FW: [I_A_One_Voice] Digest Number 732

Each of the listed defamation incidents was handled within the
limitations of our financial and staffing resources. We have
therefore relied extensively on the power of the internet in
recruiting members of our community through the Italian American One
Voice Coalition website who have had willingness and passion to join
the battle against our detractors.

While we cannot claim a perfect success rate we have indeed been
effective in making our voice heard and have changed the thinking of
many who have initially slandered us through different mediums. Our
campaign in prompting Coca cola to remove and offensive film short
drew a positive response quickly. Radio and TV personality, Laura
Nachman who was initially recalcitrant ultimately saw the
justification in our ire and issued a most sincere apology.

There has been great benefit from our efforts even where we have not
won the day since our protests were duly registered and that will
have a residual value for the future.

Following is the listing of issues we have responded to:


July, 03

It was stated on a radio talk show that the marital infidelity of
Kobe Bryant who is facing rape charges could be traced to his
exposure to the Italian culture. Bryant spent his early years
growing up in Italy. The talk show host did not waste the
opportunity to mock with an exaggerated accent.


August, 03

Yonkers mayor John Spencer refuses to apologize for his statement
that contractor Carl Petrillo was a backroom gommbah.


October, 03

John Discepolo of Fox 5 was asked by his boss Neal Goldstein to don
a comical hat and to play a character named Guido, Descepolo refused
on the grounds that is was offensive to his Italian American
identity. Goldstein did not see any offense in his request.


November, 03

Author Randy White used derogatory phrases of WOP Dago and Grease
ball in his book, Everglades.


Coca Cola movie short, Mafia Madness depicted Italian Americans as
running a theater and strong-arming the audience to recall the name
of the movie and the size of the Coke they were drinking.

December, 03

Comic Charley Chiarelli used extreme vulgarity in his performance
that blatantly stereotyped Italians and Italian Americans.

Cingular commercial in which a little boy sitting on Santa's lap
tries to bribe Santa into giving him a phone? The little boy speaks
in a NY "tough guy" dialect and the commercial ends with him
saying "capesch" to Santa.


January, 04


"Godfathers & Goodfellas" billed itself as the organized crime
trivia game which is a take off from Trivial Pursuit bills itself as
the Organized Crime Trivia Game.

Homies toy figurines called Palermos Italian Mafia.


Human Resources Magazine article titled Resolving Conflict Soprano
Style.

Magic Hands Freddy, an Off Broadway play with offensive dialog whose
main characters are Italian American brothers and their Italian born
sweetheart who they share.


February, 04

PBS series, "The Medicis: Godfathers of the Renaissance" used the
Mob theme in denigrating an historical Italian family and
Catholicism in one script.


Laura Nachman who covers television and radio sports for the Courier
Times stated that, "Since Dan Marino had decided not to join the Miami
Dolphins front office, he'll remain with HBO's "Inside the
NFL.", maybe Tony Soprano gave him an offer he couldn't refuse."

Konica Minolta ad using an Italian sounding character with broken
English to dramatize the need for the unit's color graphics.


Staples commercial with the Don of the supplies and Godfather type
music in the background.

"Good Morning America" (Channel 7 WABC). Weatherman
Bill Evans gave a birthday gift to Bill Bartelstein. Mr. Evans
reassured Mr. Bartelstein it was an authentically autographed
baseball. But, directly thereafter he said, "no only kidding, I got
it from 'Vinnie the Goomba' off the street"

The Sunday edition of The Hartford Courant ran a piece that took aim
at Gov. Rowland's current political problems by presenting him as a
corrupt Italian American by adding a vowel at the end of his name.




April, 04

Justice Scalia shown in a newspaper cartoon hiding in the bushes
with Dick Cheney on a duck hunting trip. Cheney is well dressed in
the standard business suit and holding a shotgun while Scalia in
unshaven dressed in a wide lapel pinstriped suit holding a
machinegun.


Rendering Unto Caesar's Subjects, an impending PBS series departs
from true history by depicting ancient Rome as a, "dirty, wild
savage city akin to Mexico City and Bombay."


May, 04

A Port Jefferson, New York Town Trustee stated while walking on an
inspection of a new restaurant that it looked like it was renovated
by a "Real Guinea". The owner of the restaurant, Guy Lombardi
requested our support.


June, 04

A full page ad in the New York Times by The Americans for Art linked
Caravaggio, the great 16 century baroque artist with the Sopranos
and used a sopranoesque caption under his portrait saying, "Honestly
he would not last ten minutes on the Sopranos."



One of our most important undertakings has been in sensitizing the
media which has been has shown a complete contempt for our standing
in the American society and those in our own community who see no
defamation to Italian Americans. This has been accomplished through
appearances on radio and TV talk shows, letter writing campaigns,
phone calling, Internet message posting and talks at group
gatherings. Our hope is to expand this effort in the coming year by
reaching out to college students of Italian descent.

The Shark Tale initiative has unquestionably consumed hundreds of
hours of our time, however, that is only one of our two major
concentrations. We have been principally involved in the upcoming
symposium on Italian American defamation to be held at Seton Hall
University in New Jersey. After encouraging such a program for
several years it has now become a reality. "Real Stories:
Discrimination and Defamation of Italian Americans" will be
presented December, 4, 04. There will be film showings and panel
discussions. Films will focus on the tragedies such as the 46
lynchings that have occurred throughout our early history in
America. Panel discussions will conducted with prominent
politicians, scholars, media critics and representatives from the
major Italian American organizations.

Dr. Emanuel Alfano


Chairman, Unico National Anti-Bias Committee