News & Events

To the History Channel for its excellent documentary, Italian American Internment: A Secret Story, which aired February 16. See: To order a copy of the video for $19.95, call 1-800-708-1776.

Sara Goodyear for "When Being Italian Was A Crime" [The Village Voice, April 11], which dramatically tells the story of the internment, relocation, and detainment of Italian Americans during World War II.

Larry Bonko, columnist for The Virginia-Pilot for his article "Hey, Tony. Cool it:" which noted that most Italian Americans do not approve of "The Sopranos" and the message it sends about Italian Americans.

Carlin Romano, "Why Some Prejudices Still Thrive" [Philadelphia Inquirer, Feb. 6], which comments that Italian Americans are the last permissible outlet in American entertainment for cheap ethnic jokes and "excessive focus on deviant slices of an ethnic group."

George De Stefano for "Ungood Fellas" in The Nation Magazine. He notes ironically that although in the 1990s organized crime members have been imprisoned, their business interests largely dismantled, and the crime families dwindling, media images of the Mafia them are on the increase.

Gregory Kane for his column, "Hollywood smitten with Mafioso fantasy" [Baltimore Sun, February 13], which denounces the stereotyping of Italian Americans as mobsters.

The San Francisco Chronicle for including on its List of This Century’s Ten Most Influential People in the Bay Area, Lawrence Di Stasi, as "the driving force" behind the movement to bring to public attention the internment and relocation of Italian Americans in World War II. [December 19, 1999]

Quick Chek Food Stores for dropping its offensive "Drop A Dime" radio commercial that depicted Italian Americans as gangsters. Responding to complaints from the Italian American One Voice Committee and the NIAF among others, president Bob Page took immediate action.

Richard Cohen for attempting to excuse tasteless jokes about Italian Americans made by his friend, Jon Corzine, a candidate for the U.S. Senate. ["Just Joking," Washington Post, April 4.] The NIAF sent a letter Mr. Cohen, to the editor, and to Mr. Corzine citing the damage done by such senseless stereotyping.

Ken Ringle for "Mamma Mia! America Cup Sails Into Foreign Seas" [Washington Post, Feb.10], which made false and erroneous statements about the performance of the Italian Navy during World War II. The NIAF sent a letter stating the facts to the editor as well as to the publisher and to the reporter, Mr. Ringle.

Heartland Music, a subsidiary of Time-Life Music for advertising the CD "Mob Hits" in its Spring 2000 Music Catalog. To complain call : 1-800-757-6733, or write to Steven Janas, President, Heartland Music, E Parham Road, P.O. Box 85535, Richmond, VA 23285.

David Chase, who penned "The Sopranos," and now is writing a movie script featuring more negative stereotypes of Italian Americans. "Female Suspects" follows a female criminal sociologist into a New Jersey family of thieves and petty criminals where she becomes a participant in several crimes.

CBS Network for its new series "Falcone," another violent mob story. Badly written and poorly acted, the series has been canceled.

Master P, a CD producer that makes rap albums featuring African American rap artists called Lil’Italy, Ghetto Commission and The Gambino Family, who "rap" about being Italian gangsters and relate the Mafia to their ghetto lifestyles.

The New Jersey Chapter of Cooley’s Anemia Foundation for honoring actor Dominic Chianese at its 28^th annual dinner dance in March. Mr. Chianese currently co-stars as Uncle, Jr. on "The Sopranos".

Just Shoot Me, the NBC sit-com, for an episode in which co-workers assume that Elliott, an Italian American, has mob links. At first the character is offended, but investigates and discovers that he is "hooked-up."

Miramax for purchasing the rights to Mario Puzo’s final novel "Omerta`," about a young man who protects the family interests of a Mafia Don.

Robert De Niro for starring as Angelo Dundee in "Out On My Feet," to be released next year, based on the double life of former boxer Vinnie Curto who also was in organized crime.

Contributors: Manny Alfano, Richard Annotico, Raymond Bianco, Carlo De Leonibus, John De Matteo, Jeanne Di Toro, Frank J. Guida, Vincent Lepore, Nancyann Rella, and Mike Volpe.