The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club (SFIAC), a 1,000-member organization founded in 1917, hosted a Nov. 20 banquet at its historic North Beach club to induct Cav. Basil M. Russo as a Honoris Causa Member, recognizing his “unwavering leadership and tireless efforts to unite and strengthen the Italian American community nationwide.”
Russo is the National President of Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) and leads the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO).
SFIAC President Manuele La Torre presented the award, praising Russo for leading groundbreaking initiatives that preserve and promote Italian American heritage.
During his acceptance speech, Russo explained the challenges the Italian American community faces today, and the bold steps COPOMIAO and ISDA have taken to elevate the stature of Italian Americans throughout the country.
Russo’s emotional speech about the importance of the Italian American Future Leaders (IAFL) Convention in connecting with our younger generations, the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmakers Forum (RBIAFF) to improve the image of Italian Americans in film and television, and the multiple lawsuits filed to preserve Columbus Day, was met with applause and cheers throughout, and ended with an emotional ovation.
Last month, Russo was also honored by the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission (NJIHC), as well as Club Molisani Charities, a new COPOMIAO member organization. In August, he received a commendation from the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA), led by Ron Onesti, at ISDA’s 47th biennial convention in Chicago.
Russo’s orations connect deeply with his audiences, as he has been invited to speak at more than a dozen Italian American organizations in the past six months.
“I’m always excited to meet with Italian American groups throughout the country, as we all share a common bond and love for our traditional Italian American upbringing. Each of us wants to preserve our beloved heritage, traditions and values, and if my talks add a bit of momentum to that effort, then I’m very grateful for having had the opportunity to do so,” said Russo.
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