Make No More Monsters: Bobby Digi aka Henry Olisa - An Informant's Halo?
Make No More Monsters: Bobby Digi aka Henry Olisa - An Informant's Halo?
Alleged FBI informant, NYC Cultural Affair Commissioner Laurie Cumbo Hubby Tied to Ettore Mazzei’s Drug Operation, Raising Questions About Organized Crime and Public Safety.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This piece was written by M. Thomas Nast and Frankie Pressman, two reporters with significant law enforcement connections for this outlet. The statements published here are expert opinions by protected sources, political consultants, insiders, and current and former law enforcement professionals, some of whom have testified before courts of law. Nast and Pressman “Bleed the Blue,” and this publication has no problem with that whatsoever. The reader should form their own opinions from their presentation.
By M. Thomas Nast and Frankie Pressman
The aftermath of the Ettore Mazzei arrests on Staten Island last month prompted this article. Over twenty individuals were arrested and charged as part of a sweeping drug conspiracy lasting over two years and ensnaring over twenty charged defendants.
As many law enforcement officers know, a case like this requires significant police work. It also takes high-level coordination to ascertain whether there are any overlaps between other investigations by law enforcement agencies, state and federal.
We received some tips about the Mazzei case. We detail three below. It wasn’t about who was charged or mentioned—it was about who wasn’t. This led us to spend the last month speaking with trusted sources—on the job, retired, and in the community.
The most controversial opinions presented here are that Henry “Bobby Digi” Olisa is an FBI informant, that there is likely Italian mafia / La Cosa Nostra (LCN) involvement, and that Digi Olisa has been a snitch for some time. Specific sources believe Digi-Olisa has passed information on the FBI’s current probe against NYC Mayor Eric Adams for illegal fundraising.
Prologue: Make No More Monsters
Ettore Mazzei sits in a Rikers Island cell. Given his age and the charges against him, he is unlikely to see freedom again, except as a very old man. And he shouldn’t if it is true that the poison he peddled - motivated by sheer greed - caused the overdose deaths of those he exploited. The harm to families and the community cannot be overstated.
But something doesn’t sit right with Henry “Bobby Digi” Olisa. Of course, we recognize that you shouldn’t ask choir boys for information about crimes. But Digi-Olisa is far from a choir boy, given his checkered history and questionable dealings. Too many coincidences make a fact.
Yet, he is accepted by the political class as one of their own. He receives City money to promote a charity that isn’t transparent. He gets the money from his “baby momma,” which is basically “laundered through” a City Council Office that has little respect for the NYPD.
NYC Council Member Hanks is solely responsible for the “How Many Stops” Act.
NYPD Hero Officer Gerard Carter Community Center Subcontract Awarded To Cop-Killer Sympathizers?
NYC Council Member Hanks lobbied for funding for another not-for-profit that advocated for the release of cop-killer Shatiek Johnson, Officer Gerard Carter's murderer. This was over the blood-curdling objections of the widow and her child.
"I support second chances. And I will support Shatiek Johnson's parole the day after my son has a chance to hug his father again," Jozette Carter-Williams said.
Those on the job during Crown Heights remember a City in turmoil. Good men and women in law enforcement go to work every day, and their families worry they will never come home. During those days, it wasn’t a buzzing anxiety but a tangible, credible fear and worry.
The City is returning to those days. Cops aren’t safe to do their jobs - in large part because of Al Sharpton’s “advocacy.” In reality, his legacy is marked with line-of-duty tombstones. More than anyone else in the last generation, Al Sharpton has made it impossible for good cops in The City to kiss their families goodbye each day with the inherent promise that everything humanly possible has been done to ensure that they will return home after their shift.
And to think that absent federal intervention in a 1980s drug case, there would be no Al Sharpton. He turned “Federal Rat” and has enjoyed the benefit of that “halo of protection” for the last four decades.
Yeah, the Feds got their mobsters. But the price has been paid in forty years of NYPD officers’ blood and family members’ tears.
We have to ask ourselves: Is that price worth it for the next 40 years for a “Bobby Digi?” Are we creating another “Al Sharpton” who will frustrate honest law enforcement and enable cop killers? But this time, the monster we make doesn’t even bother to use the name on his rap sheet: Henry Olisa.
Tip 1
The first tip was about following the money - the political money. That was pretty simple.
Ettore Mazzei has a son named David, who is 34. Both “maxed out” their political contributions to NYC Council Member Kamillah Hanks in 2020, which meant an 8-1 match or $3,150.00 in total campaign contributions. Ettore Mazzei had not made a previous political contribution for 27 years.
In 1993, David was three years old. His father previously went by the name “David” and made an $849.00 contribution to the late, iconic Guy V. Molinari, whose name is synonymous with Staten Island politics.
Hanks was quick to distance herself from Mazzei after the arrest. She posted on her Official Facebook page that she was “saddened” by the arrest.
Hanks was not saddened enough to return the drug dealer’s campaign money.
A source close to Hanks’ office said under anonymity that Hanks was not expected to return the Mazzei’s money because “no other politicians were.”
“Kamillah Hanks and [husband Kevin Barry Love] throw around nickels like they’re manhole covers,” said a Staten Island political insider. “You’ll have a better chance of seeing Guy Molinari rise from his sarcophagus with a check in his hand.”
In the interests of full disclosure, Richard Luthmann, a reporter from this outlet who was not part of this reporting, is presently engaged in a lawsuit against Hanks, Love, and others, captioned Luthmann v. Hanks et al., Ind. No. 100012/2024 (New York County Supreme Court). Luthmann alleges that Hanks and Love have a pattern of failing to pay valid bills, failing to make required campaign disclosures, lying to the authorities, and tortious interference with the practice of journalism.
This leads to Tip 2 - Why was Ettore Mazzei around NYC Council Member Kamillah Hanks?
Tip 2
We did some digging on a claim that Ettore Mazzei was supplying marijuana, illegal narcotics, and illegally obtained prescription drugs throughout Stapleton and to notable persons. One name that came up was Charlie Balducci, the late MTV Reality TV Star and founder of the NYC Arts Cypher, a not-for-profit.
In June 2020, Balducci was found dead in his Staten Island home. The medical report shows he had taken a cocktail of prescription drugs: Oxycodone, hydrocodone, and alprazolam (Xanax). The NYC Arts Cipher is around the corner from Mazzei’s Chez Vous Catering Company, and the pair often collaborated on local events.
A source said that Ettore Mazzei was the drug dealer of choice for the “Stapleton Elite.” We searched for independent corroboration about Mazzei as Balducci’s “pill connection” but found nothing solid yet. However, Balducci’s estate filed no claims against any attending physician who purportedly wrote prescriptions for his “death cocktail.”
We had more luck with information about NYC Council Member Hanks’ “husband,” Kevin Barry Love. Multiple sources confirm a cozy relationship between Love and Mazzei, who is alleged to have been Love’s connection for marijuana and other, heavier narcotics.
“I know that [Ettore Mazzei] and Love had a connection. I wouldn’t be surprised if Love were on several wiretaps. Mazzei was numerous times at Hanks and Love’s house on Tappan Court. They smoked pot together on the terrace downstairs. God knows what else that group did,” said a local source with knowledge.
This leads to the Third Tip, which is by far the most fertile. If Love, Hanks, and others are allegedly on wiretaps, whose wiretaps are they?
Several law enforcement sources have confirmed that the Mazzei prosecution by the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office is “tip-toeing” around several federal investigations. Not only were Hanks and Love’s names thrown around, but another Staten Island character’s name was swirling. That person’s given name is Henry Olisa; he goes by “Bobby Digi.”
Tip 3
From conversations with sources and based on law enforcement opinion, we feel confident that multiple ongoing federal investigations touch upon the Ettore Mazzei matter. With the current allegations of narcotics sales and numerous deaths resulting, the case has enough “juice” to “go federal.” However, some sources believe that would compromise other cases currently being built.
“Earlier this year, veteran political operative Paul Casali abruptly left Kamillah Hanks’ Council Office, a steady job, and NYCERS time for a spec job on a New Jersey campaign that may or may not lead to something permanent. The reason is Kevin Barry Love,” a NYC Democratic insider said. “[Love] micromanages the Council office and controls access. It’s a recipe for a federal indictment for quid pro quo.”
The source said that Casali did not admit federal authorities approached him but that his anxiety was “high” and comfort level “low” with Love’s activities, some of which could be construed as “selling access.” Then again, who publicizes that the Feds approached them? Especially in politics.
“Even [Michael] Arvanites, Hanks’ Communications Director, doesn't advertise his current gig. He’s a Trustee for CUNY and doesn’t mention anything about working for the NYC Council. It’s more than odd,” the source said.
Several claim that Love is his own worst enemy. Who in politics publicizes that they talk to the Feds? Kevin Barry Love.
Sources with knowledge say Love’s statements to federal authorities are problematic. If so, he may have jammed himself up under 18 U.S.C. § 1001. It is a federal crime when a person dealing with a federal agent “makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation.” And Love did it all while threatening a lawyer using a cell phone and across state lines (interstate commerce).
But Love is small potatoes compared to what surrounds a man named Henry Olisa. Folks on Staten Island know him by the name “Bobby Digi,” a fake name likely modeled after the debut studio album by American rapper and producer RZA, the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Henry "Bobby Digi" Olisa has connections to felons and organized crime. His financial history is checkered with bankruptcies and foreclosures. He was also a past president of the Staten Island Democratic Association and a former candidate for the NYS Assembly in 2018.
According to Office of Court Administration documents previously obtained by The NY Post, Digi-Olisa was arrested at least ten times between 2000 and 2014. He has faced 23 charges, including menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, harassment, attempted assault, and driving without a license. Most charges were dismissed or resulted in pleas to lesser crimes, yet the details remain largely sealed, adding to the ambiguity surrounding his legal history. Attorney and former prosecutor Mark Macron represented him in many matters.
Digi-Olisa also previously faced allegations of landlord misconduct, including ignoring building violations and failing to pay fines. His property management on Broad St., Water St., and Brook St. were criticized for numerous violations, including illegal apartments and unsafe conditions. Charges of domestic abuse against him were also dismissed.
Digi-Olisa has a child with NYC Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo. In 2022, the relationship garnered significant attention with Digi-Olisa's extravagant proposal to Cumbo at the Met Gala. The grand gesture, set against a $50,000-a-ticket event backdrop, raised eyebrows about how the couple afforded such luxury.
This high-profile display of affluence sparked questions, considering Digi-Olisa's troubled financial past and Cumbo's position as a critical figure in Mayor Eric Adams' administration.
Where did all the money come from?
They asked the same question about Ettore Mazzei - until very recently.
The Ettore Mazzei Arrest
Staten Island chef and entrepreneur Ettore Mazzei was arrested in May as the ringleader of a massive drug operation. Prosecutors described Mazzei, 61, as a "crooked, evil businessman" after a sting operation at his Bay Street home. Authorities also raided his businesses, Chez Vous Caterers and a construction company he owns.
“Mazzei preyed on vulnerable people suffering from addiction,” stated District Attorney Michael McMahon. He compared Mazzei to Fagin from Dickens' "Oliver Twist," a reviled Jew who exploited children (a clear anti-semitic flashpoint in a storied career). Mazzei allegedly coerced addicts into working for his catering business and dealing drugs.
Mazzei faces multiple charges, including criminal sale of a controlled substance, grand larceny, identity theft, and possession of a forged instrument. Prosecutors claim he and his associates sold 20 grams of heroin, 461 grams of cocaine, and 140 suboxone strips during a two-year wiretap drug investigation centered around Mazzei’s commercial and residential properties in the Stapleton area of Staten Island.
Mazzei’s operation involved over 20 people, including Rudy Santana, Gary Pulice, and Melissa Mazzei. The DA’s office labeled Mazzei the “primary orchestrator” of the long-running drug ring. His properties were linked to violence, including two shootings and an armed home invasion.
Prosecutors also connected Mazzei to multiple overdose deaths on Staten Island. NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban stated, “These defendants littered streets with illegal narcotics, leading to overdose deaths and endangering New Yorkers.”
In addition to charges of distributing cocaine, Mazzei stands accused of various financial crimes, one of which prosecutors say involved a woman who had died of a drug overdose. Mazzei was also charged separately in connection with an assault on an elderly tenant last month, along with his son, David.
Mazzei was active in the community, honored in 2022 by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce for community revitalization and in anti-drug initiatives, allegedly exploiting those seeking help.
“He posed as someone steering addicts to rehab while supplying them with drugs,” said NYPD Deputy Inspector Scott Weisberg.
Mazzei was arraigned and held on $3 million cash bail and $5 million bond. Despite his prior community recognition, Mazzei's actions revealed a starkly different reality, prioritizing personal gain over public well-being.
Now, questions loom about his former “running buddy” Digi-Olisa. We spoke to several law enforcement sources, some retired and some still on the job. The consensus opinion is that Digi-Olisa is no innocent bystander.
“Mazzei and Digi have too many connection points. Digi has a kid with Laurie Cumbo, an Adams confidant that many remember from the 2022 Met Gala wedding proposal. He’s connected with many others, beginning with [Kamillah Hanks], the NYC Councilwoman on Staten Island. In my experience, he’s not only been looked at, but if he got caught up in something, he could be supplying information on many fronts,” said a retired member of law enforcement with knowledge of NYPD OCCB investigative practices.
If Digi-Olisa was ensnared in an FBI investigation, he could be supplying information to avoid getting jammed up or keep his baby-momma, Laurie Cumbo, out of the focus of Mayor Adams’ campaign finance woes. And he wouldn’t be the first to turn snitch.
Al Sharpton: FBI Informant on the Genovese Crime Family
National Action Network Founder Al Sharpton was exposed as an FBI informant in 2014. In the 1980s, Sharpton worked as "Confidential Informant No. 7" and helped the FBI take down major figures in the New York Mafia.
Sharpton became an informant after being caught in a developing drug sting. He used a customized briefcase with an FBI bug to gather information from crime families, particularly the Genovese family. His work led to the downfall of several notorious mobsters, including Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano, Dominick "Baldy Dom" Canterino, and Vincent "Chin" Gigante.
According to reports, Sharpton provided reliable information that the FBI used to install listening devices in critical locations. These bugs were crucial in collecting evidence against the mobsters.
One of Sharpton's primary sources was Joseph "Joe Bana" Buonanno. Buonanno revealed extensive details about the Genovese family's operations and extortions during their conversations. He even disclosed embarrassing information about Gigante, who pretended to be insane to avoid prosecution.
Despite his cooperation with the FBI, Sharpton denied carrying a briefcase with a listening device. He stated that he informed the FBI about threats from a mobster while working with black concert promoters.
Sharpton's revelation as an FBI informant surprised many, but some believe it might enhance his public image. A veteran political consultant then commented, "This is just going to add to his luster of being a character."
A decorated NYPD retiree who dealt with him while on the job says Sharpton’s claims continue to be “pure bullshit.”
“I don’t know who he thought he was with, but he wasn’t with us. Not ever. When you look up the greatest disrespecters of law enforcement in American history, Sharpton will be at the top of that list,” the decorated NYPD retiree said.
What Does Henry “Bobby Digi” Olisa Know?
Bobby Digi-Olisa is alleged to be an FBI informant, providing critical information on Ettore Mazzei’s drug trafficking organization. Mazzei’s operation is believed to have ties to the Italian Mafia, specifically La Cosa Nostra.
“Everyone knows that narcotics move from warehouses on the [Staten Island] South Shore to stash houses on the North Shore,” said a source with OCCB experience. “The Staten Island District Attorney has briefed the public on these facts on numerous occasions related to the heroin and fentanyl epidemic.”
The vital question may be whether Digi-Olisa knows anything specific about Mazzei’s operations, precisely his supplier. If so, the Feds may have already fingered them.
“It’s a dangerous game they are playing, but it always is. [Ettore] Mazzei is facing the prospect of dying in prison. He’ll only get that privilege if he keeps his mouth shut,” one law enforcement source said. “If they think [Mazzei] is compromised, things could get ugly - for everyone involved.”
Another source emphasized organized crime was involved.
“When talking about a distribution ring of this size and magnitude, you are looking at organized crime involvement. Historically, that is [LCN] on Staten Island, and this case has all the tell-tale signs. Mazzei’s supplier was, without question, already on the FBI radar. Remember, executing the warrants in this case took the [NYPD officers and detectives] from five boroughs. This was no small operation, and the takedown was executed with precision by [the Narcotics Squad],” a source close to the NYPD said.
Precisely because the case was so big, is why Digi-Olisa has suspected involvement.
“Digi-Olisa is in a position to know serious information about O.C. and their operations because the Federal Government has already revealed his activity on this purpose in open court,” a source said.
O’Henry’s Publick House and Digi- Olisa’s FBI History
Digi-Olisa recently failed business, O’Henry’s Publick House, closed in 2022. While he blamed the Minthorne Street locale’s failure on COVID, the reality is that the landlord evicted Digi-Olisa because he didn’t pay the rent. Staten Island Attorney Gary Angiuli represents the owners of the premises.
Digi-Olisa was adamant that his business wasn’t folding. Instead, he said that he was in the process of “reimagining and relocating the business.”
FBI 302s obtained from a FOIA request show that Digi-Olisa sought funding for the venture in 2017 from alleged organized crime figures.
HENRY OLISA aka BOBBY DIGI date of birth (DOB) XXXX social security number XXXX cell phone number XXXX address XXXX Staten Island, New York, was interviewed at his hime. Special Agents XXXX of the FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI) and XXXX of the DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE conducted the interview. After being advised of the identities of the interviewing Agents and the nature of the interview, DIGI provided the following information:
DIGI first met XXXX in November 2017. At the time DIGI…a British-style pub…The pub, called O’HENRY’S PUBLICK HOUSE is located at 10 Minthorne Street, Staten Island and is still not open.
DIGI is the President of the STATEN ISLAND DEMOCRATIC ASSOCIATION and knows XXXX from the Democratic Party…
This outlet has previously attempted to contact Digi-Olisa to clarify his involvement. Digi was asked whether he would confirm the February 2018 meeting with the FBI and Department of Commerce, but this outlet received no response.
The evidence from the FBI 302 is unquestionable. Staten Island, the Staten Island Democratic Association, and a “British Style Pub” that was “still not open” in February 2018 point directly to Digi-Olisa and no one else.
“In my experience, [the agents] didn’t just find [Digi-Olisa] in 2018 out of the blue. That 302 has all the tell-tale signs that they were speaking to a known CI and were ‘papering’ their case. It also smells like he was an asset for OC investigations,” said a retired law enforcement veteran with significant investigative experience.
The FBI 302 was made public in September 2021 under a FOIA case Richard Luthmann filed against the FBI and the Department of Justice. As previously stated, Luthmann is a writer for this outlet. He declined to comment on this article and said he didn’t want to “taint” the independent factual investigation.
The FBI 302 shows a connection between Padula and Digi-Olisa. Digi-Olisa approached Padula’s father and uncle and discussed lending and investing in the O’Henry deal.
“It’s not like [Digi-Olisa] was going to walk into TD Bank or Northfield and get a conventional business loan with his history. He was dealing with these guys,” the law enforcement source said.
Then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Kim Penza stated on the court record that Padula, the son of Digi-Olisa’s prospective O’Henry’s partners, had “organized crime connections…which raise a serious risk of dangerousness in light of the fact that he has purported to rely on organized crime connections to commit fraud and violence.”
The U.S. Government has already conceded that Digi-Olisa has a history of doing business with LCN, with actual FBI 302s detailing these associations.
“With his previous criminal history, known activities revealed in released DOJ materials, and documented relationship with Mazzei, lighting strikes all around Digi-Olisa, and he never gets zapped. It’s no coincidence. He’s insulated - in my opinion,” a retired federal source said.
“Charity CEO” Bobby Digi-Olisa
O’Henry’s Pub failed. But Digi-Olisa landed on his feet.
“If the Feds have their claws in him, he needed to show he was still a valuable information point after his business failure. His latest moves make him indispensable for public corruption cases like the one being built against [NYC Mayor Eric] Adams and illegal political contributions,” a source said.
Digi-Olisa, the NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner’s significant other, is now the Canvas Institute for Arts and Culture CEO, based on Victory Boulevard in Staten Island. Their website says they are a non-profit entity:
Canvas Institute's mission is to provide a platform for the next generation of creatives, civic, community, and political leaders to collaborate through the design and implementation of solutions that respond to local needs and provide underserved communities with tools to live a health-conscious lifestyle.
Digi-Olisa promotes the Canvas Institute and its important work in the spirit of Al Sharpton and the NAN. The community, NYC elected officials, and public officials support the institute.
Two years after the O’Henry’s business failure, Digi-Olisa is once again the toast of the town:
Our CEO, Bobby Digi offers a program that combines Compassionate Systems tools with art and creative expression. With almost 30 years of experience in grassroots work and MIT-certified training, we provide young students with tools and practices for social-emotional learning and well-being education. Our program includes self-regulation skills and violence reduction training, among other tools that promote compassion and understanding.
Taxpayer funds support the Canvas Institute. The organization recently received $105,000 in council funds allocated by NYC Council Member Kamillah Hanks.
“I was delighted to join Bobby Digi and the CANVAS Institute family at the opening of their new hub. I admire the impactful work they do with young people in our community. Equally exciting was announcing the allocation of $105,000 in funding from the NYC Council to support their efforts in providing career readiness and mentorship,” said Hanks in a recent mailing from her office.
But if you or I ran a lemonade stand the way Digi-Olisa runs his not-for-profit, we would be taken away in bracelets.
Failure to File Tax Returns: Island Voice
We did a deep dive into Digi-Olisa’s Canvas Institute. They say they emerged from an earlier organization named Island Voice:
Island Voice has been a prominent presence in Staten Island's business landscape since 2006, with a steadfast dedication to empowering youth and offering enriching cultural and social-emotional learning experiences. In 2016, Island Voice underwent a strategic transformation, resulting in the establishment of two distinct organizations. Canvas Institute emerged as the nonprofit entity, driven by a mission to create a platform for sharing valuable insights and mobilizing the community's efforts towards prioritizing the development and well-being of the next generation.
According to Island Voice’s LinkedIn page:
Island Voice, Inc. is a non-profit organization based on Staten Island New York. The group's mission is to act as a resource in promoting community development by facilitating solutions to effect positive and lasting change in the lives of its constituents through economic empowerment, politics, youth advocacy and cultural awareness.
Island Voice, Inc. holds itself out as a non-profit organization. So it stands to reason that Digi-Olisa would have some knowledge of how a charity works. He purportedly has experience with non-profits for the better part of two decades.
We looked for a non-profit presence for Island Voice, Inc. but couldn’t find the organization on Guidestar or ProPublica, the industry-standard websites.
We found them using Candid and obtained their NFP, “Rosetta Stone,” and their EIN: 20-8287396. Island Voice, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity. However, its charitable mission is listed as “Unknown or not classified.”
We went to the IRS website with the EIN Number and used their Online Search Tool for Tax Exempt Organizations. The results were surprising.
Digi-Olisa has been a charitable executive with Island Voice, Inc. since its formation in 2006. He failed to file any tax or reporting forms with state and federal regulators, meaning the IRS, the NYS Department of Revenue, and the NYS Attorney General’s Office. These tax returns and reports are open to public inspection.
The tax return that goes to the IRS is a Form 990. Just like personal tax returns, Form 990s must be filed annually. Their due date is May 15, a month later than individual returns. The IRS’s website says Island Voice, Inc.’s charitable status was revoked in May 2010 because the organization failed to file three consecutive 990 charitable tax returns. That means Digi-Olisa NEVER filed a tax return for that not-for-profit entity.
That’s not a great track record. Island Voice, Inc. still holds itself out as a not-for-profit, but it hasn’t been once since May 2010, 14 years ago.
Why is Digi-Olisa getting a “pass”?
Canvas Institute Gets a “Pass” From Filing Taxes?
We performed a similar investigation for the Canvas Institute. They are on both Guidestar and ProPublica. Their EIN is 82-4902021. They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit under the Arts, Culture and Humanities / Arts, Cultural Organizations—Multipurpose category. They have been tax-exempt since April 2018.
The IRS Online Search Tool for Tax Exempt Organizations gives even more information on the Canvas Institute. The IRS website also offers Exempt Organizations Business Master Extracts. Website users can download information reported on prior 990-EZ postcards. According to the available data, the Canvas Institute had -$34,383.00 in assets on December 31, 2021, and $140,594.00 in income and revenue for 2021.
Canvas Institute’s 2022 Form 990 EZ is readily available on ProPublica. It confirmed the (-$34,383.00) in assets on December 31, 2021, and $140,594.00 in income and revenue for 2021.
The Schedules attached to the return are also available. Schedule A, Schedule B, and Schedule O are attached. Schedule O shows supplemental information on expenses and donations and is very revealing.
Schedule O shows that from its inception in 2016 and up until December 2021, the Canvas Institute was a modest non-profit. The 2021 expenses bear this out:
Auto and Travel……………………$3,654.00
Liability Insurance………………..$ 385.00
Property Insurance……………….$3,734.00
Meals……………………………………$1,483.00
Office Expenses…………………….$1,314.00
Supplies…………………………………$1,822.00
Schedule O also shows the Canvas Institute’s 2021 Donations to the public totaled $8,761.00.
In 2022, everything changed. The organization had not previously received any money from the NYC Government. But almost overnight, Digi-Olisa and the Canvas Institute had begun receiving City money.
How much? And from whom?
We’ll know when the organization files its next Form 990, which, according to ProPublica, it hasn’t yet. Most NFP tax returns were due on May 15.
However, NYC Council Member Kamillah Hanks has already identified $105,000 of funds as coming from NYC Department of Cultural Affairs money, where Digi-Olisa is literally “in bed” with the boss.
Why is Digi-Olisa getting a “pass”?
Digi-Olisa’s Relationship With NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo
More irregularities appear when you look at the personal dynamics between Digi-Olisa and Cumbo, as Digi-Olisa is the father of the NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner's child. Cumbo, a former NYC Council Member from Brooklyn, is also a staunch Eric Adams ally.
“These people are no fools. I wouldn’t be surprised if [Digi-Olisa] were playing both ends against the middle to keep Cumbo out of harm’s way in the Federal Investigation into the Mayor’s campaign finances,” a well-known Manhattan Democratic Consultant said.
The allocation of significant public funds to his non-profit has led to calls for an audit of Digi-Olisa's and the Canvas Institute’s finances and a closer examination of the relationships between Digi-Olisa, Cumbo, Hanks, and their respective public offices and charities. Why nothing has occurred adds to the opinion that Digi-Olisa enjoys a “halo” as a politically connected Federal Informant.
Much like Al Sharpton, Digi-Olisa claims he is an important community voice. And maybe he is. But never at the expense of dead cops and their widows and orphans.
It’s time we Make No More Monsters.