Harrisonburg Italian restaurant owner celebrates becoming US citizen after 30 years

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – After three decades of building a life and a business in the Shenandoah Valley, the owner of Brothers Italian Restaurant has reached a major milestone: becoming a United States citizen.

For more than 15 years, Massimo Coppola has done more than serve Italian food — he has served as a fixture in the Harrisonburg community.

“I love to see these people here. They have supported me through so many years,” Coppola said.

Some of those customers have been there since the restaurant’s opening day. Coppola recalled one long-time patron who has watched her daughter grow up at his tables.

“You see this lady? She also comes here with her daughter since she was, what, three, four years old?” Coppola said.

“She was a brand new infant,” the customer replied.

After 15 years in Harrisonburg, Coppola said his customers have become more of a family. Behind the scenes, Coppola has been working toward something deeply personal: citizenship. The process required dedication and sacrifice.

“I was studying all day, and my wife was with me, saying ‘you are studying so much,’” Coppola said. “But I said, ‘I gotta do this because I don’t want to answer any questions wrong.’”

That commitment paid off. Now a U.S. citizen, Coppola spoke with pride and conviction about his new status.

“I don’t care what they think. It’s all Americans. I’m American now,” Coppola said. “I was proud before. I’m now just more proud to be American. I will defend this country always.”

Coppola’s journey has been shaped by the opportunities he found in the U.S., a country that he said rewards those willing to seize them.

“This country gives a lot of opportunity, but then it’s up to you to take this opportunity,” Coppola said. “When you move to another country, you can understand there is a different culture, a different way to do stuff, so you respect and you learn the way they do it. You come here, you respect everything, and you do the best you can and take the best, because this country gives you a chance. Now, it’s up to you to take it.”

Rather than celebrate his citizenship alone with family, Coppola chose to honor the moment with those who had supported him throughout his journey with a party at his restaurant.

“I saw so many other people who celebrate with family, but I said I need to do it with my customers,” Coppola said.

While gaining citizenship marks the end of one significant chapter, Coppola views it as a beginning — “the beginning of another story,” he said.

That story includes one moment he said he cannot wait to experience:

“I can’t wait to go to the airport and show my blue passport,” Coppola said.

A symbolic proof that after 30 years, his American dream is officially a reality.