Basil M. Russo was a founder, and served as managing partner of the law firm of Russo, Rosalina & Co., L.P.A. until his retirement in 2014. He has served as Judge of the Ohio Court of Appeals, Judge of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas (for which he received an Excellent Judicial Service Award from the Ohio Supreme Court ), and Majority Leader of the Cleveland City Council. He currently serves as National President of the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, one of the largest Italian American Fraternal Associations in America, and serves on the executive committee of the National Italian American Foundation in Washington, D.C. He is President of the Justinian Forum Bar Association, and was the driving force behind the creation of the Bishop Anthony Pilla Italian American Studies Program at his alma mater John Carroll University. The numerous awards and recognitions he has received include induction into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame, the Freedom Award from the American Nationalities Movement, and the Columbian Award from the Federation of Italian American Societies.