Any airlines Flying direct from JFK or any east coast airport to Palemero?

Meridiana's service is seasonal in the summer only. Their schedules for next year probably haven't been finalized yet.

As far as I know, you have to connect somewhere to Palermo. This November, wife and grandson meeting me there connecting through Munich-from EWR--in the past, have used FCO and CDG using Easyjet. Have never used Meridiana. Personally, I would go through Munich or Frankfurt rather than FCO.

Meridiana flies a seasonal flight in summer from PMO to JFK and back (aka the "Cosa Nostra Express").. But I think it's only one day a week from PMO and one day a week from NAP.
Check with them if they intend to resume next summer since Meridiana wasn't going too well financially so they might have decided to cut that route for next year.

I am going to Sicily this November flying Aer Lingus via Dublin to Rome for one night then to Catania following day.
I've done some research & could not find direct flights to Sicily. On non Alitalia flight, you can fly to JFK-Venice then fly Ryanair from different airport Venice Treviso to PMO or fly to Milan then Alitalia to PMO. This may need a layover of one night.
Alitalia from JFK to PMO connecting at Milan or Venice may have better connections without need to spend the night.
Browse the airline websites. Happy travels.

Earlier this year I flew on United/Lufthansa from JFK connecting in Munich to Palermo. Worked fine. Just anecdotal, but I tried to book a domestic Italian flight on Meridiana and had so much difficulty dealing with their web site and customer service that in the end I dropped the idea and took the train, and never regretted that.

Delta and Alitalia are "codeshares." You will stop at FCO (Rome), and get a connecting flight on Alitalia the same day. If you book through to Palermo, you won't have to go through immigration in Rome, or spend the night. Just collect your bags in Palermo and go through immigration there. The connection will probably only be 1 1/2 hours. Maybe Alitalia does direct flights from JFK seasonally, i.e., June, July, August.

I've had a connection through Rome on Delta/Alitalia that was as long as five hours. But it's best to get one ticket, JFK to PMO (Palermo), with a change in FCO (Rome), that way if a flight is delayed it's up to the airline to get you there.

Zoe, for once I lucked out! I only had an hour and a half at FCO before the connection, but I did go to Catania, not Palermo. And yes, in the rare case of arriving late to Rome (usually early due to tail winds), it will be the Airline's responsibility to get them to their final destination that day.

what other airlines besides Alitalia and Lufthansa fly into Palermo? Looking to avoid Alitalia. I can't tell anything from Palermo airport website.

Try using this site or Skyscanner or Kayak. That will get you airlines, schedules, and prices in and out of Palermo wherever you are coming from. Avoid Delta if you don't want any Alitalia legs. A bud just got back from a week in Italy without luggage thanks to guess who.