Ermelinda Cuono is a Bronx native who began her childhood education in the borough’s St. Margaret Mary and St. Simon Stock schools. Years later, following graduation from Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart with a bachelor's degree in English, Ermelinda earned a master of arts in English and pursued doctoral studies in comparative literature at New York University. She began her professional career teaching English in two Mercy schools, St. Catharine Academy and Our Lady of Victory Academy. From there, Ermelinda went on to teach at Saugerties Middle School and the Scuola D'Italia, a joint Italian lycee and American High School in New York City. She also served as an adjunct professor at Mercy College. 

  After two years in Italy on a Fulbright-Hays English Teaching Assistantship, a fortuitous series of events catapulted Ermelinda into a business career in textiles with two Italian companies located in Como, Italy. Since 1991, she has been gener al manager of Clerici Tessuto USA Corp., an American company that represents and sells the various products of its parent company, a producer of silk fabrics.  

  Ermelinda has served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Italy America Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys traveling, reading and baking as hobbies. Throughout, she has maintained a close relationship with the Sisters of Mercy Regional Community of New York, and she remains ever-present and very generous in her support of Mercy.  

  Her friend Sr. Theresa Kane has been a first-hand witness to Linda’s kind-hearted disposition throughout the years. “Ermelinda is gifted with a joyous, loving spirit, and her lifelong gift of giving and caring for others has deepened since her youth,” said Sr. Theresa. “Ermelinda’s devotion to her profession, to her friends and very particularly to her loving family, especially her father, has been extraordinary.” 

  Sr. Rhea Bean, also a friend, praises Ermelinda’s courage as well as her talent, intelligence, warmth, generosity, and elegance. “Before we named her ‘Friend of Mercy,’ Linda carried the name of Mercy and demonstrated her enduring friendship. To us she has brought all the beautiful gifts of her person, making real Shakespeare’s words that the quality of mercy is twice-blest. In honoring her with the name ‘Friend of Mercy,’ we celebrate the honor she first rendered to us, with her fidelity to Mercy.”