Sicilian Culture: News: NIAF Lauds CBS-TV Series "First Monday"

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NIAF Lauds CBS-TV Series "First Monday"

February 6, 2002 (Washington DC) The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) praises the CBS-TV series "First Monday" and producer Donald P. Bellisario for the positive portrayal of Italian Americans through the character of Joe Novelli, newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, played by actor Joseph Mantegna.
"This show projects a positive image of an Italian American in the workplace and at home," said NIAF Chairman Frank J. Guarini. "'First Monday' is the 'first' show to shun stereotyping by emphasizing the importance Italian Americans place on heritage and family values. The value of programs like this is not just to provide sensitivity regarding ethnic stereotyping for Italian Americans, but also to demonstrate the need for accurate and positive portrayals of all ethnic groups," added Guarini.
In the episode "Family Affairs" to air Friday, Feb. 8, Justice Novelli exhibits the traditional family values and strong moral character typical of Italian Americans, while the show avoids the mafioso stereotyping so often seen in the media. In Friday's show, Novelli confronts the accusation that a relative might have ties to organized crime. The conflict is resolved with integrity and honesty. The character publicly goes on record to address the accusation and recounts the importance of the sacrifices his hard-working family from Sicily made to help build America.
He compares his family to the millions of Americans who are proud to call themselves Italian Americans. "The positive portrayal of one's heritage, family ties and strong values, which the drama underscores, is a blueprint for the success of our youth," said NIAF President Joseph R. Cerrell. "If you bash, denigrate and stereotype any ethnic group, you weaken their foundation and history," said Cerrell.
The Novelli character helps reinforce the contributions Italian Americans make to this country by portraying an honest, professional, devoted parent and caring husband. The character rejects the philosophy "guilt by association."

Family Business
By Matt Zoller Seitz, New Jersey Star Ledger
February 8, 2002 - - The synopsis of tonight's "First Monday" episode (9 p.m., Channel 2) does not sound promising: Italian-American Supreme Court Justice Joseph Novelli ( Joe Mantegna ), who swore he had no criminal associations during his confirmation hearing, is threatened with scandal when a newspaper reporter uncovers an FBI photograph of Novelli's uncle accepting an envelope from a Mafia bigwig.
Plot lines like this tend to go one of two ways: Either (1) the story is true, and the episode is all about Novelli's betrayal at the hands of a dishonest relative, or (2) the story is not true, and the episode conveniently gets to duck the very issue it raises.
Thankfully, "First Monday" goes in a third, more rewarding direction.
It turns out Novelli's elderly Uncle Willie ( Al Ruscio ) accepted a donation from a known mob figure to fund a community center. But writer Randy Anderson and director James Whitmore Jr. don't stop there.
The episode accepts the fact that the Mafia is real and cannot be blamed on Hollywood. But it also notes that every ethnic group has a criminal element, and goes on to suggest that American pop culture's mob obsession is unhealthy, because it crowds out more complex and surprising images of Italian-Americans.
"Perhaps the senator has been watching too much HBO," Novelli tells a confirmation committee in flashback, after an ambitious senator ( Dean Stockwell ) asks him if anyone in his family has mob ties.
Intriguingly, when Mantegna signed onto "First Monday," his character's ethnicity was unspecified. Mantegna insisted he be made Italian-American. Then he suggested to series creator Donald Bellisario that, if Novelli's family came from Sicily, the issue of mob ties was bound to come up, so why not do a thoughtful episode about it?
At first glance, this whole plot might not seem to jibe with Mantegna's career. The Italian-American actor played a Gotti-like mob boss in "The Godfather, Part III" and has provided the voice of cartoon wiseguy Fat Tony on "The Simpsons" for years now.
Mantegna says, although Novelli singles out "The Godfather" and "The Sopranos" as problematic, he personally enjoys mob stories and appreciates the career boost they've given to Italian-American actors, writers and directors.
"I've played those roles myself. I don't apologize for it. But I don't feel there's anything wrong with trying to balance the scales a little bit."
The problem, Mantegna says, is one of context.
"If somebody says 'Italian-American,' I don't want them to just instinctively say, 'The Godfather,' or 'The Sopranos.' I'd like them to have a lot of choices. Maybe they'll say, 'First Monday.'"

CBS Synopsis of "Family Affairs"
Friday, February 8 9:00PM ET/PT - - Novelli faces dismissal from the Supreme Court when a reporter confronts him with possible evidence that his uncle has ties to the Mafia. Threatened with blackmail and eager to find out for himself what's going on, Novelli goes to Chicago to visit his uncle. There's apparently a Congressional hearing with a smug Congressman questioning a guilty-looking Justice Novelli about this connection, and when "perjury" is whispered, there is a suggestion that Novelli lied.
Meanwhile, Weisenberg and Hoskins become unlikely allies when the court hears a polygamy case involving an Orthodox Jewish man's right to take his sister-in-law as a second wife.

FIRST MONDAY revolves around the U.S. Supreme Court's nine justices, whose momentous decisions make history - and headlines.
FIRST MONDAY stars Joe Mantegna (Mario Puzo's "The Last Don") as Associate Justice Joe Novelli, a new addition to the bench who will have a pivotal role in an evenly split court of four conservatives and four liberals. Also starring is Emmy Award winner James Garner ("The Rockford Files") as Chief Justice Thomas Brankin, a staunch conservative, and Charles Durning ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") as Justice Henry Hoskins, one of Brankin's closest allies.
Helping the justices are young law clerks whose heady responsibility is to review the 6,000 yearly appeals they receive and make their recommendations as to which have the legal merit to be heard before the Supreme Court.
FIRST MONDAY is produced by Paramount Network Television.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Donald P. Bellisario
STARRING:
Joe Mantegna (Joe Novelli) James Garner (Thomas Brankin) Charles Durning (Henry Hoskins) Randy Vasquez (Miguel) Hedy Burress (Ellie) Christopher Wiehl (Jerry) Joe Flanigan (Julian Lodge)
You may access information on "First Monday" at CBS.com