Prominent Italian Politician Doubles Down

on Support for Columbus

Fucsia Fitzgerald Nissoli, Basil Russo (center-left) and members of the local Italian American community pose in front of the Columbus statue in Cleveland, Ohio’s Little Italy neighborhood.

Hon. Fucsia Fitzgerald Nissoli, a member of the Italian Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies, visited Cleveland, Ohio on Aug. 27 to meet with Basil M. Russo and members of the local Italian American community,

Russo, who is the national president of Italian Sons and Daughters of America and president of The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, organized a reception at The Italian American Museum of Cleveland to welcome and honor the popular Italian politician.

Nissoli has been instrumental in promoting Italian American cultural heritage, with a focus on preserving the legacy of Christopher Columbus (a figure who came to symbolize Italian Americans’ fight for assimilation in the U.S. during The Great Arrival).

In fact, it was Nissoli and one of her peers, Hon. Federico Mollicone, who presented a motion to the Chamber in June 2021 in defense of the 15th-century explorer. The unprecedented motion to protect Columbus on a political and diplomatic level passed overwhelmingly.

At the reception last Saturday, Nissoli informed the audience that she would once again pledge her support of Columbus to the seat of the Italian Parliament.

Nissoli is currently running for a third, five-year term, and has very strong support in the Italian American community.