Weeks after the Christopher Columbus statue in New Haven’s Wooster Square came down amidst some violent protests, there’s now a billboard along Interstate 95 highlighting what posters call “the first Italian American.” Louis D’Amato put up the billboard on the northbound side of the highway in Milford last week.

The Italian-American commercial builder said he understands both sides of the debate over Columbus’s legacy. For some, it’s a point of pride for their heritage. For others, it’s a controversial figure who engaged in and enabled the destruction of indigenous Americans. D’Amato said he believes all of it should be remembered, adding that he wasn’t trying to inflame the debate.