room in New York City.

“Vincent Viola heads one of the major trading commodities in America. He compliments our board as a leader of the financial community that also includes the NYSE Chairman and CEO Dick Grasso and NIAF vice chairman,” NIAF Chairman Frank J. Guarini said.

He was vice chairman of the Exchange from 1993 to 1996 and earlier on the board of directors from 1987 to 1990. He is the principal of Pioneer Futures, Inc., which is a clearing member of both divisions of the New York Mercantile Exchange and the New York Board of Trade.

Viola co-founded and was chairman of the National Children’s Educational Reform Foundation, which is dedicated to the fundamental reform and improvement of inner-city education with an emphasis on bi-lingual programs in immigrant communities. Viola has served on the West Point Fund committee, an arm of the board of trustees which supports academy cadet programs. In 1997, Viola received man-of-the-year award from Eden School for Autistic children. He was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1998 by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations. In 2000, he was honored with the community service award from the Futures and Options for Kids charitable organization. He was honored by the Cobble Hill Health Center’s Jacqueline Hernandez’s Alzheimer’s Day Care Center for his philanthropic endeavors. Viola was also a recipient of the Hamilton-Madison House Heritage Award at the organization’s 100th birthday celebration, which paid tribute to the Italian heritage.

He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and achieved the rank of major in the United States Army Reserves. In 1983, he graduated from New York Law School with a juris doctor degree. Viola is married, lives in New Jersey, and has three children.