Basil Russo, who leads the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, presents Joe Piscopo (right) with the 2026 COPOMIAO Leadership Award in recognition of his role in helping broker the installation of Baltimore’s once-toppled Columbus statue on White House grounds this past spring. The award was presented at the Italian American Museum on June 27 in NYC’s Little Italy during the 2026 COPOMIAO Annual Meeting.
COPOMIAO 2026 ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS:
- Hon. Basil Russo unanimously reelected to fourth consecutive 2-year term as President of COPOMIAO — an unprecedented achievement.
- Delegation of COPOMIAO representatives invited to Vatican City this summer to hold an audience with top Church leadership
- COPOMIAO presents $107,000 in Italy disaster relief funding to Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani
- COPOMIAO leaders will meet in Washington, D.C. this winter to convene with Marco Peronaci, Italy’s Ambassador to the U.S.
- 5 new member organizations added to COPOMIAO ranks; the COPOMIAO coalition is now comprised of 78 member organizations!
Italian American organizations, including COPOMIAO, have filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Columbus, Ohio, seeking the reinstallation of the Christopher Columbus statue removed from City Hall grounds in 2020 and placed in storage without a public vote or City Council approval. The 22-foot bronze statue, a 1955 gift from Genoa, Italy, as part of a sister-city agreement, had stood outside City Hall for decades before its removal amid civic unrest. The lawsuit, filed April 7 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, argues the statue’s removal was unlawful and discriminatory.
COPOMIAO Turns the Tide in Fight for Columbus
The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations has delivered decisive wins for the pro-Columbus movement over the past two years, with its largest victory coming this past spring, when COPOMIAO President Basil Russo worked with U.S. Congressman Mike Rulli and actor and Saturday Night Live alum Joe Piscopo to install a replica of Baltimore’s toppled Columbus statue in front of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, just steps from the White House — a landmark achievement that made headlines across the globe.
Meanwhile, COPOMIAO National Counsel George Bochetto — who, through years of litigation and appeals, blocked the removal of Pittsburgh’s and Philadelphia’s Columbus statues and restored Columbus Day in Philadelphia — said COPOMIAO’s federal lawsuit filed in Columbus, Ohio, to restore the city’s namesake statue was showing significant and highly encouraging progress.
“Everything I do is intended to honor the memory of my parents and grandparents, who are no longer with me,” said Russo. “Columbus is a testament to our families and ancestors, many of whom ascended from poverty to prominence, in part by using the intrepid navigator as a symbol to fuel assimilation.”
Meanwhile, COPOMIAO is extending its hand across the aisle to Native American and Indigenous Peoples groups through virtual “Solidarity Sessions” which are run by Italian American One Voice Coalition (IAOVC) President Andre DiMino and the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA), who, through extensive surveying, have found that only about 10% of Native and Indigenous groups oppose Columbus Day.
Thomas Damigella, who helped launch the Solidarity Sessions, is underway in creating a brand new North End Historical Society museum, just steps from North Square in Boston, where Columbus’ history will be a centerpiece.
Growing Strong
COPOMIAO has added five new member organizations to its ranks, bringing its total membership to 78 organizations from across the United States (over the past five years, COPOMIAO has more than doubled its coalition — a testament to its leadership, action and advocacy).
New member organizations include:
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- American Italian Heritage Museum and Association
- Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo
- Club Molisani Charities
- Connecticut Italian American Bar Association
- Italian American Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
Every year, the annual Italian American Future Leaders (IAFL) Convention closes with a grand celebration, filled with pride, karaoke, dancing and catered Italian foods at South Florida’s Amerant Bank Arena. The night seals the momentum for the months ahead, as more young generations’ clubs and initiatives emerge on the local level.
A Future in Focus
Italian American Future Leaders (IAFL), co-founded by Basil Russo, John Viola and Patrick O’Boyle, is entering its fifth year and will once again take place at Amerant Bank Arena in South Florida over MLK weekend in 2027. Registration for “IAFL5” will open this September and COPOMIAO’s member organizations are highly encouraged to send their best and brightest Future Leaders, ages 21 to 35. In the past four years, more than 500 Italian Americans have attended the convention, with hundreds more arriving next year.
The convention examines cultural identity, accelerates leadership development and advances strategies for long-term community impact.
“As we look ahead to IAFL5, we’re incredibly proud of what has been built over the past four years and excited by what comes next,” said IAFL Executive Director Andrea Mauck. “The next convention will be a milestone moment, celebrating our successes, and continuing to raise the bar as we deepen our commitment to the Italian American community nationwide.”
Sponsored in part by COPOMIAO, the four-day, all-expense-paid convention is a rising national fellowship platform where Italian American professionals, students and advocates connect to address opportunities and obstacles, while amplifying 21st-century approaches and community-building.
Additional major updates are coming soon — stay tuned!
WONDER WOMEN (from left): Alice Salvo, Danette Porto and Danielle Salasavage were honored with the Donna Distinta Award at the 2026 COPOMIAO annual meeting for their outstanding contributions to the Italian American culture. Read their inspirational stories here.