The much-anticipated Italian American Future Leaders Conference — developed by COPOMIAO VP John Viola — is a 3-night, 4-day cultural excursion to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., that will feature small group collaboration, keynote seminars, networking banquets and a VIP NHL game experience at FLA Live Arena. The best part? Virtually all expenses, including h...

I traveled to Rome with my mother, Cav. Gilda Rorro Baldassari, and a special delegation of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), assembled by Judge Basil Russo. We traveled to Italy in May 2022 to foster relationships with leaders of the Republic of Italy and the Vatican. We met with the Ministry of Forei...

Dear friends, even in August, ciao from a Rome full of American tourists and empty of us Romans!   In early August a dear friend traveling to Liguria sent me a photo, taken by him. While driving he had seen a sign that had attracted his curiosity, and he knew well that it would interest me as well. The photo is the one you see here: Cogoleto, the s...

Fabrizio Di Michele, the Consul General of Italy in New York, hosted a grand reception on Saturday, July 23 to honor and celebrate the emerging bond between the Italian government and The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO). Held at the Italian Consulate headquarters in NYC, the gathering reflects an ongoing...

The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) unveiled its bold agenda for the coming year at its annual membership meeting in NYC in late July. President Basil M. Russo presented the delegates of the 58 member organizations with a detailed breakdown of three major initiatives. Developing a comprehensive campaign t...

In Syracuse, the Columbus monument still stands, inside Columbus circle there; yet Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh is moving on with his appeal after a stunning legal defeat, back in March, when Supreme Court Justice Gerard Neri blocked Walsh’s order to remove the navigator’s statue. The lawsuit to save the statue was raised by the Columbus Monument Corpo...

The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) is working closely with the New Jersey Italian Heritage Commission (NJIHC) on the national rollout of an equitable, diverse and inclusive curriculum model that uses heritage as a guide to better educate U.S. students in both public and private schools. It is titled: The...

Growing up in Northeastern Pennsylvania, an area with a vibrant Italian American community, Stephanie Longo first became intrigued by her heritage when she was five years old when her mother took her to Dino and Francesco’s restaurant in Clarks Summit, PA, which had a large map of Italy on their placemat.  While they were there, her mother, Ann Mar...

Ciao from Rome!  Dear friends, another month has passed, and I was so happy to meet again a lot of fantastic Italian American friends in the delegation of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, here in Rome. Too much time has passed! A special thanks to my friend Basil Russo, leader of the Conference. Please enjoy her...

It was a historic week in Rome and within Vatican City as a delegation of Italian American leaders met with government officials and Pope Francis to advance cultural and religious initiatives — and to set the stage for new economic opportunities — between the U.S. and Italy. The delegation, assembled by Judge Basil M. Russo — who leads The Conferen...