home >> Image & Identity >> Picks & Pans >> Summer 2002
THUMBS UP TO:
Michael Badalucco, who plays Jimmy Berluti on the CBS-TV series The Practice, for his continued positive portrayal of an Italian American lawyer. Badalucco received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1999
Alice Ours, a graduate student in Italian at the University of Virginia, who got the editors of a student-founded newspaper "The Declaration" to publish an apology for negative comments made in an "April Fools" issue of the newspaper. Alice was outraged by a piece in the paper that portrayed the Italian owners of the local Frank's Pizza (frequented by many students) as murderers. At her urging, many students and faculty members wrote letters to the paper's editors.
Robin Paul Malloy and Anthony Chillemi who wrote separate responses to a February 9 article in The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) that were published in The Reader's Page section of the paper on February 14. Both were upset by a story promoting a game called "Fuhgeddaboudit," which features degrading and negative stereotyped references to Italian Americans as connected to the Mafia. "If you were to substitute any other group in this article," wrote Chillemi, "do you think your newspaper would be called ethnically or racially biased?" Malloy, who is a professor of law and economics at Syracuse University and editor-in-chief of The Digest, The Law Journal of The National Italian American Bar Association, wrote: "in a time when America is coming to grips with the way in which negative portrayals hurt citizens of all backgrounds…it seems only Italian Americans remain fair game for explicit and public discrimination.
Bill O'Reilly, of the O'Reilly Factor on Fox News channel, for confronting the issue of excessive violence depicted on the show The Sopranos during an interview with Chris Albrecht, the president of HBO programming. Contact at Oreilly@foxnews.com.
Kenneth H. Thorn, Chairman and CEO of The Hobart West Group, for pulling an advertisement which was offensive to Italian Americans and pledging to promote diversity, multiculturalism, and positive images in future advertisements. Contact at 973-377-7750.
Christian Science Monitor, an international daily newspaper, for publishing an Op-Ed written by Dr. Fred Misurella, professor of writing and literature at East Stroudsburg University, which discusses the Italian American literary tradition. Contact Linda Feldmann at oped@csps.com.
Bishop John Nevins, Diocese of Venice, for ordering the removal of a distasteful sign in the parking lot of the St. Elizabeth's Seton Catholic Church, Golden Gate, Florida. The sign read, "Mafia Chaplain Parking Only. Fine 2 Broken Legs.
Michelle Zarro, a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City, for insisting that her Italian ancestry was equally important as any other ethnic group while taking a required ethnic studies course. Others deserving credit for their efforts and unyielding support in this matter include but are limited to Manny Alfano, Ben Lawton, Jim Mancuso, and the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute.
THUMBS DOWN:
Radio talk show hosts Curtis Silwa and Ron Cooby, who have a morning show on WABC-AM770 in New York City, for their reoccurring show segment that gives updates on mob related stories. The stories are done in bad Italian accents and the background music is always traditional Italian melodies.
Contact them by email at postmaster@w3abcradio.com or write them: 77WABC, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY, 10121.
Bob Moore, a Liverpool, NY businessman, for developing the board game Fuhgeddaboudit, which is full of stereotypical references to Italian Americans as crooks and mobsters. The Monopoly-like game includes squares on the game board for Nicky No Neck Recycling, with a body stuffed in a trash can, and Manny Muscles Money Laundering.
The U.S. Window Factory for its long-running radio commercials in the New York City area featuring two unpolished Italian Americans named Vito and Adrienne. The stereotypes are an insult to hard working Italian Americans. The president of the company is Angelo Ferri. Contact US Window Factory at: 1-800-525-2969, 130-11 Atlantic Avenue, Richmond Hill, NY 11418.
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