Basil Russo, president of ISDA and COPOMIAO, presents actor, comedian, and talk show host Joe Piscopo (right) with the 2026 COPOMIAO Leadership Award in recognition of his role in helping broker the installation of a replica of Baltimore’s toppled Columbus statue on White House grounds this past spring. The award was presented June 27 at the Italian American Museum (IAM) in NYC’s Little Italy during the 2026 COPOMIAO Annual Meeting.
The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) has delivered decisive wins for the pro-Columbus movement over the past two years.
Its largest victory arrived this past spring, when Hon. Basil Russo, president of Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) and COPOMIAO, teamed up with U.S. Congressman Mike Rulli and actor and Saturday Night Live alum Joe Piscopo — a longtime friend of President Donald Trump — to install a replica of Baltimore’s toppled Columbus statue in front of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, just steps from the White House. The landmark achievement made headlines across the nation and world.
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 — reports that COPOMIAO’s federal lawsuit to restore Columbus, Ohio’s namesake statue is showing significant 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.”
COPOMIAO is also extending its hand across the aisle to Native American and Indigenous Peoples groups through virtual “Solidarity Sessions,” run by Italian American One Voice Coalition (IAOVC) President Andre DiMino and the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA).
Extensive surveying by the two organizations found that only about 10% of Native and Indigenous populations oppose Columbus Day.
Thomas Damigella, who helped launch the Solidarity Sessions, is now leading the creation of a new North End Historical Society museum just steps from North Square in Boston, where Columbus’ history will be a centerpiece. The museum is set to open in the coming weeks.
About COPOMIAO
The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), founded in New York City, is a national coalition of 77 cultural, educational, fraternal, and anti-defamation groups. Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) is a proud member of COPOMIAO. ISDA National Vice President Danielle Salasavage also co-leads the Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo, which was admitted into COPOMIAO at its June 2026 Annual Meeting.
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