Sicilian Culture: News: Getting Our Act Together By Paul Basile, "Anti-Bias Position Paper

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Required Reading for Italian-Americans...

Sicilian Culture: News & Views

Getting Our Act Together
By Paul Basile, "Anti-Bias Position Paper

From The ANNOTICO Report:
Paul Basile, the Editor of "Fra Noi" (a Chicago based, Italian American National Monthly), has been immersed in the antidefamation movement for nearly two decades now, first as a reporter for a multi-ethnic news service in the early ’80s, then as the managing editor of Fra Noi in the mid-’80s, and finally as the editor of Fra Noi since 1990.
Over the course of the last several years, Mr. Basile has written several pieces about how we might do a better job of defending our good name. I have asked his permission to reprint that collection, which I will transmit in a daily series.
I do so with just a few prefacing remarks. These articles do a wonderful job of covering the spectrum. One may quibble with some details, but therein lies the basis/template/draft for a Battle Plan for a Conference of Anti Italian Defamationists (AID) to address and "tweak".
I would be interested in hearing (and reprinting) any significant constructive remarks regarding the CONCEPT,....... NOT the details. Yes, looking to the Future we MUST incorporate utilization of the INTERNET!!!!
This is a 6 Part Series.

Getting Our Act Together- (Part 1 of 6)
Last year, USA Today published an article proclaiming that the Italian mob was dead in America: that after decades of relentless pursuit by law enforcement officials, the back of “The Syndicate” has been broken, and that there are just over 1,000 Italian mobsters left nationwide. That’s one five thousandth of one percent of a total of 20 million overwhelmingly law-abiding Italian Americans.
And yet, when Americans were asked in a national survey if they thought that Italian Americans were “into a lot of organized crime in this country,” 75 percent of them strongly agreed. No other ethnic group stirred more than a 20 percent response rate, despite the fact that, statistically speaking, organized crime is now dominated by other ethnic groups.
Why is that? Mainly because the entertainment industry has relentlessly portrayed Italian Americans as gangsters for the last 30 years.
Everywhere you look — in the movies, on television, in books, even in children’s programming —Italian Americans are portrayed almost exclusively as mobsters or non-mobsters fighting the mob.
At the theaters, you can find them in movies like “Jane Austen’s Mafia,” “Suicide Kings,” “The Big Hit,” “Analyze This,” “Mickey Blue Eyes,” “Brooklyn State of Mind,” “Prince of Mulberry Street,” “Gangs of New York,” “Peppermint Lounge” and “A Better Way to Die.”
On television, you can find them in fictional shows like “The Sopranos,” “Bella Mafia” and “The Last Don”; and docudramas about John Gotti, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano and Bill Bonanno. A&E devoted an entire week to Italian crime families in 1997. A year later, they ran a week-long series on family business empires that featured the Rockefellers, DuPonts, Kelloggs, Coors and … the Gambino/Gotti crime family?!
Of late, movie mafiosi have been popping up in the most gratuitous of cinematic places. In the paranoid thriller “Enemy of the State,” attorney Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) survives a government conspiracy by tricking his tormentors into a climactic shoot-out with Italian mobsters. And in the romantic comedy “One Fine Day,” reporter Jack Taylor (George Clooney) investigates a Mafia money-laundering scheme while romancing Michelle Pfeiffer.
Italian mobsters have even invaded children’s shows, albeit in a more cuddly form. The “Animaniacs” cartoon series features a group of mafioso pigeons known as the Goodfeathers, “Muppets Tonight” boasts a muppet Mafia don and his gorilla bodyguard, and in “Babe: Pig in the City,” the gangster bulldog speaks like Don Corleone.
And when we’re not being pigeon-holed as mobsters, we are being portrayed as ignorant savages in movies like Spike Lee’s “Summer of Sam” or charming but ethically challenged tricksters like Joe Pesci in “My Cousin Vinny.” Women fare little better, being typecast either as oversexed bimbos or tyrannical shrews.
This saga of pervasive stereotyping is filled with galling ironies.
In the dark comedy “To Die For,” an ambitious female TV reporter seduces three teens and convinces them to murder her low-brow Italian-American husband, whose family calls upon their contacts in the mob to return the favor. The only Italian Americans to be found in the real-life story upon which the movie is loosely based are the district attorneys who bring the woman to justice.
In the romantic drama “A Walk in the Clouds,” Keanu Reeves plays a young G.I. who falls in love with the daughter of a California wine grower of Mexican descent, even though the industry has long been dominated by Italian Americans. I suppose we should take solace in the fact that the part of the patriarch went to an Italian, Giancarlo Giannini.
The opposite is true in “Lorenzo’s Oil,” the story of an Italian couple in America who find a miracle cure for their son’s fatal illness. The parts of the family members were played by Nick Nolte, Susan Sarandon and Zack O’Malley Greenburg, who only have a single real-life Italian-American parent among them. (It’s a little known fact that Susan Sarandon’s mom is of Italian descent.)
In the television series “NYPD Blue,” Italian mobsters make frequent cameo appearances, but there isn’t a single Italian-American officer on the fictional police force that is otherwise commendable for its ethnic diversity. The lone Hispanic officer is played by Italian-American actor John Turturro.
In those rare instances when we are cast as good guys, it’s almost always in a setting dominated by organized crime. Robert DeNiro plays an Italian-American dad battling to free his son from the influence of a neighborhood thug in “A Bronx Tale,” Lorraine Bracco is the down-to-earth Italian-American therapist who counsels the main character in “The Sopranos,” and Johnny Depp plays an Italian-American officer who infiltrates the Italian mob in “Donny Brasco.”
In general, when Italian-American actors are permitted to play heroes, they are almost never allowed to play Italian-American heroes. As a small sampler, Robert DeNiro plays family man Frank Raftis, who resists the temptation to have an affair in “Falling in Love”; Al Pacino plays crusading attorney Arthur Kirkland in “Justice for All”; Stanley Tucci plays legendary reporter Walter Winchell in “Winchell”; John Travolta plays doomed genius George Malloy in “Phenomenon”; Joe Mantegna plays the doting father of chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin in “Searching for Bobby Fischer” and Renee Russo plays save-the-day scientist Robby Keough in “Outbreak.”
As a rule, when Hollywood conjures up a character to take the beach, halt the lava flow, stop the speeding bus, save the rain forest or blowup the asteroid before it hits, it turns to every other ethnic group other than Italian America for inspiration.
You have to go as far back as Al Pacino’s Officer Frank Serpico in the movie “Serpico” and Daniel J. Travanti’s Captain Frank Furillo in the TV series “Hill Street Blues” to find an Italian-American actor who plays an unequivocally heroic Italian-American character who isn’t battling the Italian mob tooth-and-nail.
Sure there are exceptions to the stereotype today. On TV, it’s “Everybody Loves Raymond,” a sitcom created by comedian Ray Romano that tells the story of a charmingly wacky Italian-American family. In the movie theaters, it’s “The Big Night,” a comedy-drama created by Stanley Tucci in which two Italian brothers struggle to keep their restaurant afloat in an America that hasn’t yet discovered the joys of risotto and timbale. In both cases, Italian mobsters are conspicuous by their absence. But these are exceptions that prove the rule.
Why do we find this state of affairs so offensive?
For the answer to that question, first look in the history books. We hail from a country that almost single-handedly created Western Civilization. We gave the modern world many of the basic principles of justice, government, higher education, music, accounting, astronomy, medicine, mathematics and architecture, and we helped blaze most of the trails to the New World.
Now look at Italy today. It is the fifth strongest economy on the planet, boasting mastery in the diverse worlds of fashion, cuisine and industrial design, and it contains most of the world’s artistic treasures within its relatively narrow borders.
Now look around you. Italian Americans have achieved the pinnacle of success in almost every field. We are supreme court justices, presidential chiefs of staff, legislators and big city mayors. We are captains of industry, heads of universities, legends of the sports world and trendsetters in the arts. We discover cures for diseases, save families from burning buildings, bring criminals to justice, rescue innocent people from death row, perform pro bono surgery on destitute children in Third World countries, fight for veterans rights and battle injustice in totalitarian regimes. We are honest, law-abiding citizens whose work ethic, family ties, passion for life and creative spirit are the envy of the nation. We are among the most affluent ethnic groups in the country, and only five thousandths of one percent of us are involved in organized crime.
Now look at your TV and movie-theater screens and what do you see? Mafia, Mafia everywhere, and hardly an Italian-American hero to be found.
At heart, the offense committed by mob movies and TV shows is that they take the best our community has to offer — the passion, the loyalty, the love of family, the glorious cuisine — and they graft it onto the worst our community has produced. In effect, they debase everything our community holds dear while glamorizing bad people who have all but disappeared from American society.
Apologists for “The Sopranos” and other shows of its ilk will argue that these shows are a fantasy, that nobody believes they are real. If that’s so, then why do 75 percent of Americans intimately link Italian Americans with organized crime at a time when U.S. government figures show that there are only 1,000 Italian-American mobsters left on the streets out of a total population of 20 million Italian Americans?
Apologists for “The Sopranos” will argue that a lot of Italian Americans enjoy the show, but then again, a lot of us don’t, including every major Italian-American organization in the country, representing hundreds of thousands of Italian-American families. Stereotypic portrayals of ethnic groups have always been enjoyed by segments within the group being stereotyped, but that doesn’t negate the views of those within the group who are offended.
Apologists for “The Sopranos” will argue that the show is written, produced, directed and acted in by Italian Americans, but the same can be said of the “blaxploitation” films of the 1970s, which were written, produced, directed and acted in by African Americans until the African-American community rose up and said, “enough is enough.” (I’m fairly certain that the main audience for these films were African Americans. And yet, nobody looks back on that sorry era in our cinematic history and uses the audience’s makeup and reaction to justify the stereotype.)
Apologists for “The Sopranos” will argue that the show is well done, but in my estimation, that makes it all the more reprehensible. A destructive message presented in a well-crafted package makes that message all the more seductive and potent. The films of Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl are considered by many critics to be cinematic masterpieces, but she will never be allowed to enter the pantheon of film gods because she used her talents to foist Adolph Hitler on the German people.
Apologists for “The Sopranos” will hide behind the Constitution, claiming that it is protected by the First Amendment, but that debases one of our most precious rights. The Nazis are allowed to march in Skokie and the Klan to rally in Georgia thanks to the First Amendment. But the First Amendment doesn’t make what they have to say good or decent or true, it only protects their right to say it. Personally, I’d rather hold myself to a higher standard.
Why do so many Italian Americans love “The Sopranos”? For the same reason that non-Italian Americans love it. Americans have long adored their outlaws, from the days of Jesse James to the present. And when you combine that enduring national obsession with a walloping dose of Italian passion, the result is almost narcotic.
Quite honestly, if “The Sopranos” were the only show in town to traffic in such dangerous substance, I’d be more sanguine. But the fact is that just about every time you see Italian-American characters on the big or small screen, they’re either fighting the mob, fleeing the mob, or being the mob.
And don’t think for a moment that this is a harmless association. Sam Donaldson once said that he would automatically investigate any Italian American running for higher office for ties to organized crime, without making a similar assertion about any other ethnic group. And if you were to be honest, you’d have to admit that you, too, make the same assumption whenever an Italian American rises to a position of power and influence.
Forget about the relentless Mafia jokes that Italian Americans in all walks of life have to endure as a result of this relentless pattern of portrayal. Prejudice of this magnitude invariably blossoms into discrimination, with jobs, contracts and advancement hanging in the balance.
Apologists for “The Sopranos” argue the show’s detractors should relax. To them, I say, “Do the math.” A mere one in 20,000 Italian Americans is currently involved in organized crime. When Hollywood gives me 19,999 decent-to-heroic Italian Americans for every Mafioso it serves up, that’s when I’ll relax.

TOWARD A NEW ACTIVISM by Paul Basile
I have been immersed in the antidefamation movement for nearly two decades now.
In those years, I have seen many other ethnic groups make progress in their efforts to protect their good names, while the Italian-American community has steadily lost ground. Even the tiny Arabic community has been able to win concessions from mighty Disney, while we have been relentlessly pummeled with portrayals of ourselves as members of organized crime.
There is no question that the Italian-American activist has a much tougher row to hoe. After all, many Americans — Italian Americans included — can’t seem to get enough of the Mafia myth that the entertainment industry and news media dish out. With its intoxicating blend of larceny, hyperbole and Italian family values, this fictional world has an almost narcotic appeal.
As a result, the Italian-American activist needs to work much smarter and harder if it has any hope of approaching the level of success that other ethnic groups have achieved.
So what’s an activist to do? I’m glad you asked. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and I’ve come up with a whole constellation of suggestions that I’d like to explore over the next couple of months.
This month, I’d like to share what I consider to be the bedrock of effective activism. It is a set of rules that are rooted in the assumption that antidefamation is not a battle to be won, but a negotiation to be hammered out. Here, then, are my rules:
ACT IN UNISON
When a problem arises, we have to stop swarming all over it from a dozen different directions. We need to get together, pool our resources and talents, draw up a battleplan, assign a negotiating team, and empower the team to speak for the group.
SHOW STRENGTH
There are more than 150 Italian-American organizations on the local level alone, if you include the chapters of larger organizations. These groups represent tens of thousands of households across the Chicago area. A petition endorsed by the leaders of these organizations, plus a tally of the total number of households that they represent, would go a long way toward establishing the credibility of the negotiating team.
BE PREPARED
Good negotiators don’t wing it. They thoroughly research the individuals and issues involved, crafting arguments that present irrefutable evidence and overcome every conceivable objection. They also test those arguments in mock sessions designed to rout out the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments, and those of their counterparts. (I prefer the term “counterpart,” to “opponent” or “adversary”: It’s less confrontational.)
BUILD CONSENSUS
Our goal should not be to bludgeon our counterpart into submission, but to win allies, or at least awaken sympathy. Every effort should be made to understand where our counterpart is coming from, and to make them aware of where we are coming from. Common ground can often be found in the dialogue that ensues.
ASSUME NO MALICE
Most folks come by their misconceptions innocently enough. It’s unfair to revile non-Italian Americans for their biases, since so many Italian Americans have participated so enthusiastically in the creation of those biases. And it’s counterproductive to revile Italian Americans for their biases, because the resulting brawl will lead to a community at war with itself. Our best bet is to assume innocent ignorance on the part of those we disagree with, and to set about the arduous task of bringing them from the darkness into the light.
TAKE THE HIGH ROAD
We need to approach each problem with poise as well as passion. We mustn’t let our anger get the better of us, and we must never descend into yelling, swearing or verbal abuse. We need to stick to the issues, and avoid accusations and character assassination. Remember, we are seeking converts, not a pound of flesh.
EXPECT DEFENSIVENESS
Few people respond graciously when caught with their pants down, however innocent their intent. While we need to have zero tolerance for incivility on our own part, we must have infinite patience with the incivility of our counterparts. We need to remain calm, forgive all personal affronts, and modulate our approach to diffuse tensions and encourage civil discourse.
KEEP THE DOOR OPEN
We can’t expect to win a conversion of the spirit our first time out. Biases are illogical and deeply rooted, and can take an enormous amount of effort to undo. Our first encounter should be dedicated to expressing our point of view and learning our counterpart’s point of view, while keeping an ear open for barriers that might stand in the way of consensus. We need to make mental notes of these barriers, work with fellow activists to formulate strategies for dismantling them, and set up another appointment.
AVOID THREATS
If we threaten to boycott or picket as a negotiating tool, we run the risk of being rejected out of hand. (Nobody likes to negotiate with terrorists.) If our counterpart does, in fact, cave in to our demands, they will have done so out of fear, not out of understanding or respect, and we will have lost the opportunity to win them over to our point of view.
WALK THE WALK
If all other avenues of negotiation have been exhausted and retaliation is in order, we must be ready to deliver on our promise. Nothing undercuts credibility like an economic boycott or a protest rally that doesn’t materialize.
BE PROACTIVE
Since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, we should hold regular meetings to sensitize the news media and entertainment industry to our concerns and issues BEFORE any offense is given.
DRAW UP A MASTER PLAN
Activists on both the local and national level need to step back from the fray long enough to draw up a set of policies and procedures that maximize the chances of success and govern the actions of everyone involved. Admirable work is already being done by a task force of organizations on the national level and a coalition of activists organized by the Italian consul general on the local level. But both initiatives are still enmeshed in addressing specific problems. Though some might consider the idea blasphemous, I would like to suggest that a one-year moratorium be declared on all activism while the community sets its own lands in order. The problems will still be there when we emerge, but we will be in a much better position to deal with them effectively.

WE NEED TO DO OUR HOMEWORK
I was working from home recently while taking care of my daughter, who was recovering from one of those seasonal viruses. Like any good parent, I would check up on her from time to time to offer her soup, take her temperature and, in general, see how she was doing.
Like any good child, my daughter’s balm of choice has always been the animated cartoons that fill the daytime TV schedule. Because I’m a bit of a cartoon fanatic myself, I would find myself perched on the edge of the bed, catching up on the latest episodes of “Rugrats” or “Histeria.”
In yet another example of how Mafia stereotypes can pop up in the most appalling of places, I counted no less than three visitations by mob-connected cartoon characters during that single afternoon of TV viewing.
The first came as no surprise: Steven Spielberg’s “Animaniacs” regularly spotlights a trio of mobster pigeons known as “The Goodfeathers.”
The second was something of a shocker: an episode of the popular Japanese series “Dragonball Z” featuring a group of Italian-surnamed hoodlums who were trying to pull the wool over eys of the townfolk.
The third sent me over the edge: the first of two “Simpsons” episodes kicked off with a mob-connected Italian-American construction boss who bullies the school principal into spending $200,000 on handicapped ramps that disintegrate upon contact and bankrupt the school.
“Is there no safe haven?” I lamented to myself. But as my anger subsided, I began to look at the question less as a cry of despair and more as a springboard for research.
It has long been obvious to me that negative stereotyping of Italian Americans by the entertainment industry is far more pervasive than we think. More recently, it has occurred to me that positive portrayals are just as conspicuous by their absence. In our statistics-crazed culture, nothing speaks louder than percentages, so I propose the following sweeping study.