UNICO National is a service organization of Italian Americans established in Waterbury, Connecticut, in 1922 to "engage in charitable works, support higher education, and perform patriotic deeds". According to its website, it is the "largest Italian American service organization in the USA". At that time of its founding, the trial of anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti was in the news, and many stories fostered a belief that Italian Americans were loyal primarily to their homeland. UNICO was founded by Italians who were denied membership in the local Rotary Club because they were Italian and to show that Italian Americans were loyal to America first and held no allegiance to Italy except through cultural traditions.[1]
Unico is the Italian word for "unique", chosen to represent the one-of-a-kind nature of the organization. The word has since become a backronym which stands for Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, Opportunity.