The newsletter of the Italic Studies Institute

Vol. 6, No. 1, 1993The newsletter of the Italic Studies Institute

Vol. 6 No. 1 The Italic Way 1993Letters .............. page 1,3 Focus (cover story) .... page 12All'ltaliana ......... page 4 Perspectives .............. page 16World Notes ..... page 6 Project ltalia ............... page 21Editorial... ......... page 8 Media Madness ......... page 22Forum .............. page 9 Institute News ............ page 24Reviews ........... page 10,18 Profiles ...................... page 26Address all letters to: LETTERS, The Italic Way , PO Box 818, Floral Park, NY 11001Can't Wait!I enjoy your magazine so much thatI can't wait for my next issue.Anthony PaupiniDerby,CTLondon ReviewI have just received your featuredbook, Four Centuries of Italian AmericanHistory by Giovanni Schiavo.I enjoyed it no end. It is incrediblehow little we know on this side of theAtlantic of what has been going on inthe USA. I have made it compulsoryreading for the whole of my family.Arturo BaroneLondon, EnglandMafia CookingI agree with your disappointment inthe publishing of books glorifying therecipes and eating habits of the mafiosi(Media Madness, Voi.S, No. 4). TheNew York Times felt that this item wasworthy of a review in their Living section.This type of publicity helps perpetuatethe stereotypes that malign theItalian-American Community.Joseph L. Tromba,M.D.Garden City, NYAn Italian &The HolocaustI read your article in L'ltalo Americanaabout "The Italian Refugee" and"The Italians and the Holocaust" and wasThe cinema has told the public about Schindler andWallenberg but when will Italy's heroic stories betold?In response to yourmessage in Variety,please let this serve asa request for informationabout your organization.I am an Italianverytouched. This was the first time Iheard about Jews in Croatia other thanfrom my father.My father, Antonio De Marchi, becauseof his fluency in the Slavic languages,worked for the diplomatic servicein Croatia during World War II. Hetold me stories of how nightly my motherand father housed 10 to 20 Jewish fami-lies who were hiding from the Nazis.Apparently because of his profession,he could stamp the passports of theseJewish families which enabled them toseek freedom.For this humane act my father nevertook a penny. Eventuallyhe himself washunted by the Nazis.I believe hundredsof Jewish familieswere saved because ofmy father's efforts.Nazira De MarchiLos Angeles, CATypical?American who isequally dumbfounded as to where allthose "typical" Italian families live.Spreadingthe WordLetitia A. MonacoJupiter, FLI am enclosing my Lodge's newsletter(Howard County Sons of Italy,~;;;;;;;;;;;;;====================;;;;;;;The Italic Way..._;;;;:Y.6,N.l 1

(718) 858-5525Lie. #481583FAX (718) 522-3812ALL-CITYWaste Management • Recycling Services246 Plymouth StreetBrooklyn, NY 11201Owned and operated by the Vitarelli Family

LettersHoward County, MD), wherein we includedan article about the Italic StudiesInstitute. Since I am an ardentadmirer and booster of the Institute, Ithought it appropriate to infonn all ofour members (approximately 140) ofyour objectives.Robert A. PerryEUicott City, MDEllis IslandRevisionIn the last issue you mentioned thatI had sent a letter of complaint to CatherineReef, author of Ellis Island, abook for children. The letter was sentbecause she listed Lucky Luciano asthe only Italian who came through EllisIsland.Miss Reef has since written to meand indicated a willingness to "correctthe oversight" in the next publicationof her book. I have sent her a samplingof other names of Italians who camethrough Ellis Island, includingfilmmaker Frank Capra.Keep up the good fightVincent S. RomanoChairman,Commission for Social Justice,Sons of Italy,Bellmore, NYAn Ellis Island book forgot filmmaker Frank Capra (It's A Wonderful Life)but remembered the mafioso Lucky Luciano.Waiting for OprahI want to thank you very muchfor your interest in The Oprah WinfreyShow and for sending your program suggestion.We will give your suggestion for ashow on Italian-American bashingevery consideration.Deba DiMaioExecutive ProducerThe Oprah Winfrey Show,Chicago,FUTURE ISSUES OF THE ITALIC WAYo 'IriHIIE II'lr AILII

All 'I tali anaItaly's political reformation is not yetcomplete. The direct election of theprime minister is the next step. 1948 b~ended. A new era is beginning.Signorina Alessandra Mussollnl: Fascism- The next generation.Achille Occhetto: Leader of the former Communist Party and perhaps Italy'snext Prime MinisterTHUNDER OUT OFITALY"TilE CENTER IS GONE." Soblared the headlines of newspapersthroughout Italy. As 1993 came to anend, the Christian Democrats and Socialistshad suffered devastating defeatsin regional elections. They no longerconstituted the majority parties in thenorth and south. The corruption andscandals of the past year had thoroughlydiscredited these relics of the Cold War.In their place stood two unlikely victors:the MSI (Movimento Sociale Italiano,a.k.a. the neo-Fascist Party) and thePDS (Partito Democratico Sociale orthe ex-Communists). In Rome, theneo­Fascist Gianfranco Fini nearly won themayor's race. The pernicious LombardLeague (Lega Lombarda), which wantsto decentralize Italy, managed to loseGenoa,Venice, and Trieste to ex-communists.*'We did not win," whined thehorse-faced leader of the League, UmbertoBossi.Alessandra Mussolini of the MSI andgranddaughter of the Duce lost to AntonioBassolino's (PDS) for the mayoraltyof Naples. Palenno voted en masse forthe anti-Mafia Rete party and LeolucaOrlando. With 75.2% of the vote, hebecame the mayor of that beleagured yetfabled Sicilian city. Foreign commentatorswere, as usual, caught off guard bythese political developments. Their inaneprattling about Italian instabilitybrought down the lira on world currencymarkets. In truth, Italian voters haveturned the comer. Although the dust hasyet to clear, there nowexists a left and a rightThe Christian Democratshelped usher in Italy'seconomic miracle but fellprey to democracy's politicalshennanigans andcorruption. In the end,their subservience to theUnited States and fear ofSoviet domination led tocrazy quilt alliances andthe world's scorn. MarioSegni, a former ChristianA typical airliner Interior: design by Del GuidiceDemocrat, believes that:....=;;;;;;The Italic Way4IN PASSING ...• A via tors around the world mournthe passing of Frank J. Del Giudice,who quietly revolutionized modem airtravel by making subtle yet significantadditions to passenger aircraft. DelGiudice designed such standard airplanefixtures as cabin lighting, overheadcompartments and individual readinglamps. In 1946, this taciturn Italic pioneerspearheaded the team of Boeingdesigners that converted a B-29 bomberinto the Stratocruiser passenger airplane.The next time you sit in thecomfort of a 747 reading, dozing orcontemplating, thank your lucky star fordesigner Frank Del Giudice and hisaerial innovations.• Film star Dominick Felix Amici,known to his fans as Don Ameche, diedattheageof85 in December. The handsomeactor took the lead in some 40feature films including The Story ofAlexander Graham Bell and Cocoon.• Federico Fellini, Italy's premierfilmmaker, died last fall at the age of 73.Four of Fellini's films, La Strada, TheNights ofCabiria, 8-1/2, andAmacord,won Oscars, as did the maestro himselfthis past March. Among the stars heV.6,N.l

helped to fame were Anthony Quinnand Marcello Mastroianni.CALABRIA'SLOST CITYIt has long been an article of faithamong Italians that Italy's historictreasures run deep. And nowhere is thismore evident than in Calabria-theregion originally called ltalia. Recently,Italian archaeologist Paolo Visonabegan excavations below the oliveGenerate Bruno Lol (r) gets kudos from his reliefGen. Carmine Flore. Lol's clear thinking helpedchange UN & U.S. policy In Somalia.groves of Oppido Mamertina in southemCalabria What he uncovered wasthe ancient metropolis of Mamertion.This technologically advanced citywas populated by the Tauriani, an indigenousItalic people who spokeOscan, a language similar to Latin. Thestreets of Mamertion were paved andmany homes had indoor plumbing andbathrooms with sophisticated drainagesystems. Although the Romans severelypunished most Oscan cities fortheir alliances with Hannibal duringthe Second Punic War (218-202 B.C.),Mamertion prospered. This prosperityspread throughout the region and Italyas well when all free male inhabitantsof the peninsula became Roman citizens.Spartacus and his slave army areAll' I t~ al ian abelieved to have finally destroyed Mamertion.GENERAL CORAGGIOIf courage is defined as grace underfire, ~lalian general Bruno Loi is the veryepitome of the term. Not only did be haveto weather threats from Somali maraudersduring his humanitarian mission ofmercy in Somalia, but the commander ofItaly's contingent had to endure the calumniesand innuendo of American andU.N.leaders. While Loi called for calmnegotiations, U.N superiorsBoutros Boutros-Ghaliand General Howe werehellbent on cowboy confrontations.They ridiculedthe general and disparagedItalians as lackingin team spirit. Events inSomalia have vindicatedGeneral Loi and Italianresolve. Italian PresidentOscar Luigi Scalfaro offeredhis nation's heartfeltthanks to Loi and histroops in a ceremony ofspecial recognition. PresidentScalfaro lauded thecontingent for "havingrendered a service to theinternational communityand to the dignity of our country."URBAN UPSTwo major American cities haveelected Italian-American mayors. Thevoters of New York City gave the nod toRudy Giuliani, a former U.S. Attorney. inhis second try for city hall. More surprisingis Tom Menino's victory in the traditionallyCeltic stronghold of Boston.Giuliani courted all of the Big Apple'smosaic with a theme of safe neighborhoodsand better city management. Hereceived only 5% of the African-Americanvote against his opponent, incumbentDavid Dinkins, and had to slough off theever-more-popular Fascist smear duringthe campaign. He was no doubt spared theMafia smear due to his crime-fightingreputation. With a mayor, U.S. Senator,and governor all ofltalian descent, NewYorkers may have achieved a record ofsorts.While Giuliani was not the first Italicmayor of New York (Fiorello LaGuardiaachieved that honor) Menino is thefirst in Boston. In a city where the Irishoutnumber Italians 2-to-1, his victory isall the more impressive because his opponentwas an Irish-American. In fact,Menino broke a 63-year Gaelic winningstreak. Monday morning quarterbackssuggest Menino 's victory was due to hisNew York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.Will he bring a Roman sense oforder and tolerance?working class identity and the fact thathe was pre-tested as Acting Mayorsince July.GALLO'S VICTORYDr. Robert Gallo has truly earnedhis title as co-discoverer of the HIVvirus and surely is entitled to thesizeable royalties, which he shares withFrench research Dr. Luc Montagnier,from the test that now keeps our bloodsupply free of that AIDS-causing virus.After four years of defending his honoragainst his own countrymen overFrench accusations oflaboratory fraud,Gallo has been vindicated with thedecision by the Office of Research Integrityto withdraw all charges againstthe doctor. How much did this legalhounding set back the war on AIDS?****

ON THE CHEAPAs if to prove that money can't buylove, the Italian Republic has scorednear the bottom of foreign nations wholobby the U.S. Government RecentJustice DeparUnent figures reveal thatthe fifth largest economic power spenton1y $2 million in 1992 to influenceAmerican opinion. In comparison, lfe.land forked over nearly $8 million andJapan $60 million. These funds representpayments to American lobbyistswho peddle influence around Washington,DC.Consistent with Italy's failure tosupport her own immigrants over thepast one hundred years, the mothercountry has mostly banked on nostalgiato gain favors in our Congress.For a country that has raised politicalshennanigans to an art form, theItalians are incredibly naive aboutAmerican politics.KING TUT'S TOXINIn 1922, soon after archeologists enteredthe long lost tomb of Egyptianpharoah Tutankhamen, now known affectionatelyas King Tut, death overtookat least 23 of them. The cause of thesecollective deaths has remained a mysteryand a source of horror movie plotsever since.But wait! Dr. Nicola DiPaolo, headof the kidney disease department at aSiena hospital, thinks he has found thenatural cause of the ''pharoah's curse."Blame it on a fungus called AspergillusOchraceus, says the researcher andamateur archeologist The fungusthrives in ancient tombs and documents.Dr. DiPaolo speculates that the discoverersofTut's tomb breathed in significantamounts of the stale vault air andbecame infected. Long-tenn exposureto this fungus eventually degeneratesthe kidneys and liver.Even the boy-king Tut knew enoughto wear a mask in his own tomb.~iiiiiiiiij;jjjiThe ltaUc WayWo ld Notes[We present this sedi.Oil to infonn our readen of events and trends that maybe of interest wilh regard to ethnic opiniom or cultural values.)States Rights Party of the1960's, the Northern Leaguewants to divide Italy into North,Central and South autonomous-..w regions. They claim that theNorth's German-like work ethnichas made Italy the fifth largesteconomy and the sole supportof a parasitic South. Theirparty symbol has the look of abarbarian Longobard, the spiritualancestor of their membership.Although they are quick toblame organized crime for theWhat really killed King Tut's discoverer How- South's economic problemsard Carter and most of his researchers? they appear to forget that theRIDE'EM COMRADEJust as Americans are obsessed withthe Mafia, Italians have a fascination forcowboys and Indians. Clint Eastwoodreached stardom in "spaghetti westerns."Now, the Russian proletariat is beingrounded up for a new generation of Italiantumbleweed.Finding Russia relatively inexpensive,Italian director Enzo Castellari builtan entire American western town for lessthan the cost of phoney building facadesin Rome's Cinecitta'. Extras work for aslittle as $1.50 per day and Mongoliansfrom Asiatic Russia double for AmericanIndians, their distant cousins.The Russians are learning quite a bitfrom this cinematic rodeo. But as oneextra put it, "All films are basically thesame. The Italians work a little faster andshout a little more."LOMBARD INVASIONItaly's band of teutonic wannabes,the Lombard League, has established itsfirst base of operations in the UnitedStates. This NMhern League (ugaNord) has been riding tbe wave of disgustamong Italian voters in northern Italy forthe central government in Rome. Somewhatakin to Governor George Wallace's6current political degradationand crisis began in Italy's financialcapital Milan, which is, you guessedit, in the region of Lombardia. In fact,most of the government and business officialsarrested and caught with dirtyhands happen to be, you guessed it,northerners. Go figure.Will this be a aymbol of the newItaly?LIMP LIPSKeeping a stiff upper lip in Englandis getting to be a lost art. Economic decline,appalling crime, royal randincss,IRA tezrorism, Scottish separatism, anda pathetic showing in world soccer competitionhas left many an Englishman ina unending funk. The good times arcdefinitely on the wane.Some fear that tbe gritty Englandthat inspired Charles Dickens and KarlMarx is rearing its ugly head again.V.6,N.l

Even the East Enders, of London's famousworking class section, are yearningfor the return of local gangsters tomake the streets safe again. The KraySupporters Club has gone so far as to organizea campaign to free mobsters Regand Ron Kray. The Krays are servingsome 30-year terms for murder. In theirheyday of the 1960's, the Brothers Kraybuilt a fortune from protection racketsand legimate nightclubs. Says one of theClub's members, "Back in those daysyou could walk the streets. Old ladiesdidn't get mugged. They did a better jobof keeping the streets safe than the Bills[police)."MEIN MONSTROSITYA recent newspaper account revealsthat German automotive manufacturershave been conducting mock accidentsusing the cadavers of children andadults. Amazingly, these ghastly testshave been standard operating procedurein German industry since the 1970s.Rather than observing dismemberment,laceration and combustion on syntheticmannequins, the Germans believe it isbetter and more efficient to witness thegruesome effects of shredded metal andflame on actual human flesh. Even theFrench have admitted sacrificing 450corpses in this cause over the last 20years. But perhaps more surprising,some U.S. universities have revealedsimilar procedures on behalf of Ford andGeneral Motors. Gou in himme/ !Extras In the new spaghetti WesternsWorld•rI .-NASALANNIHILATIONA rather unusual ceremony tookplace last December outside of Seoul,Korea. The remains of 20,000 noseswere laid to rest after a 400 year captivityin Japan. The noses were bizarre wartrophies taken from the vanquished byinvading Japanese samurai in 1597.This Japanese method of quantifyingvictory was probably more accuratethan our own body count method. Thenose knows!CUP FEVERthe remaining nine earned theirplaces. For the Italians who holdthree past championships, Americawill be almost like home turf consideringthat 15 million Americansclaim Italian ancestry. Nevertheless,there may be divided loyaltiesin the stands since the United Statesteam may be fortunate enough toface-off the Italians. And mixedmarriages may also suffer sinceGreece and Ireland also made thefmals.BABY TIMES FIVEThe Italian-Americans of LongIsland appear to have the upperhand in the fertility department/ with the arrival of the CarboneThe Carbone Family: maintaining quintuplets in a Long Island hospitherecord.tal. Mom Denise and Dad Lou areoverjoyed by the blessed eventwhich is reportedly only the second occurrenceof quints in Long Island history.The ftrst occurrence happened sixyears ago when the Cangialosi quintswere born. Delivery was by the "Roman"method, i.e., Caesarian section,average weight 1 )X>und 10 ounces.Mom and Dad Carbone credit a fertilitydrug for their new around-theclockoccupation. Their fellow quintraisers,Angelo and Alice Cangialosi,predict sleepless nights and financialchallenges ahead for the Carbones. Cer.tainly, these are the times when extendedfam ilies really count.. ****With the coming of theWorld Soccer Cup finals to theUnited States, promoters arehoping to infect Americans withsoccer-mania. Only eleven nationsworldwide have qualifiedfor the finals. Of those. Germanybecame eligible by virtueof their )X>Sition as defendingchampion four years ago, andthe United States merely becauseit is the host country. ButThree-time world champs In 1934, 1938, and1982. Can Italy win the unprecedented 4th In19947~--~~._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._ThehalicWay=-~Y.6,N.l 7

EditorialTHE DEVIL AT BAYItaly's regional elections are over. And the political Jandscape resembles aterra incognita. America's favorite party, the Christian Democrats, garneredonly 10% of the vote; the Socialists much less. The MSI and Democratic Partyof the Left (formerly the Communists) loom large. Rome and Naples elected excommunistmayors yet made the neo-fascistMSI Party the majority party. Still,there is cause for considerable optimism. The greatest threat to Italian unity anddemocracy, the loathsomeLegaNord (Northern League) was thwarted. Its basewas limited to Genova, Venice and Trieste. TheLega' s platfonn of"federalism"is nothing more than thinly-veiled separatism. As such, it poses the greatestthreat to Italy's survival and democracy. For all their historical baggage, theMSI and Democratic Party of the Left are reform-minded parties committed toan indivisible, scandal-free and prosperous Italy. Italy is not Russia. There isno Zhirinovsky on the horizon. Italians everywhere must remain vigilant, however.Anyone in cahoots with theLegaNord (a.k.aLegaLombarda) is in leaguewith the devil ofltaliao dismemberment Recently, theLega opened New Yorkand Washington offices. In a colossal faux pas, the foulleghisti were welcomedby Italy's New York Consul General, Alberto Boniver. Such behavior showslittle regard for the central and southern heritage of metropolitan area Italian­Americans. Would the Kennedy Administration have welcomed States Rightsleader and bigot George Wallace to the White House?-RAJA NATIONAL AGENDAWith the establishment of our Midwest C01mcil in Chicago (see p.24) theItalic Studies Institute is increasingly a national organization. This is confirmedby the fact that we have some 350 non-Metro New York members. PJans todesignate lSI regional committees in Sacramento, WashingtOn, DC, and London,England are under discussion.This national and even international growth may sound impressive but itmust be backed by a will to see beyond New York. Yet. so much hinges onreaching milestones in membership. The sad fact is that we are far from an idealItalic W aycirculation (i.e., membership) of 50,000 or even 20,000 which wouldallow us a full-timeexecutive staff and funds to expand our education programs(Aurora), and continue our video documentary series (Project Italia).Italian-Americans are a tough audience and to recruit 50,000 members fromTlu! Italic WayThe official newsleuer of lhe halic Studies Instillll.e,Inc., a nooprofu corporatioo headquartered in FloralParle, NYCoupcl! of Governors O.SJ.lJolm L Mancini Stefano GrutinaMichael Downey Cad A. PescosolidoLouis J. Mantia Jolm C. SantoraEvgJIJye Coupe!! CI.S IJAlbert Crecca, PresidentMichael Carbone, Vice PresidentGeorge P. Ricci, TreasurerJolm L. Mancini, Secreacy of Programsflpapclal SeuetanRobert DeSienaPo!lt!cal LiaisonComm. Dott. Elio GrandiDlrec;tor & Edltor-lp-CblefTheltaUsWvRosario A. laconisManapJng f411orJohn L. ManciniP,.oduc:tlop MagnerRita L. ManciniFqtun: Wr!tgaAlfred CardoneDon FiorePamela GleasooRobert MasulloMichelle Delino VricellaThe Italic Way'""' ia published quarterly by the ItalicStudies Institute, Inc., PO Box 818, Floral Parle, NY11001. Bulk ma.il postage paid at Floral Parle, NY11001, e 1994 by lhe Italic Studies Institute, Inc.All rights reserved. The Italic Way is a trademarlr. ofthe Italic Studies Institute. Reproductioo wilhoutpermission is prohibited. Subscription is free to allmembers of Italic Studies Institute, Inc. Direct allinquiries to (516} 488-7400. Fax: (516) 488-4889among them is a Herculean task. Recently, the Governors and Plenary Councilvoted on a motion to assist the State University of New Y ode in establishing a chair in Italian Studies at Purchase, NY. Besidethe obvious desire to promote Italic Studies, the Governors feel that interaction with the State will translate into new membersamong SUNY alumni and new credentials for lSI among the academic community. Let us hope this bears fruit.In the end, the ultimate question will be: is Italic Studies a movement or a charitable club? From the first hour it has alwaysbeen a movement-JLMFRENCH RESISTANCEThe just completed trade talks between Europe and the United States have opened a wound in media relations. The French,it seems, tack on a surcharge to movie tickets that is used to subsidize their own movie industry. Hollywood sees the surchargeas an unfair advantage to French moviemakers. For their part, the French insist that left unchecked by theEuropean film industryHollywood would subven French culture. Fortunately, the U.S. decided not to fight the issue.Regardless of the disdain among many Americans for the French "attitude" we must at least acknowledge that our filmindustry has sunk to many new lows. As Italian-Americans we see first hand the wholesale trashing of our heritage for the sakeof profit Let's understand where the French are coming from.-JLM~~ The Italic Way8V.6,N.l

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Forum of the PeopleAn Army of Schindlers fro in Italyby Dorothy RabinowitzOskar Schindler, flawed hero of Steven Spielberg's monumental fllrn, Schindler's List, came to Poland a profiteer and endedup a rescuer of many hundreds of Jewish lives. His story's entry into the world, via Mr. Spielberg's justly celebrated film, callsto mind a number of other unlikely rescuers of whose exploits little has yet been heard, however much they are known tohistorians.I have in mind, namely, Hitler's allies, the Italians, whose government ministries and army and highest political circlesmoved heaven and earth to see to it that not a single Jew was deported from Italy. They schemed, they plotted, they resortedto the wiliest of strategies and delaying efforts-including the invention of the most wonderfully complicated "census-taking"known to man-to ensure that no Jews under their governance fell into Gennan hands. Not for nothing does the history of theseplots sometimes read like farce.None of this can mitigate the facts of the unspeakable fate that ultimately befell some 8,000 Italian Jews when the GennansfmaUy marched in- nor the harsh anti-Jewish legislation Mussolini introduced in 1938. Still, there is no doubt that, were itnot for what the Gennans so bitterly described, in their cables, as the peculiar "Italian attitude" of protection toward the Jews,far more than the 20% of the Italian Jewish population that was annihilated would have been shipped to their deaths.Unlike countries like Bulgaria and, for a time at least, France- which resisted deporting their Jewish nationals but wereprepared to deliver their foreign-born Jews-the Italians refused to deport Jews, period.Their refusal (like that of Hitler's other temporary ally, the Finns) was based on a full awareness of what awaited any Jewdeported for "resettlement." Berlin was naturally bitter over this intransigence. The telegrams from Bureau 1 V of the ReichSecurity Head Office- command post for the Final Solution- flew thick and fast with inquiries as to when Italy could beexpected to begin handing its Jews over. The answer from the Italians was an unbending-if silent-- "Never." And indeed,so long as Fascist Italy remained independent, and until its occupation by the Gennans in 1943, the answer was the same.Not only would. the Italian government- reflecting the popular attitude of the citizenry at large- resist deportation, itsarmy and consuls undertook extraordinary efforts to rescue Jews in their zones of occupation. As an Axis partner, Italy's forcesoccupied a large sector of Greece, part of Yugoslavia and eight sectors of southeastern France, including Nice.The attitude of the occupying Italians with regard 10 Germany's extermination plans for the Jews was made immediatelyclear, to the great distress and confusion of the Gennans and their French allies. For, as soon as the Vichy police ~ these areasbusied themselves rounding up Jews for arrest and deportation, the Italian military and foreign ministry demanded - andobtained- a stop to the arrests and deportations.In Annecy, the French police, who had rounded up a trainload of Jews for deportation, found themselves looking at the barrelsof guns trained on them by soldiers of the Italian Fourth Army. Yielding to this forceful persuasion, the French released theJews. ·In Salonika as elsewhere, as historians Leon Poliakov and Jacques Sabille document, the Italians offered more than tolerantprotection. In Greece, the Italian consuls and military - witness to the brutal deportations taking place before their eyes -busied themselves handing out phony certificates of"Italian nationality" to the hunted Jews. Italian officers spirited Jews awayto safety on military trains and, as survivors have attested, they undertook, in every way possible, to cheer them on and assurethem of their protection. In Poland, Italian troops gave aid and comfort to the hunted Jews.In Nice, the Italian commandant stationed caTabinieri outside the Jewish communal center and synagogue to make certainthat Vichy police could not enter to make arrests. Elsewhere in southeastern France where the Vichyite police (on orders fromthe Gennans) decreed that the Jews be made to wear the yellow star, the Italian generals countennanded the order. It was, theyanswered, "inconsistent with the dignity of the Italian anny" that in areas of its control Jews should be made to wear "thisstigmatizing badge."The dignity of the anny. Such a quaintly improbable ring the words have in the context of the unrivaled horrors being inflicteddaily by the armies of the Reich and their accomplices. They were flawed heroes of a kind different from Schindler, theseservants of Mussolini' s Fascist state. It has been argued that there were elements of political concern in Rome's refusal tocooperate in the murder of the Jews-but no one can attribute anything but humanitarian revulsion at the Gennans' policiesin the activities of the Italians who strove so assiduously to save lives in the territories they occupied.What there was in the character of the Italians that made their resistance to mass murder so implacable, so different fromthat of the Vichyite French, is a question we may ponder-and one for whose existence we can be grateful.[Ms. Rabinowitz, a Wall Strsst Journal ed~oriaJ wr~er and television critic, is currently preparing a book on this subject.](Reprinted from The Wall Street Journal December 22, 1993);iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-. The Italic Way ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;-.;;1VAKl 9

REVIEWpra. ·9, and later by Lillo Brancato, 17). beration. His Italian neighbors set theA Bronx Cheer forWhat's wrong with this? Hold on. record straight. They're all mindlessA Bronx TaleCalogero is the real focus of the film racists who think C is crazy for havingand he grows up wanting to be what? Did anything to do with a black. ·Roger Ebert, the rotund half of TV somebody say a gangster? An Italian Although the blacks are just as violentmovie mavens "Siskel and Ebert," bas American kid wanting to be a ganster inas the Italians in the inevitable alter-said Robert DeNiro and Chazz Palm in- a Hollywood film? C'mon.cations, their violence is motivated byteri are both likely to get Academy Calogero's hero is the neighborhood an understandable, aimost admirableAward nominations for A Bronx Tale, mafioso, Sonny (played by Chazz self-defense. The Italians are violent because,yet another fllm view of Italian Amer- Palminteri, who wrote the allegedly autoica.well, simply because they're Ital­biographical script and whose real name ian (read: lower class urban bigot, parWhy am I not celebrating? Well, for is Calogero.)excellence).one thing, Ebert just may be correct. The ftlm Calogero is called ''C" be- The story reaches no conclusion, it'sA Bronx Tale, in which DeNiro causehisitalianAmericanpals, whocanplayssimply a "slice of life" in Little Italy.a supporting role and debuts as a not pronounce simpledirector, is okay on the technical and English words too well,dramatic fronts. Too bad. If it were not certainly can't handle ait might soon be forgotten.four syllable Italian one.Like the films of Francis Ford Cop- Katherine Narducci,polaand Martin Scorsese that deal with who plays C's mother,Italian American subjects, it reflects 'will surely get some sortaspectsoftheltalianAmericanlifestyle of nomination, too. Shelike a funhouse mirror.gives a thoroughly con-Yes, the faces are authentically Ital- vincing portrayal of aian American. Personal mannerisms spineless, borderlinering true. The settings look real enough. moron- the very modelBut something is terribly out of whack. of Italian AmericanAnd it's not because the 187th motherhood a Ia Holly­Street-ArthUr Avenue section, the wood. Fortunately, heruniquely charming Little Italy of the role is miniscule.Bronx where the film is supposedly set, The most admirable An Italic Ralph Kramden (DeNiro) confronts awas not used for the shooting. (It was charcter is Lorenzo. Butactually shot in Queens. Why? Perhaps he is depicted not as theMob boss to save his son from a life of crime.to hint at the lack of authenticity?) norm of Italian American .The tenor of the stereotyping is set life but the rarest of exceptions- one J Sonny,although_a murder_er,tscshown to& rth t th t.set ·th totall gratw· his famil" ds odd have some admrrable tratts. may ortO a e ou __ w_ 1 _a__ Y_· __-__ev_e_n __. __. _ Y_ re_g_ar_ as - an may not go straight. Save for oddballThe Italians are violent because,well, simply because they're Italian.tous insult: A voice tells us about the"traditional" way Italian men makelove and a lout is shown driving his car,yelling at a woman pedestrian, "Get inthe f--ear."So we are warned.The story itself makes the point thatbus driver Lorenzo (DiNiro) is a hardworking,honest, moderately intelligentfather who wants the best for his son,Calogero (played first by Francis Ca-honest man. Everybody else in A BronxTale is either a Jacky of Sonny's, a buffoonishadmirer of him, or a non-Italian.The non-Italians, in another big surprise,are African Americans. In themajor subplot, C falls in love with a blackgirl played by Tarat Hicks (from TV' sAilMy Children).Is this to show that Italian Americanmen are not bigoted? Are you kidding?It's to show that in this respect C is an ab-Lorenzo, Italian America is peopledmuch the way it always has been inHollywood.The pity, as far as this film goes, isthat it might have been a nice littlemovie, one Italian Americans couldeven rejoice in, if it had avoided thepredictable ethnic cliches.The greater shame is that ItalianAmerica has again been badly malignedby its own worst enemy - ItalianAmerican filmmakers. -Bob Masullo****(Bob Masullo was raised in the Bronx.He resides in Sacramento, California.):.-.. ...... The Italic Way10V.6,N.l

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STRANGERS AMONG US: The Mafia and its Ilkby John ManciniSomewhere in America today aChinese-American named Au Yeungis desperately trying to sell his story asthe FBI infonnant who spilled thebeans on a major Chinese heroinoperation with nearly 800 pounds ofthe narcotic seized. (Hollywood'sfamed French Connection was basedupon a 220 pound bust) Moreover,Mr. Yeung broke the code of silenceon Chinatown's notorious tong (familyassociation) gambling dens. Forhis services the United States Governmentawarded Mr. Yeung $250,000.But what this con man/canary reallywants is a Chinese Mario Puzo andFrancis Ford Coppola to make Asiancrime, and himself, famous. Mr. Yeung's name might as wellbe No Such Luck. Hollywood is solely obsessed with Italiccriminals.As de facto publicists for the Italic Mafia, many writersand fllmmakers ofltalian descent have effectively ceded theirculture to the mob. Italian surnames, to many, now connote .criminal connections. In fact, the words mafia, family andgodfather have become a part of the universal criminal vocabulary.Hence, the new Russia is plagued by a "mafia" andthe once proud religious title of godfather now evokes snickersaround the English-speaking world. Here in America thepublic is treated to mafia cookbooks, and, the mafia "nationalanthem" (the theme from the Godfather) has become anItalian-American wedding favorite. Local criminals likeJohn Gotti and mentally handicapped suspects like Vincent"The Chin" Gigante, who parades daily through his neighborhoodin pajamas, have been transmogrified, thanks to sensationaljournalism, into real-life Lex Luthors. And, the SicilianMafta-the octopus that is reputed to control all crime onthe planet earth, has done so without computers, fax machines,copiers or secretaries.In short, over the span of twenty years, since the premiereof Godfather/, the Mafta has become the golden goose for ageneration of twisted Italian-American media-crats. Theirmyth-making has not only enriched them but has propelledthe MafJa into American folklore and pennanently stained theimage of an entire ethnic group.What is the Mafla? What are its origins? Why does itpersist? To answer these questions we need to address the!=--.The Italic WayCracking down on mafiosi Is anold Italian tradition.12myths and perceptions as well asthe realities of the Maft.a.WHAT IS THE MAFIA?Some Mafia "experts" tell usthat there is a unified, centralizedorganization known as the Mafiaor La Cosa Nostra (Our Thing)that is subdivided by territory(eg. Sicily, New York, etc.) andthen by family (the Genovese,the G~mbino, etc.). These componentsare loosely confederatedbut acknowledge a capo di tutticapi (boss of bosses) who livessomewhere in Sicily and whokeeps all the regional organizationshumming while he runs the Italian government and theVatican on the side. This omnipotent Mafia decides what drugsare smuggled into Europe and America, and when a UnitedStates president needs to be bumped off. It is now reportedlyin the process of obtaining nuclear weapons. One thing wrongwith this picture is that it assumes that the other 5 billion earthlingsare innocent bystanders. Another distortion is that itimbues the Italic people with superhuman powers. While it isnice to have only one devil to blame for all human ills, thisincredible theory perpetuates old myths: the Mafia startedmany, many years ago in Sicily as a "good" organization andThe general public takes some comfortin the myth that like opera and food,crime is an Italic specialty.evolved into a criminal group; Mafiosi only kill each other andcertainly not women and children; Italian neighborhoods areunder special godfatherly protection; every Italian-Americanfamily has a "connection" for purposes of social justice.The first problem with all these myths is that most peopleactually believe them. And why shouldn't they? Italian­American criminals are the most flamboyant and romantic. AICapone (real) and Don Vito Corleone (unreal) have beendeified by the media. They have been seared into the Americanpsyche by unending repetition in television and movies. Incontrast, the likes of Jesse James and John Dillinger havebecome cardboard figures, mere bit players in the annals ofcrime. Even the all-American Robber Barons of the 19thCentury as well as the bootlegging dynasties of the 20thCentury have been sanctified by laundered family wealth. TheV.6,N.l

Focus·general public takes some comfort in the myth that like operaand food, crime is an Italic specialty.Mafia pervades their ethniccommunity. Some 73% ofA LACK OF PRIDEnon-Italians share this belief.There is substantial an­By promoting these myths, many Italian-Americans reveala lack of pride. As a poor immigrant people subjected to theecdotal evidence that themost menial occupations at the tum of the cent1.ry, demeanedgeneral public associatesby earlier immigrants as wops, dagoes, and guineas, ItaliansItalian surnames with eitherstruggled to achieve basic material security. Unfortunately,a propensity for crime or ansome shunned education in favor of extra income. And theseoutright affiliation to thepeasants and sons and daughters of peasants were all but cutMafia. Such is the power ofoff from their rich cultural patrimony, and all but abandonedendless media repetition.by the motherland. Many Americans of Italian descent haveThe image is reinforcedonly the most superficial knowledge of the Italian heritagealitany of names (Dante, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, et al) highnalsmake the headlines anddaily as local Mafia crimilightinga painfully abbreviated past. What America taughtbecome national celebritiesthe succeeding generations ofltalian-Americans was that theto fulfill the movie legends.only thing that works in Italy is the Mafia, and that ItaliansJohn Gotti, the Dapper Don,The Mafia's worst nightmare, is a perfect example of aCesare Morl, Fascist Prefect local hood with a nationalof Palermo, 1927 audience. Not for him themere 15 minutes of fame.-ORIGINS UNKNOWNWe probably know more about the origins of dinosaursthan of dons. Some apologetic Sicilians claim that the Mafiabegan in the 13th Century to defend the islanders against therapacious French. Having defended home and hearth, not tomention the honor of Sicilian women, these "Men of Honor"turned greedy and began living off their own kind. Notwithstandingthe apologists, the stuff of reality tells us that ifMafiosi are thieves and murderers today, their ancestors wereprobably the thieves and murderers of yesteryear.Alfonso Capone was of Neapolitan, not Sicilian, origin. One of the more ludicrous origin theories has the MafiaHis criminal organization was not the Mafia. descended from Roman soldiers (since it appears so wellorganized). This absurd speculation is usually proffered bywere lucky they were allowed to immigrate here. This half-baked Italian-American historians who start Italian historyeducation went on to declare that the ancient Romans hadEnglish accents, Mussolini and Fascism were a joke, theItalian soldiers of World War II were lovers and cowards, andthe post-war Italian government is a menagerie of clowns.Here in America, of course, there was Columbus and JoeDiMaggio, but their memories were seasonal. So, by default,the Mafia stole the mantle ofltalic pride. Draped in the purpleof Italian culture -lafamiglia, il ristorante, il bel canto,lalingua, Ia chiesa cattolica, I' onore, were brought to the bigscreen by Frankie Coppola. Here, for the very first time wasevery man's desire: power, money, compliant women, andrespect. To some Italian-Americans, the new and improvedMafia was a godsend. Only the punchdrunkRocky came in aat the fall of Rome. In truth, the Romans were the estab­lishment. The precursors of the Mafia are more likely to befound as hired guns of foreign occupiers or in the antiestablishmenttypes, such as:Roman Slaves: There were at least two major slaverevolts a la Spartacus in Sicily before the birth of Christ.Slaves were most likely non-Italic prisoners of war or criminalswho worked on large commercial farms, in the sulfurmines or the salt basins. This theory has them fleeing to thehills and living like Robin Hood's Merry Men, minus thegenerosity, for the next two thousand years. Similar slaverevolts in southern Italy, like that of Spartacus, may havespawned the Camorra of Naples and the N' drangheta ofclose second. At last, pride was restored - sort of. Calabria.Few acknowledge the ultimate cost of this grotesque pride.A recent study by Dr. Herbert Abelson of Princeton U. revealedthat 74% ofltalian-Americans actually believe that theVandals & Goths: During the last stages of the RomanEmpire, a system was devised by the Italians to buy off the(continued on p.15).__;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;.;;;;;;;.;;;;;;;.;;;;;;;.;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;.;;;;;;;.;;;;~The Italic Way~~V.6, N.ll3

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Mafia {from p. 13)barbarians. It was an arrangement whereby one-third of theproduceofltalian land was given to the Germanic mercenariesin return for protection and peace. For the Italians, this"protection money" staved off the inevitable for almost 100years. The parasitic nature of the Vandals and Goths, however,bears a striking similarity to the traditional Mafta. OneRoman author speaks of•Gothic soldiers as tax collectorsin Syracuse, Sicily.They had to be legallyrestrained from shakingdown the Roman landowners.Another trait ofthe germanic tribesmanwas absolute loyalty, untodeath, to his chieftain orboss.Pirates & Arab Raiders:The Middle Ageswitnessed another wave John Gottl: Does he deservemore than his 15of ravaging foreignersminutes off1that included Mediterreanamepirates and Arab-types from North Africa. The quaint hilltoptowns that dot southern Italy's landscape were actually defensiveenclaves away from the coastal invasion routes. Just howmanyraidersdecidedtodwellamongthenativeltalianscannotbe known.Arabs & Berbers: The word Mafia may be of Arabicderivation, mu'afah meaning "protection." Although Sicily isgenerally thought of as prospering under the Arab occupationof250 years, no doubt some bad pomegranates slipped in. Historianslike to think the Nonnans chased all the Arabs andBerbers out of the island. But who really knows? The holdingof court by a "godfather" to hear the grievances of the populacemay have been a tradition from Arab times. These sessions, ormajlis, are still common among Middle Eastern sheiks.radical measure even alarmed Mussoliniwho insisted that the detainees' families _"N--~~-,;:.,.,.._~~....!~~be cared for. YetFascistpowerdid whatno other government before or since has accomplished- thestate was undisputed master of the island.The Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 undid all that Morihad accompUshed. Under the direction of Charles Poletti, aformer New York State Lt Governor, the Allied occupationauthorities "unknowingly" released mqfiosi from the jails andappointed them to municipal leadership. The Allies reintroduceddeported Italian criminals like Lucky Luciano to interfacewith their ilk. Sicily's problems today stem in large partfrom this de-Fascification.The 1980's were boom years for the Mafia and drug moneytogether with corrupt government officials and constitutionally-mandatedSicilian autonomy weakened the Italian stateon the island. Murders soared. In the process of reasserting itscontrol in the 1990's, a number of heroic prosecutors weregunned down or blown to bits by the threatened gangsters.Taking a page from Cesare Mori, the Italian state has expandedpolice powers and shipped in some 7,000 troops. Still,it is difficult for a democratic state to destroy the ancient infestationof the Mafia despite the fact that the vast majority ofSicilians depise the menace.The Italic people are no more disposed to crime than anyother ethnic group. The daily newspapers are proof of that.However, it is perplexing why the Mafia has such deep roots.Surely, the usual factors- poverty, bad government. injustice,and ignorance - create and foster criminal activities.Southern Italy, as a goal of foreign invasion since the fall ofRome and the victim of nearly three centuries of Spanishoccupation, fell prey to many alien predators. Every effort toeradicate organized crime has ultimately failed. It is as thoughthe mafioso is the bad seed, the stranger among us.THE SICll.,IAN EXPERIENCECesare Mori, the Fascist prefect ofPalenno, considered theMafia not one centralized organization but rather many gangsin loose associations. Mori effectively destroyed the "mafla"with massive round-ups and mass trials. By 1927 Mori hadarrested over 11,000 suspected mafiosi and associates. Such aMen of Honor? If maflos/are thieves and murdererstoday, their ancestors were probably the thieves andmurderers of yesteryear.THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCEYes, there is a Mafia, or actually mafias, among Italicpeople. Like the Italian word fascism. mafia is now a genericterm. But the lruth is these gangs probably do not have theimpact on crime in America as the movies would have usbelieve. They are involved in the drug trade (a recent Frenchconnectedbust uncovered 400 pounds of heroin and implicatedfour New York crime "families") but the pubUc shouldnot believe that they control all the trade or all facets of thetrade. In fact the Asians dominate the heroin market asimporters and wholesalers, the Latin Americans the cocainemarket. Apparently, the forte of the Italic mobs is corrupting(continued p.27)';;;;;;;;;;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiO;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiO;;;;;;;;;;;;;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiO;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; The Italic Way--=V.6.N.l 15

THE ROMANLEGIONSby Alfred CardonePerhaps Pliny described it best."Immensa Romanae pacis maiestas"- the boundless majesty of the Romanpeace. At its height, the Roman Empireextended from Scotland to the Sudan,from Portugal to the Euphrates, unitingan area of Europe, Asia and Africa thathas never again been under a single rule.The known Western world was broughtunder one law culminating in two centuriesof peace and prosperity which ithad never before experienced and wasto never enjoy again.This great empire was conqueredand defended for centuries by the mostsuccessful army in history. Most of itssoldiers were strapping peasant farmersand shepherds from central and southemItaly. The Roman legionary hadunmatched discipline, patience, tenacity.strength and courage which enabledhim to endure interminable marchesand terrible battles in foreign lands foryears of service. Even when not engagedin combat or on the march, he wasconstantly active building camps, erectingfortifications, constructing or re-­pairing roads and bridges or sowing thefields with grain. These citizen soldiersPerspectivesat the age of forty-six. TheRoman citizen, however,could not be called up formore than twenty campaignsin the infantry or ten in thecavalry. Shortly before 100B.C., the reforms of GaiusMarius gradually transformedthe legions_ into a standingarmy of volunteer professionalsoldiers serving for aterm of twenty-five years.These volunteers had to beRoman citizens, which inRome's formative yearsmeant Italic.[Highlights of historical records that shed light on modem times)were trained in the discipline of arms forthe common good, and as volunteersenlisted to fulfill the needs of a particularwar or campaign or even later as longtermprofessiooal soldiers, they broughtwith them a patriotic fervor and highlevel of training and organization whichwas to prove irresistible to any foe theyencountered.The story of the Roman legions spansmany centuries. The army of the Republichad only a wartime organization.Officers and troops were enlisted andlegions created for a specific militarytask when a state of war had been declaredor was imminent. Given Rome'shistory of almost constant warfare, inpractice this call to arms toOk place eachyear. Eligibility for military servicebegan at the age of seventeen and endedGRAHAMThe Roman legion, with its 3,200heavy infantry, 1,200 light infantry, 300cavalry and various auxiliary troops,was a complete combat unit comparableto half a modem division. It was capableof acting independently or in cooperationwith other legions. The reforms ofMarius expanded it into a powerfulbody of 6,000 men, divided into tencohorts, which were further divided intocenturies, commanded by the legendarycenturions, the backbone of the Romanarmy. The Roman centurions were theftrst body of fighting professional officersin history. They rose through theranks by virtue of their talent and courageand were instrumental in passingalong the code of discipline to the legionairesin their charge. (cont'd p.17)~-- The Italic Way365 BROADWAY NY 1001316V.6,N.l

(718) 428-0110Each legion also had engineeringspecialists capable of surveying a canal,planning roads and bridges, and aboveall building or demolishing walls andfortifications. As such, the weapons ofthe legions also included such artillerypieces as stone hurling ballistae andmassive wooden catapults that shotlarge bolts or arrows. These were usedin sieges and also for supporting fire onthe battlefield.The legion was trained to fight as aconcentrated, solid mass employing aform of high intensity, offensive warfarenever before seen. Nonetheless, itproved to be far more maneuverablethan the unwieldy phalanx. Typically,the front ranks hurled a volley of javelinsat the enemy from a distance of tento twenty paces. Meanwhile, archersand slingers attacked from the wingswith arrows and stones, and the cavalrycharged with pikes and swords. Thedecisive action, however, was in theform of hand to hand combat with thefamous Roman short sword.While on the march, the Roman leest.1960bbayside travel bureaucorporate and leisure travel consultantsBARBARA NICHUALSPresident42-36 Bell Blvd.Bayside, NY 11361gionary carried over sixty pounds ofbaggage which included a twenty daysupply of grain, an axe, a scythe, a basket,a spade, a coolcing pot and two or threestakes for the construction of a palisade.He was generally required to cover adistance of between ten and fifteen milesThese volunteers hadto be Roman citizens,which in Rome'sformative yearsmeant Italic.a day, after which he was required to erecta fortified camp complete with tents,ramparts and gates deployed in a predeterminedstandared configuration.To defend their vast empire, theRomans deployed an army which rangedin size from 25 to 30 legions, a force ofapproximately 150,000 to 180,000 men.At the time of Augustus, this was augmentedby an almost equal number ofauxiliary bOOps comprised of provincials,who were rewarded with the privi-;.;;;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~V.6,N.l 17lege of Roman citizenship for themselvesand their children after completionof their service. The deployment ofthe legions varied over time, but wasgenerally concentrated along the frontiersof the Empire, especially along theRhine and Danube to defend against thealmost constant pressure from barbariantribes. It is a testament to the effectivenessof the Roman army that it was ableto successfully defend such a far-flungempire for centuries with such relativelylimited forces.Rome was successful against everyconceivable enemy in more than fivecenturies of almost continuous warfare.As long as the army consisted of sturdyItalic shepherds and peasants trained inthe discipline of arms and instilled withan 1Dlfaltering patriotism, the Empirewould remain secure. Such is Virgil'sexplanation of Roman rule over theworld. "Sit Romana potens ltaliavirtute propago"-"Such be the powerof Roman stock, allied to the valor ofItaly."••••The Italic Way~-:

DINO: Living High In TheDirty Business of DreamsBy Nick Tosches, Doubleday, 572 ppHe rode with Duke Wayne, interpretedLillian Hellnian and beat backthe Beatles. His mellifluous Italianatebaritone captivated two generations ofwomen even as his quick wit and easymasculinity won over their husbands.Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart andHenry Miller were avid fans. Elvis idolizedhim. For nearly a decade, he welcomedus into his world and soothed anation wracked by a ruinous war in Vietnam.In truth, everybody loved DeanMartin sometime. And ItaliaJlS owehim a debt of thanks.Dino Paul Crocetti's trek from Steubenville,Ohio, crooner to internationalentertainer was a long and windingjourney. He endured more than his fairshare of hardships, rejections and out-REVIEWright prejudice along the way. But thisson of an Italian immigrant from Abruzzinever forgot his heritage. And, unlikemost Italo-American thespians, he neverbesmirched his brethren on the silverscreen.In a 1967 interview with Italian journalistOriana Fallaci,he said " I loveevery bit of beingItalian, and I don'tthink of the Mafia, Ithink of ChristopherColumbus, andMichelangelo, andMarconi, and Toscanini,and Fermi,and all those greatpeople who gavemuch to my country,America." Five l'lllllioO~-years later, Martinhad a blisteringretort for The Godfather. " I didn't likethat film. What they did to the Italianpeople. There was no call for that Iknow a lot of gangsters and they're notItalians. They're guys with briefcases--anIrishman, a Jewish guy andan All-American type."Two decades later, despite Dino'sprotestations, The Godfather spawned a(Continued p. 28)Dean on the set of The Young Lions with Bran do andClift. His portrayals of Italian-Americans were positive.(212) 921-0600ASBESTOS ABATEMENT1501 BROADWAYNEW YORK, NY 10036:;;;;;;;;;;;;__. .. The Italic Way18V.6,N.l

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CHARLES RIZZO & ASSOCIATEBUILDING AND ZONING LAW CONSULTANTSELEVEN PENNSYLVANIA PLAZA I NEW YORK, NEW YORK 1 0001-2091(212) 695-5980 FAX (212) 695-6058CHARLES RIZZOSALVATORE J. COCOLICCHIOSTUART KLEIN, ESQ.GENERAL COUNSELKEEP UP WITHTHE INSTITUTESOdnq, 1991England Stings:An Altitude ProblemGuglielmo MarconiToday's Roman CustomsSumawt1991Before the Beatles:ltai-Am Rock 'n RollLatin Language AliveFasi:Mayor of Honolulufa!!IWJn. 1992Forbidden ItalyPresidentCosslgaTarar1o:Before Pearl HarborOVid, the Spicy ScribeSOr§ym. 1992America, Partly anItalian enterpriseAce Don GentileGayTaleseSummer, 1990 Fall 1990Italians & the Bible Italian--Americans in AdvertisingShakespeare's Italian Connection Pestolozzl: Father of TeachingNapoleon's Italian Vtetory An Italian and the HolocaustAugustusFall, 1989Italian vs. BlackRmero's Negro ArmyAfrican-Italian Restaurar1A Bar1ett GiamattlBensonhurst TragedyWJntat 1989cartoon Characters by ItaliansThe First Safe AirplaneHealth & Italian CultureWinter. 1990Mussolini, Part IAntonio Meucci & the TelephoneMario LanzaSOrJnq, 1989King of the SwashbucklersGore VIdalBeccaria: A Founding Father?Roman Evil DaysSprlng,19g=Summer, 1988John LaCorte Images: Symbols or Stereotypes?Italians & the Holocaust Italian Frogmen of WW II1930: Reprint of Atlantica Magazine Vittorio Veneto, WW IItalian language in Australia Allantica remembered• Availlble only In photocopleaWJnter, 1991 •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •BloodyGeniuses: • Order FormBritons of Italian Heritage :Carl Vuono: Army Chief of Staff • Past IssuesThe Day They Lynched Italians Price per past issue $ 3 . 00Spdnq.199Q($2.50 for members)Jews of ItalyMussolini, Part II •Italian AerospaceDaPorte: Mozart's UbrettistSummer, 1989Italy's North vs. SouthThe Spanish ArmadaItalian AviationComposer Char1es GabrieleFall 1988Italy at Work:Modern Italy Forges AheadDr. Henry Viscardi: Helpingthe Handicapped:spr'88.sum'88• Fall'88:win'89•Spr'89• sum'89• Fall'89:wm'90•Spr'90:sum'90•Fall'90Win'91Spr'91Sum'91Fall/Win'92Spr/Sum'92Fall'92V.S,N.3V.S,N.4

1860 EAST TREMONT AVENUEBRONX, NEW YORK 10460(718) 518-8055 Fax (718) 518-8053RONALD T. BELLISTRIPresident

Project ltaliaThe Project Italia program isn't just ftlms and videos. It is also an educational product line.(To order, just note your selections lllld mail in with a check to Italic Studies Institute, PO Box 818, floral Park, NY 11001)FOUR CENTURIESOFITALIAN-AMERICANHISTORYGiovanni SchiavoOur bestseller. A uniquelook at the worldwide contributionsof a great people.$23 ($18 for members)The story of WWII ace DonGentile. America's legendary"one man air force".$20 ($15 for members)One of the heartwarmingsagas of World War! I.Italian humanity duringHitler's Holocaust$15 ($10 for members)Giovanni Schiavo's monumental workon Italian-American history. This is thebook that all other autfiors quote.$30 ea ($25 for members)Roman FoundatlonaPart reference, aJI inspiring.Italians Firsl is 1h&. Designed exclusively for the Institutebook of facts. A very frank the Italian-American Placemat is perfect forlook at an amazing people by use at social functions, to distribute to schools,an Italian-British author. $20 or for pizzerias & restaurants.($15 for members) $12 per box of 1,000.--~------------~------~----------...---~:r'u.'H£::"............. _:.1.1::::::'::.. RIGHTEOUS,..,_ ENEMYn. ....... •........... ...--·Medieval RevivalAMERICA: THE ITAUAH LEGACY41fTOIIfl0 •(UC(hTill fltTI(U 01 ,,_, TlU,.HOJt(,... • ''ota o. ,.tM. ·~Olacovery of America~TEA OHE: LAW 6 fOIJAI.!!.)'Looking for awards? Or maybe you would liketo collect this series of commemoratives. This limitedproduction is minted exclusively for the institute.Document your roots with these important video works:Each coin is $15 ($10 for members) and comes in a.Amerka: Tile ltaUaai.Apc:y (Law & Equality)- 23 ~n. ... $25 ($20 for members) presentation box with parchment story. (actual size 1_AatoaloMeacc:I:TruelnventoroftheTelephone-17mtn ... $25($20formembers)114.) AI ') bl · I'd · ood bo. . . so avaJ. a e m so 1 Sl·1 ver, m w x.Rf&ltteoas Eaemy: Italian efforts to save Jews 10 WWJJ -84 mm ... $100 ($90 mem.) $60 ($50 members)V.6,N.l21The Italic Way

Media Madnes·s·[In which we present media material with commentary]ITEM: An Italian television show broadcast to the USA last Novemberconcerned a proposed law that would allow overseas Italians to vote in Italianparliamentary elections. The fear was raised that New York area Italians wouldvote mafiosi into the Parliament.C 0 MMENT: The fear was put forth by theLega Nord (Northern League)politicians. Their ultimate goal is to separate the north and south of Italy. Withone of their top officials jailed for bribes they certainly need not fear the NewYork vote. Anyway, why must the Italic community in America be smeared fromboth sides of the Atlantic? TheLega Nord has opened an office in New York Cityto be among us. Is it really a good idea?ITEM: A greeting card with an unflattering Italian theme.COMMENT: A group of five men talking on a New York street has the caption, "I'mGonna Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse!" Just to insure that the unsuspecting readerknows the connotation of the now-famous remark, the reverse of the card states: "One ofthese guys is not Italian. Can you tell which one?" The real questions should be: Why dopeople produce such cards and why does a card store sell them?ITEM: An ad in the New Republic Magazine soliciting bisexualmembers states that this manly persuasion dates back to ancientGreeceandRome.B is eX u a I MenConferences/peer support groups. Serious,COMMENT: Certainly there is no doubt that many Greeks and =~~ft~~·(~~!':~~s~~fed"uepnond::C~~Nn~o~~~~sharing in small (4-S), structured telephone con·some Romans pursued bisexual activities. However, this club with no terence-calls with men 11atlonwide. Or regionaln.arne Used the Pl .cture of Caesar Augustus as theu· 1·nsp' .....''on. The weekend seminlii"S. Considering historical, cui·.uautural roots (Greece/Rome). Confidential; first·founder of the Roman Empire and the creator of the Pax Rom ana (200 name basis. Not psychotherapy. Not a social 'network. John Cn1g, facilitator (Yale, UCSC). ..,/ ~..__years of peace) was emperor for 41 years, married to the same woman .!:R~ec::::.:o~rd~ed~i.:.:.nf~o~nn.!.!:a~t~io::!.n~:...:4~1~3...!-2::.::5::..::3~-2:.1.:...:9~9::.:..__..::...... ~·· __the whole time, and despised by Roman libertines, including his ownoversexed daughter, for legislating morality. This is !!Q1 Lhe man toinspire AC/DC devotees.ITEM: The New York Times trashes Naples with the headline, "Naples Readyto Elect a Mayor, but Does It Matter?"COMMENT: Any sane person reading the article by our favorite cafecorrespondent Alan Cowell would consider Naples, if not Italy, ready for a UNPeacekeeping Force. "Can a bankrupt, mob-ridden city be governed?" asks thebewildered Cowell. Then, in one easy sentence he states, "Schools and hospitalsdon't work." Doesn't this man have editors watching over him? If The NY Timescan speak in gross generalities then perhaps they ought to reread their own reportcomparing national education results (12/9/93): Italian 13- and 14-year-oldssurpass U.S., U.K and Canadian children in mal.h. And although they are justbelow average in reading they are no worse than the Dutch.22V.6,N.l

Media MadnessITEM: A Black clergyman sees "fascists" in candidate Rudy Giuliani's supporters Jduring the New York City mayoral electionCOMMENT: Maybe it is just a coinc .dence but this is the second time that anItalian-American candidate has been linked with the tenn "fascist". First it was SenatorAlphonse D' Amato during his re-election campaig:t against state Attorney GeneralRobert Abrams. It's getting to be like word association: Italian surname= fascist Wesuppose it's an improvement over the other association. The one that begins with "m"ITEM: Tonight Show host Jay Leno, in a routine about the justices of the SupremeCourt on the night of August 19th,joked that Justice Antonio Scalia signs all his opinionsin blood.COMMENT: Leno, of course, has the now famous !tal-baiting license, after all heis part Italian. Such a license is available to any Italic person (full, half, quarter, etc.) whoneeds to get a laugh at any cost Alan Brown Alda has the very same license that permittedhim to produce Betsy's Wedding. And Leno, who had the darndest time trying topronounce Scalia's name, was probably a little nervous while making the crack.ITEM: A revival of the 1922 Broadway play Abie's Irish Rose is pannedby Newsday' s critic Aileen Jacobson for being a gross stereotyping of Jewsand Irish.COMMENT: The long-running off-Broadway hit Tony & Tina'sWedding has been the darling of all the critics even though it makes Italian­Americans the butt of one endless joke. So popular is the stereotypical showthat there was even a float with Tony and Tina in Chicago's Columbus dayparade last October. Aileen, get use to it. Maybe defamation is the sincerestform of flattery.ITEM: The city of Chicago has an obsession with itsformer gangster image. The city's welcoming center greetstourists with a mannequin reproduction of the St.Valentine • s Day Massacre. Elsewhere in town the GilbertTheater is playing Breaking Legs, a comedy about a Mafiaproducedstage show; Rosebud's Restaurant advertises thatit "Feeds the Whole Mob", whatever that means; and thereis a new eatery named Goodfellas. But the greatest displayof the city's Mob pride is the opening of AJ Capone • s houseas a museum.COMMENT: Hey, as long as it doesn't affect theItalian image, who cares! Who is kidding whom? (Wethank member Bill Da1 Cerro of the Midwest Council forhis research.)

News of the InstituteMIDWEST COUNCIL ESTABLISHEDThe kickoff luncheon for our new Midwest Council was held onOctober 14th at the Swissotel in downtown Chicago. Twenty new councilmembers were in attendance as the Institute banner was turned over toAdvisor Don Fiore by lSI Development Chairman John Mancini. Afollow-up meeting was held to hammer out organizational matters and protern officers were elected. Elections are scheduled for the month ofFebruary. The pro tem officials are: Vice President Allan Adducci,Treasurer Anthony Farace, Financial Secretary JohnLocallo, Deputy Secretaryof Programs & Administration Donald Fiore.VIce president protem Allan Adduccl (center)GIFT & MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGNThe winner of the $1,000 incentive prize was Dominick Bianco ofStaten Island, NY. The drawing was held at the November 18th PlenaryCouncil luncheon. Thirty new members joined the Institute during thecourse of the campaign which is now officially closed. Gift points may beredeemed through the month of February, 1994.OCTOBER REJECTIONThe various media, in its infinite wisdom, rejected the Institute's Development Chairman John Manclnl,left,request this fall for a celebration of Italian-American themes. lSI sug- passes lSI banner to Don Flore.gested to a number of newspapers and television shows that coverage begiven to the positive side of Italian-Americans as well as a televised confrontation between actors who play stereotypes andrepresentatives of organizations which combat their effects. Only the Oprah Show indicated a remote interest. (see Letters)PERFECT PICNICThe Third Annual New York Council Picnic was held at Prazl Hofbrau on Sept 18th. Social Chairman Pat Grecco countedin excess of 460 people on hand despite the drizzle. It was the best showing since the event was added to our social calendar.MEDIA OFFENSIVE BEGUNA quarter-page ad was taken in the September 6th issue of Variety, Hollywood's newspaper, to demand a stop to the Maftathemes in movies and television. The ad was speciftcally directed to Italian-American filinmakers, actors, actresses, andproducers. It appeared within the Venice Film Festival section.The Midwest Council managed to get an article with photo published in the Chicago Sun Times on October 17th, writtenby Advisor Don Fiore. The article lambasted NYPD Blues and producer Steven Bochco for consistently degrading the Italianimage.~-- The Italic Way24 V.6.N.l

KIDS, KIDSThe Aurora Youth Program got off to an excellent start last October with an enrollment of twenty-three 5th & 6th gradersat our Floral Park, LI, facility. The Saturday classes are open to all surrounding communities and ethnic groups. In fact, onethirdof the students do IlQ1 have Italian surnames. The fust level of instruction is offered at no charge. The second level requiresmembership in the Institute or a $25 registration fee. Aurora is an excellent way to reach the children and recruit their parents.UNIVERSITY DONATIONThe Council of Governors has approved a recommendation for a grant of $25,000 toward a chair in Italian Studies atPurchase College, State University of New Yoclc (SUNY). The Plenary Council will vote on the grant as part of the annualbudget package. For additional information or to make a contribution call Lou Brevetti at (516) 488-7400.SEPTEMBER LUNCHEONThe New York Plenary Council held a luncheon at the 60 East Club (WEast42nd St.) on September 16th, Noon. The program included U.S. Olympic skierMaria Guarnieri who is entered in the ballet skiing competition in the 1994 WinterOlympics. A donation was made from the picnic raffle proceeds to the U.S. OlympicCommittee in support of our athletes.HOLIDAY LUNCHEON EXCEEDS FORECASTIt was planned and executed in less than a month but the First Annual HolidayLuncheon at Manhattan's 60 East Club exceeded all records with 180 people inattendance. The luncheon featured a guest chef from Classico Ristorante on LongIsland, co-owned by Plenary Council member Pietro Riva, who prepared a superb five course meal. The special guest wasactor Tony LoBianco, a long-time friend and member of the Institute. (Tony is off to Africa for a new film about WW II, inwhich he plays an Italian Army captain.) Social Chairman Pat Grecco and his committee can be credited with yet anothersuccess.6th ANNUAL DINNER DANCE UNDERWAYLike clockwork, the New York Plenary Council has begun planning the annual fundraiser at the Waldorf-Astoria. EventsCoordinator Monica Polizzi reported that Joseph Don nolo of Advanced Contracting will chair the affair. The honoree will beJack Conroy of the Manhattan real estate fum of Williamson Pickett Gross. The date is Saturday evening, May 21, 1994.~-----.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.ThehaUcWay=-=V.6,N.l 25

William PacaAn Italic Founding Father?It has been assumed by many Italian-American historiansand organizations that William Paca (pronounced PAY-ka), asigner of the Declaration oflndependence from Maryland, wasofltalian lineage. This assumption was not merely based uponPaca 's Italianate pame but rather on published statementsfrom the signer's aescendants attesting to the fact. The EncyclopediaBritannica, that bastion of Anglo-Saxony, in its 1969edition lists Paca as being of "English-Italian" ancestry. Sowho would question the pedigree of an Italic William Paca?Why, the Maryland Historical Society, that's who.The Italic Studies Institute learned of this official denial ofPaca's background when our newsletter representativesRobert and Michelle Vricella paid a visit to the Wm. PacaHouse Museum in Annapolis, MD, in early 1993. Robert andMichelle happened to ask the museum staff if there was anyinformation on Paca's Italian background. After informingour researchers that they were misinformed, the staff providedinformation refuting the alleged Italian ancestry. It appearsfrom the letters and book excerpts we received that the MarylandHistorical Society is quite obsessed with keeping Paca apure Anglo-Saxon. Of the 56 signers of the Declaration theoverwhelming majority were WASPs. However, there weremen of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Swedish, and Dutch ancestry -although all northern European. Only Paca was a Latin. SomeMarylanders over the years have found this disturbing.So who is correct? The Historical Society claims to bavedone an admittedly incomplete genealogical search and foundno evidence of ltalianita'. Smprisingly, the Society has eveninstructed the Paca family to prove their own oral tradition!The name Paca, they claim, must be a variation of some goodole English name like Parker, Pace (which also happens to bea good ole Italian name), Packe, Peake, or Pake. Case closed.Our research thus far has uncovered a 1904 Baltimore Sunarticle quoting the Paca family tradition which states that thename is derived from, and is related to, Pecci (PEH-chee) thePROFILESsumameofPopeLeoXIll. Thiswouldexplainwhy thefamilypronounced their first syllable as PAY rather than P AH. Thefamily tradition was restated in 1937 by great-great-greatgrandson William Paca in a letter to the New York Times.Other tidbits lend credence to the family tradition. Thesigner named his own son Aquila, after his father. Aquilameans eagle in Latin and Italian. It is also a family name fromsouthern Italy as well as the name of the capital of AbruzzL(The Maryland Historical Society rebuts that Aquila wascommonly used as a first name by Roman-loving Englishmen.)Moreover, the 1938 Paca recalled crates ofltalian tradegoods left by his ancestor. But perhaps the signer,like ThomasJefferson, was only an Italophile. And finally, Italic colonistswho emigrated from Engand were not unheard of, the mostfamous being the Taliaferro clan in the 1600's. The Taliaferroswere Virginia landowners who served in the RevolutionaryWar. BlackeducatorBookerT. Washington was born with thename Booker Taliaferro. The name bas many variations includingTolliver, which in most telephone books will refer youto the spelling Taliaferro.So who is right? Is the Paca family tradition just a lot ofwishful thinking? Did the Encyclopedia Britannica merelyparrot the family oral history? Something strange is going onin the State of Signers of the DeclarationMaryland.But Paca isn't ---}J-.,.,.---·s-tu-h.-D..-t-h:---N-.t- .io-6•-t.-,!&-illtheonly mystery. JobD Huooc:k , 1737-PJ EDJU.blluttoD Gwil>Mtt c.I73S..77 Enl!isbWhy did Lord Lyman Ht.ll • ms-90 ~!ishGeorct Wt.ltoo • c.I740-180C ED lishCalvert, founder Willll.m Boopu • 11H-9o ED:Ii&h~~pb Hew.. • • 1130-79 ~lishlishof Maryland Col- i:dbu Peoo. • • 1741-81 ._ha Ital n:!'.'! =~.Jr. m::lm t!:l:tony, ve an - ~b':"J'~io~· : m~::l; rn.A·Dutcb·Eoclishian motto on his •- d ........ En' 1 1ish ... h... mu ._......, 1741-1811 wi•· .11•1·"--"-'·1 f WWiam P&ca • • 1140-99 Italian._....,f amJ y COat O 't:.'r.:~Doi~oU~II mtn32 ~isharms? To this day, Georae Wythe . 1726-1806 ~~~R.lcbitd Heory Lee • 1732-94 .._.....Maryland is the ThoJDU Jelfenon • 1743-1826 Eoclisbll

CLASSICO RESTAURANT1042 NORTHERN BLVD • ROSLYN ESTATESFor Reservations, Call (516) 621-1870THE REALLY ITALIAN RESTAURANTPresent this ad and receive a 10% discount on your food and beverage bill; or, if you choose,Classico Restaurant will donate 10% of your bill to the Institute in your name.Mafia (from p.15)union pension funds (by the way. Jimmy Hoffa was D.Q1 Italic),rigging bids in construction projects. gambling and other sin.>ervices. In truth, Marta-watching does not prevent all crime.For example, crime families such as Charles Keating and hisson, with numerous other non-Italic S & L executives, werebusy ripping off America to the tune of $200 billion while theFeds were taping John Gotti • severy utterance. Long Island cardealer John MacNamara was fleecing GeneralMotorsofnearly$1 billion while investigators were videotaping Vinny the Chinon his morning promenade in slippers and pfs. Districtattorneys were zeroing in on price-fiXing in the New York Citycement industry when Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken, andDennis Levine were contributing to the crash of the stockmarket.In short, the movies and press have not shed light onorganized crime. only narrowed the beam.CONTROLLING THE IMAGINATIONIt is considered bad fonn to question the existence of acentralized, all-powerful Mafia headquartered in Corleone orPalenno, Sicily. Governor Mario Cuomo of New York wasonce taken to task for questioning the definition of the word"Mafia". And yet fantastic reports from around the worldwould have us believe such things as: the Mafia ordered the assassinationof President Kennedy; the Mafut has access tonuclear weapons to supply mad dictators; the Mafia is developingthe criminal markets of eastern Europe and Russia (Thisadds immensely to their linguistic reputation alone!); the Mafiacauses forest fires; "Sicilians" operate on a "planetary scale"controlling the world's heroin and cocaine traffic.We really ought to get hold of ourselves. The first step isto stop the bogeyman movies and books that flood the public • ssenses every day. Hollywood studios and publishers must bepersuaded to find new interests. perhaps something closer toreality. The second step is to educate ignorant Italians andItalian-Americans. The fact is Italic crooks managed to rise tohigh positions in the criminal heap but they are not l!:!aUood.Let's give others their due. Politicians and journalists in Italy,as well as the Italian-American community, have to stop braggingabout the power ofltalic criminals. It is becoming almostan operatic form seeing our bad seed as the "best of the worst."Although it may be nice to dream that a wise-guy could becalled in to bash your noisy neighbor's head, few IJalian­Americans have those connections. Yet, many do not see thebann in making other people .tbi.nk they have those connections.Likewise, folks must stop bragging about how safeItalian-American neighborhoods are. Find out what thatneighborhood's auto theft rate is or how many homes havewindow bars and security alarms before bragging that theMafia is protecting it.Most of all, it is necessary to separate our lives and ourcultural patrimony from the Mafia strangers in our midst.Although we cannot deny their blood relation there is reasonto suspect that somewhere in the distant past some of their ancestorsdid not speak the same Latin that ours did.;--~v~. 6 .~N~.1iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii2 iiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~ The Italic Way--~7••••

(from p.18) we can read Dean's thoughts and learnhow he loathed working with RockHudson on the set of Showdown. And wefilm industry comprised entirely ofltal­are treated to the hoariest of all Italianian criminal caricatures. BobbyDeNiro, Chazz Palminteri, AI Pacino,Paul Sorvino and Joe Pesci are but ahandful of the halo-Americanlunkheads who have debased their culture.It is this lurid subculture that NickTosches attempts to graft onto his biographyof Dean Martin. Instead of a celebratoryrecreation of the man's rise tofame, fortune and fable-warts andall-Tosches bores the reader with afanciful, semi-slanderous account ofDino' s foibles. It might as well havebeen titled Dino Dearest. No one eversuggested that Dean be cannonized.But then the same could be said of BingCrosby, who encountered manymobstersin the speakeasies of Prohibition.Or Elvis Presley, whose descent intodrugs, obesity and perversion gave newmeaning to the word deviantThe author sprinkles his prose withenough Italian words to impress thoseconversant in the language of DanteAlighieri. But he undercuts the majestyof it all by his constant references to"dago," "wop," "greaseball," and"guinea." Whenever an Italian nameappears in the book, Nick Toschesquickly resorts to the aforementionedslurs. Is he merely recounting the feelingsof some anti-Italian cretins, or is hegiving vent to his own prejudices? Onecannot be sure.Another hackneyed device Toschesemploys is the new journalism techniue of omniscient tele th . Thus,homilies, 11 La vecchiaia e' carogna."Old age is carrion. This shorthandschtick bespeaks a dearth of research.Indeed, Tosches left out some fascinatingdetails aboutDino's life that'might havehelped to understand the superstar'salleged menefreghismo, or uncaring nature.Although Tosches expertlydetails Martin'sthorny relationship withJerry Lewis, the authorignores Dino's friendshipswith John Wayne, BingCrosby, Jimmy Stewartand Orson Welles. Toschesspends too little timeon Martin's rebirth as adramatic actor followinghis split with the egomaniacalLewis. And he fails toconvey the sheer magnitudeof Dino 's cinematicachievements. Here is this tuxedo-territorycrooner outacting Marlon Brandoand Montg

-·-LET'S,I//I'FOR A"BRITE"NEW YORKLET'S-·-,I// I 'FORACLEANERNEW YORK~/Brit.