<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0tw1HQ_1H0MNn6E00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0tw1HQ_1H0MNn6E00" width="1600" height="900" ><figcaption>(Left to right) Derby Mayor Joseph DiMartino and Derby Republican leader Gino DiGiovanni, Jr. Credit: File photos</figcaption></figure>DERBY – The members of the Sterling Opera House Commission voted Monday to indefinitely suspend meetings after the ouster of their former chairman, Gino DiGiovanni, Jr.“I believe that the best thing for this committee is to indefinitely suspend meetings from here on in. I believe that is in our right to do so,” said Brian Coppolo, the new chairman of the commission.How long the commission will be mothballed wasn’t clear. Reconvening in February 2027 is possible, according to what was said during the meeting Nov. 9.The move happened after the members of the Derby Board of Aldermen &amp; Alderwomen voted unanimously Oct. 8 to replace DiGiovanni on the Sterling Opera House with David Reed, whose new term lasts until Sept. 30, 2029.A clip from the Oct. 8 legislative meeting is below.<div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pkmvR9Nh048?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div>The Sterling Opera House Commission’s mission is to advise and consult with the city on the restoration and preservation of the historic Sterling Opera House on Elizabeth Street.Nov. 9 was the first opera house meeting since DiGiovanni wasn’t reappointed.DiGiovanni spoke during the commission’s public portion session, saying he dedicated countless hours – and some of his own money – to the cause because restoring the opera house can help Derby.DiGiovanni pointed out he was previously not reappointed to the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission, where he served as chairman. He questioned whether the pattern is political.“At some time, one must question whether these decisions are being made in the best interest of the city and its residents, or whether political considerations have been taking precedence over experience, commitment, and proven service,” DiGiovanni said. “Public service should never be about political loyalties, personal differences, or desire to control those who volunteer their time. It should be about working together towards a common goal, and recognizing the people have dedicated themselves to making a difference.”The audio from DiGiovanni’s statement is posted below. Click play to listen.<div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MPl0Mc5TuX0?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div>Mayor ReactsWhen asked for comment, Mayor Joseph DiMartino issued a statement saying he wanted DiGiovanni replaced with someone who “would work more constructively with my administration.”DiMartino is a registered Democrat, and the nine members of the Board of Aldermen and Alderwomen are either Democrats or ran on the Democratic ticket.Meanwhile, DiGiovanni is the chairman of the Derby Republican Town Committee, and he ran for mayor against DiMartino in 2023. In 2025 he was pardoned by President Donald Trump for a trespass conviction connected to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.DiMartino said DiGiovanni’s political roles spilled over onto the Sterling Opera House Commission.A month before the Nov. 4, 2025 mayoral election, the members of the Sterling Opera House Commission released a statement to their Facebook page criticizing the DiMartino administration for allegedly not allowing the morning radio crew from WPLR into the opera house for a ghost hunt.The members of the commission called the last minute cancellation “politically motivated” by the DiMartino administration.DiMartino said this week that DiGiovanni’s political efforts to undermine his administration “made it difficult to maintain a constructive working relationship.”“Gino was consistently critical of this administration, both publicly and behind the scenes,” DiMartino said in a statement. “Given that, I did not believe it made sense to reappoint him to a committee that will, over the next few years, work closely with my administration.”DiMartino also cited a lack of communication from the commission. He said the commission didn’t submit reports when asked, and that the process to create a Sterling Opera House comprehensive plan didn’t include direct input from the public or the administration.“Between February and the summer presentation, the administration received no updates on the study’s financial impact. Regular updates, public input, and clear information about costs are basic expectations. Those expectations were not met,” DiMartino said in a written statement.On Nov. 11, DiGiovanni reacted to the mayor’s comments with a 1,200-word written statement of his own.“The allegations of poor communication, failure to involve the public, and allowing political affiliations to interfere with commission business are unfounded,” DiGiovanni wrote. His statement reveals there was deep-seeded conflict between the commission and DiMartino since DiMartino was first elected in 2023. DiGiovanni’s statement criticizes the mayor for not keeping the same people on the commission that were on there when Rich Dziekan was mayor. The statement alleges Derby City/Town Clerk Marc Garofalo did not want him on the commission from the start.“This raises a fundamental question. Since when should personal preferences or political relationships determine who is qualified to volunteer their time and expertise in service to the City of Derby?” DiGiovanni said.DiGiovanni ran unsuccessfully for Garofalo’s position in 2025.Garofalo said the mayor makes appointments. The Board of Aldermen and Alderwomen has the power to approve or reject those appointments. Garofalo pointed out the mayor appointed DiGiovanni.“If you take what (DiGiovanni) is saying as true — the mayor didn’t listen to me,” Garofalo said. “Look, the mayor, he is an easy-going guy who trusts people and wants people of a certain caliber. Clearly, after a few years of this stuff, Gino doesn’t live up to that caliber.”DiGiovanni said there was public input into the opera house comprehensive plan through public meetings and a market research study by the company that put the plan together. He said DiMartino didn’t attend the regularly scheduled opera house meetings.DiGiovanni stated his removal from both the opera house commission and the city’s planning and zoning “raises serious questions about whether my removal was motivated by legitimate concerns regarding me service or by personal retaliation arising from political disagreements. I firmly believe it was the latter,” he said.Commission ReactsDana Florenza, a member of the Sterling Opera House Commission, thanked DiGiovanni for his leadership during Monday’s meeting and said the board isn’t partisan.“While I am deeply disappointed by the decision to remove him from the commission, I want to make one thing perfectly clear: his removal changes absolutely nothing about his involvement, our commitment, our partnership, or our determination to see this project through, the decision exposes far more about the person who made it,” she said. Click play to hear Florenza’s comments.<div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F8ipXmnryZM?feature=oembed&amp;enablejsapi=1" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div>Prior Dust UpsGiven the underlying political dynamics at play, there has been friction between the commission and the administration before. In May 2024, DiGiovanni told The Valley Indy that members of the commission felt they were in a holding pattern, but said he was relieved after DiMartino publicly stated he supported the opera house effort.In July 2024, The Valley Indy reported there were trust issues between members of the commission and DiMartino’s administration. DiMartino said at a public meeting that month that no one from his administration was trying to sabotage the commission’s work.Florenza said in 2024 that The Valley Indy reporting was not entirely accurate but DiGiovanni’s new statement re-affirms the previous stories.AccomplishmentsPolitics aside, the Sterling Opera House Commission made significant progress in its quest to see the building restored.It is the most progress for the opera house in at least 17 years.A comprehensive study made possible by a state grant was shared with the public in July. It said $36.9 million is needed to bring the old building back to life. Click here for a story.A separate, nonprofit organization has been formed that can legally fundraise. The fundraising will continue, Florenza said.Whether the commission will return in 2027 remains to be seen.DiMartino said he could not speak to why Coppolo — the new chairman who thanked DiGiovanni for his public service — put the meetings on hold.“However, I recognize that we are now focused on fundraising to secure the money necessary to restore the Sterling Opera House,” DiMartino said. “As always, I am prepared to serve as a resource, support those efforts, and help move this project forward.”The statements DiGiovanni and Florenza made Nov. 9 were posted to the Sterling Opera House Commission’s Facebook page.When a person on the commission’s Facebook page asked why DiGiovanni was off the commission, Florenza told the person to “send me a pm and I will tell you, because you won’t get a truthful answer if you ask the administration.”An open government side quest: the Facebook correspondence, should it happen, could be made available to the public through a Freedom of Information request, according to state open government laws. The commission is a public body, not a private group.About The SterlingThe Sterling opened in 1889 as an entertainment venue. From 1945 to 1965 it was used as city hall and the police station. Since then it has sat vacant.Efforts to revive the opera house have been on and off for decades. The city has maintained the exterior of the building thanks to federal and state grants and there have been various proposals and prices to restore the building as a whole.</div></body>

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DERBY – The members of the Sterling Opera House Commission voted Monday to indefinitely suspend meetings after the ouster of their former chairman, Gino DiGiovanni, Jr. “I believe that the best thing for this committee is to indefinitely suspend meetings from here on in. I believe that is in our right to do so,” said Brian Coppolo, the new chairman of the commission.

Derby Commission Pushes Back After DiGiovanni’s Ouster

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DERBY – The members of the Sterling Opera House Commission voted Monday to indefinitely suspend meetings after the ouster of their former chairman, Gino Di

Derby Commission Pushes Back After DiGiovanni’s Ouster

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