The annual COPOMIAO meeting, held on June 1 in NYC in Little Italy's Italian American Museum, demonstrated a national coalition on the rise through the steady leadership of Basil M. Russo, who was unanimously elected to a third consecutive term by his peers.

The Italian American Museum is not yet open to the public, as crews wrap up with a years-long, multi-million reconstruction effort. IAM President and Founder, Dr. Joe Scelsa, projects that its grand opening will take place this October, during Italian American Heritage Month.

However, COPOMIAO VP John Viola cut the ribbon on Red Sauce Studio (located next to IAM) on Friday, May 31. The new space will feature interactive heritage and oral history booths, and it will sell Italian and Italian American products, apparel and antiquities (it will also function as a studio space for the Italian American Podcast).

At the annual meeting, six new groups were added to the COPOMIAO ranks, including: Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association; Federation of Italian American Societies of New Jersey; Italian American Museum of Cleveland; Little Italy Foundation; Pittsburgh Italian Scholarship Fund; San Francisco Italian Athletic Club.

COPOMIAO leaders Andre DiMino and Tom Damigella addressed their COPOMIAO peers to discuss a groundbreaking collaboration with the Native American Guardians Association (NAGA). The new alliance aims to correct the false narratives and myths surrounding Italian American and Native American history. The collaboration will also focus on the preservation of Christopher Columbus holidays and monuments. More updates to follow!

NYC's Consul General Fabrizio Di Michele praised the efforts of Russo and Viola as they meaningfully engage younger generations through the Italian American Future Leaders movement, a national fellowship program that is proven to be a bellwether of cultural progress. Planning for the national "IAFL3" conference is underway, and, once again, hundreds of aspiring young leaders will meet in Ft. Lauderdale this January at Amerant Bank Arena to deepen their cultural ties.

"There's strength, and strategy, in numbers. As a collective, we're proving that no opportunity is out of reach," said Russo. "From the local level to the international stage, COPOMIAO is elevating the Italian American community every step of the way, and I couldn't be prouder of what our organization has achieved in a few short years. We're eager to share our greatest endeavor yet, in the coming months. Stay tuned!"