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Tonelli: The Enemy Within

The Following are SEVERAL accounts of the Tonelli incident(s) contributed by: Trimtantre@aol.com

I re transmit it not because it is a rejoinder to Tonelli's recent "foot in mouth" comment, since Tonelli once again was more than sufficiently exposed as a shallow, pompous, partially intelligent, only superficially "well read", questionably talented, and "a shill " to boot.

No, I forward it because Miriani, (not a professional writer) of Bob's thoughtful style, his depth of knowledge, the disassemblage of the illogic of his adversary, and his poetic "turn of a phrase".

Where I may be direct, Miriani is deft.

Where I use a broad sword, Miriani uses a scapel.

Enjoy.

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bill.tonelli@rollingstone.com

Dear Mr. Tonelli:

You have a most unique talent: the ability to sit on one of the limbs of knowledge and then saw off that limb via Ad Verecundiam and tumble into the River Styx of even further fallacies. Tell me, do you practice this feat often?

Am referring to your posting of John Ciardi's following assertion written to a friend who complained about anti-Italian bigotry:

"I have had various It.-Am. friends tell me that they have felt discriminated against. In many cases, I felt that their paranoia was justified because everyone did hate them -- because they were jerks."

I especially liked your concluding remark: "amen!"

Your dislike of we Italian-American activists, and our opposition to negative stereotyping of Italian-Americans, must be desperate indeed for you to have to revert to Ad Verecundiam: the fallacy of Appeal to Authority. Have you run out of your usual illogical arguments as to why we must be wrong in your eyes?

First of all, while I have the utmost respect for John Ciardi as a literary luminary, I am not sure that I would place him amongst the ranks of psychologists or sociologists and quote him as an authority on the psychological make up of his friends. Too, you'll note that Ciardi did not extend himself out on the limb of False Generalization and then sit there waiting for someone to cut it out from under him.

He left himself wiggle room in that he inserted the words, "In many cases..." Thus, he was not saying that all of his friends who experienced "anti-Italian bigotry" were "jerks," but only some. That you have implied, with your concluding remark of "amen!", that your opponents fall into this category of "jerks" falls itself under its own dead weight of being a Non Sequitur.

Which brings us to the next point: the dangling "ergo" you so conveniently left your audience to conclude into or from. In your posting of Ciardi's words you do not really come up with an overt or spelled out "ergo" but, rather, leave such a deed to the reader -- hoping no doubt that they will arrive at your own illogical conclusion that your opponents who see "anti-Italian bigotry" in the world are also "jerks" -- per the implied authority of poor John Ciardi, who is not here to tell us what he might think of the current state of affairs regarding the asinine negative stereotyping of Italian-Americans based upon a sample of only 14/100ths of one percent of the Italian-American Community, commonly referred to as The Mafia or The Mob. It is pretty widely held, even in New York I'd assume, that the type of thinking that results from reaching a conclusion from such a small sample, 14/100ths of one percent, falls under the category of both stupidity and gullibility.

As regards examples of such "stupid and gullible" conclusions, you will recall that one scientific study found that 74% of American citizen respondents believed that Italian-Americans, as an identifiable ethnic group, were mob connected. Not to mention that in a poll on the net, conducted by AOL, in April of this year, to the question, "Do you believe Italian-Americans are unfairly portrayed in The Sopranos?," found that 78% (note the close statistical correlation between the previous study mentioned and the AOL poll) stated, "No!" Now it would appear to most rational people that these 78% of American respondents to the above question, must then be thinking/believing The Sopranos FAIRLY portrays Italian-Americans, if they don't believe The Sopranos UNFAIRLY portrays Italian-Americans. With such current statistical evidence extant I don't believe that John Ciardi would be sitting on the sidelines of this issue nor do I believe he would be on your side, as he had a mental hardness about him that refused to tolerate ignorance and its consequences.

Now to your "amen!" conclusion, concerning what you posted Ciardi as having said. Since the word "amen" is really an English spelling of the original Hebrew word AMN, I'll use the original definition of AMN as to what you might have meant: "Firm; Faithful; So be it!" Of course, it is always possible that you have some type of personal esoteric linguistic definition for "amen!," reminiscent of Bill Clinton's infamous definition of "sex." However, operating within the normal exoteric etymological definition of AMN, I'll try to make some sense of what you might have meant by "amen!" as your concluding remark on Ciardi's assertion.

I'll assume for starters that we can eliminate that you meant "Firm or Faithful." Thus, we are left with only one conclusion: that you meant "So be it!" My question to you would be, "So be what?" We've already established that Ciardi's assertion was only applicable to SOME ("In many cases...") of his friends and was not meant to be a generalization of all Italian-Americans who felt they have been the victims of "anti-Italian bigotry." Thus, are we to conclude that you are saying that some of your opponents who stand up against negative stereotyping of Italian-Americans are "So be it!" "jerks?" Even if your "amen!" meant only some of your opponents, and you are using Ciardi's authority as a basis for such a conclusion, that too would not make much sense since Ciardi was only reaching such a conclusion based upon their being "friends" he knew, which cannot be said regarding your relationship with your opponents. To the best of my knowledge, and perhaps I'm wrong, you really don't know a sufficient number of your opponents, us, as friends and/or personally, so as to come up with a logical conclusion that a sizeable majority of us are "jerks" or "geniuses?" In short, I can only conclude that you don't know from hence you speak, and if this is so, then outside of your quoting John Ciardi as an authority on "jerkism," we are left with little except your illogical plushplash, which doesn't really get one very far regarding coming to a logical conclusion about anything.

Perhaps in the future when you contemplate, even remotely, using Ad Venecundiam as a defense for your position, you might want to remember the admonition of Delores E. McGuire (Mrs. McGuire's daughter, Delores): "Authority is no stronger than the man who wields it."

"The power of a thing, thought, or act is in its meaning and understanding." -- Black Elk, Lakota Medicine Man

With the utmost sincerity,

Bob Miriani
P.O. Box 372
Pentwater, Michigan 49449

Richard: Thanks for circulating, through your RAA Network, Tonelli's note inwhich he quoted John Ciardi. I couldn't resist sending you a comment on Tonelli's "cheap shot," in which he tries to capitalize on the name and fame of John Ciardi as he plays his games.

A serious scholar should take some time to study about John Ciardi and his efforts to make it in a WASP world. That would be a study worth reading.

As a start, that scholar should read the great selection of autobiographical poetry that Ciardi entitled "Lives of X."

Does Tonelli intend, by quoting that piece from Ciardi's letter, to indicate that Ciardi regarded EVERYONE who complains about bigotry toward Italian-Americans to be a "jerk." Or does Ciardi intend to say that "various" of his Italian-American friends who complain about bigotry toward Italian-Americans happened to be "jerks."

If Ciardi would have meant that everyone who complains about bigotry toward Italian-American must be classed as a "jerk," then he would have needed to indict himself. Several of his poems in "Lives of X" represent to me, elegant indictments of people who expressed bigotry toward him and his Italian-American family.

Aside from that, anyone who understands the ways in which Italian-Americans were pressured to refrain from identifying with their background should study John Ciardi as a very interesting case in point.

Ciardi built a fabulous career, and there is no doubt about it. Nevertheless, he was always sensitive about being identified as a person from an Italian background. He expressed his resentment about being regarded as an Italian-American poet, claiming that he wanted to be identified, solely, as a poet -- PERIOD.

In his later years, Ciardi refused -- with a rather high sounding letter -- to accept an invitation to join an association of Italian-American scholars, saying that he could not see why identification as a member of that group counted for anything in particular.

And, we can respect him for his views on these matter. After all, he was one of the first descendants of l'avventura to make it big in the scholarly world of The USA, and he needed to come to terms with these issues.

It would have been useful, however, if he had been able to see how his Italian roots -- even if they were roots that went solely into the peasant culture of Italy -- influenced his thinking, his approach to life, and his general life orientations. It would have been useful if he had been able to describe some of his efforts to come to terms with his Italian peasant background as he moved into the top ranks of American Literature.

And, in terms of how his Italian-American background influenced his literary work, was it solely by some trick of fate that he chose to produce the first AMERICAN English translation of Dante's "Divine Comedy?"

In terms of his life orientations: why was Ciardi intent on taking sides with the Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War? Was it because he had some feeling for the working people (having emerged from a family of working Italian-Americans), and didn't think that the elitists of Spain should be able to install a dictator that would look after their needs? We don't know, but it would have been useful to have had Ciardi's discussion of this matter. Why didn't he devote some of his great literary skill to explore these matters?

In an interview with Studs Terkel (in the book "The Good War.") Ciardi reports that he got into serious trouble over his youthful political activity, and as a result he had no opportunity for a commission, despite his education. Instead, he was assigned to the most dangerous position in WWII -- the tail gunner on a B-25 bomber. (Compare this history with that of another descendent of another major immigration, William Saroyan!!)

Now, at the risk of being put into the "jerk" class for wondering about bigotry toward Italian-Americans, I ask -- what if Ciardi had been a total WASP who had shown sympathies to the Spanish Loyalists? Would he have had that kind of military experience??? Why was he so intent on dissociating his status as a scholar from his Italian-American connections.

If nothing else, this all points to why we need many more committed scholars to dig into these things... A biography of Ciardi, by someone who can dig under these elements of Ciardi's life, would be immensely valuable as a study of the experiences of Italian-Americans.

It is very unfortunate that the name and fame of this great scholar, who deserves our respect, but whose life as an Italian-American needs careful analysis, should be the base of a silly effort to embarrass those who complain of bigotry toward Italian-Americans.

Best, Jim Mancuso

WARNING!!! This is a severe rebuke of Tonelli. If that will offend you, Delete NOW!

In an attempt to "wet his beak" , "pander" to a segment of the I-A Community  and resurrect his "sullied and debased" suspect reputation, Tonelli is NOW announcing that he is editing an I-A Anthology to be published NEXT year.

This is the same Tonelli, who seizes every opportunity he can to berate and  label I-A Activists and Reformers as "Whiners and Crybabies".

He is an assistant managing editor. However, at 29, when I was a VP of a top 5  U.S. Record Company, my associates would refer to those types as "gofers".

This same Tonelli whose most "notable" contribution to the I-A Community has  been to merely write a book aggrandizing his extended family, which in his usual blatantly braggadocio manner, titled it similarly as "The Amazing Tonelli's".  We called those types "cafones".

I'm not sure that "cafone" is an adequate description. I always understood "cafone" to mean a pompous, strutting, self centered, breast beating, self promoting, exploitive of the community, ostentatious boor. My dictionary however states that "cafone" means peasant, and that would be an insult to the commendable hard working stock, that many of our ancestors sprung from.

Can one of our members set me straight on this, and perhaps suggest an appropriate single word term?

Please note further that his Press Release could not miss the opportunity to get in a "plug" for the Sopranos.

One last Note: Bob Masullo's first reaction to this release was:

<<"Enjoy" and "Tonelli" should never be mentioned in the same sentence. Now, "retch" and "Tonelli," there's a good match. His cut-and-paste "book" should be about as welcome in IA circles as  another invasion of Abyssinia.>>

Remember, send in your suggestions, and the best/outstanding suggestion will  receive a copy of their choice of the following books:

Moustache Pete is Dead-Gardaphe/Bordighera The Big Book of Italian American Culture-DiStasi/Sanniti Heritage-Italian American Style-Radomile/Vincero Five Centuries of Italian American History-Cappozzola/Five Centuries

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COMING SOON TO CARMELA AND TONY'S COFFEE TABLE

Thursday, June 21 03:03 p.m.

Finally, some Italian-American culture that both Sopranos fans and (presumably) the American Italian Defense Association (AIDA) can enjoy. Bill Tonelli, author of The Amazing Story of the Tonelli Family in America (Addison-Wesley) and assistant managing editor at Rolling Stone, will edit the first-ever major trade collection of writing by Italian-Americans, to be published next year by William Morrow's Mauro DiPreta. (An anthology called The Dream Book: Writings by Italian-American Women, by Helen Barlini, is available in paperback from Syracuse University Press.) Tonelli says his anthology will feature such authors as Don DeLillo, Gay Talese, Camille Paglia, Tom  Perrotta, Nick Tosches, Beverly Donofrio, Richard Russo, Anthony Giardina, comic Ray Romano and, of course, the late Mario Puzo.  There will also be a few surprises: Did you know Ed McBain/Evan Hunter was born Salvatore Lombino, or that there are at least two world-class haiku  poets who are Americans of Italian descent? -- PJ Mark

Bob Masullo, Jim Mancuso, Phil Celeste, Francesca L'Orfano, and I, and many others have tried to respond to Mr.Tonelli's irresponsible and uncalled for "attacks" on I-A Activists [now extending to the Italic Institute and FIERI] posted on the H-ITAM List Serv. (History-Italian American, mostly I-A academics). With few exceptions the responses to Tonelli have been CENSORED/Rejected.

We have been advised to contact Mr Tonelli personally.  Mr Tonelli responses are "way over the edge", imitating an "underground" Jr High School "terrorist" columnist, rather than the intellectual he professes to be.  Tonelli then warns the party to never again Email him ever again!

Let me see if I understand:

Something is greviously wrong with this picture.

This of course comes with a backdrop of H-ITAM recently "banning" Activist posts entirely with a later partial recission. This recission was Entirely due to the determined efforts of Professor Gerry Rosa, who doggedly persued this matter through H-ITAM, up to the H-List Administrator, then up to the Administration of Michigan State University, the Host of H-List.

Professor Rosa is to be most highly commended for his efforts and success. Unfortunately you will not see his erudite posts, since he still objects to the  "partial" recission, that results in the above stated conduct, and he refuses to give credibility to, by participating in what he describes as "controlled" debate, or being "put on a leash". Free Speech is only for certain priviliged people!

My strongest urgings to him, to lend his voice have been for naught, although at times like this I can almost see his point. The problem is that if we all felt this way, we would be doing exactly what the small but powerful "cadre" of Anti-Activists (who at times almost seem like Anti-Italian) want us to do: Go away, and leave them in control to absolutely set the agenda. NO WAY!!!!

Imagine, an Italian American Academic History Bulletin Board , that is unwiiling to allow discussions or opinions on the current status of a HISTORY of I-A Negative Stereotyping. Would this happen in any other Community??

If you are still with me, allow me to share with you, with Mr. Masullo's permission his exchange with Tonelli.

Then, I will share excerpts from My Rejected Post re Tonelli But by all means, for those of you who are Members of H-ITAM please enjoy Dominic Tassone (FIERI, Public Relations Director) post of today, that did make it through, Titled " FIERI and ITALIC Data"

Here we go.

Subj: The enemy within
Date: 4/11/01 9:48:04 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MasulloYankees
To: h-itam@h-net.msu.edu

Cari amici,

I reproduce below an exchange of e-mails between me, Bob Masullo, and Bill Tonelli of Rolling Stone magazine. I think they give a measure of Mr. Tonelli and are an excellent example of what we are up against with some of our own.

Bob Masullo

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E-MAIL FROM BOB MASULLO TO BILL TONELLI:

Dear Bill Tonelli,

In answer to your question about the Italic Studies Institute's survey of films: Yes, they did actually survey all those films. It was done by many people, not one.  But that is almost besides the point.

Why are you always so ready to denigrate the efforts of IA activists?  Is it to advance your career? Or what?

Your posts and your recent article in the New York Times just seem to miss the point so completely. No one envies IAs because of "mafia mystique." They despise the image and they despise us. They may like our food, admire our architecture, enjoy our music, etc. BUT THEY HATE US.

And the "us," sorry to say, includes Bill Tonelli.

As one who once took a similar approach to the defamation issue,  (until I was burnt by it), I have two words of advice: Wisen up. Or drop the "vowell" at the end of your name.

Bob Masullo
Sacramento, CA

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BILL TONELLI'S RESPONSE TO BOB MASULLO:

why is it that the most ridiculously emotional and unintelligent attacks always get sent to me directly rather than through the open forum of the email discussion group? I read your note and instantly realized the problem: You feel that people hate Italians, whereas it's clear that they probably just hate you. You want to know where low Italian self-image comes from? From people who go around crying that Americans hate Italians. And regarding the vowel at the end of my name: Who made you the arbiter of who's Italian and who's not? If I disagree with you, I'm not Italian? sometimes, when people say SOME Italians are small-minded and intolerent and simple in the head, they're right, and your email to me is persuasive evidence of that. Do not ever email me again.

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Subj:...Re Activist Ridicule/Censorship, Tonelli...
Date: 4/8/01
To: D-Candeloro@govst.edu [Personal-Not to H-ITAM]
CC: H-ITAM Board of Directors
CC: Select RAA Network Persons

To: Dominic Candeloro

Uncle Dom [;-)

Your efforts as the Executive Director of AIHA, and Editor of H-ITAM are very important, and not nearly appreciated enough.

I always have to keep in mind that you have to seriously contend with a firmly entrenched, cohesive (small but powerful) cadre of neanderthal thinking, self centered, self interested, egotistical, "pseudo" Italian Americans, and NON Italian Americans, so I always want to give you the benefit of the doubt, and even "cut you slack", and even not respond to your periodic undeserved jabs, or rejection of a number of my posts.

I do however hate the fact that you allow certain people of that "cadre" to engage in name calling and deprecation of activists, while you reject responsive activist posts.

I'd like to think you would like to be fair, but "circumstances" do not permit you.

But how can you permit Tonelli to characterize activists, people working for no personal gain, to eliminate the negativity poured on I-A culture, as "bozos" (fools, dunces) among other derogatory references?

This is from Tonelli,someone whose sole claim to fame is a self indulgent "family album". A book that appears to take great pride in the family's assimilation, and becoming "Americans" (read "loss of their Italian identity").

The Tonelli who helped bring down "Esquire" Magazine, and now is Editor of an MTV level pop culture tabloid. One who has done nothing gratis that I am aware of to further the Italian American Community. Though many view him as a pompous, posturing cafone, Tonelli appears to think of himself as a self anointed I-A spokesman. This in spite of many people's belief that Tonelli acts as a puppet for anti Italian American entities, such as the NY Times, (possibly hoping to be eventually rewarded with a position), and the 'The Sopranos' (benefiting from ad revenue, and increased circulation by catering to his "teen tabloid" audience).

As if that isn't enough he spends his other time attacking "I-A activists/reformists".

I could and might counter Tonelli's disabusing "activists/reformists", by calling his ilk "LAZYISTS", without being charged with personal attack, since my Webster Thesaurus notes that the antonym of "active" is "lazy".

However, the words "quisling" and "collaborator" are bandied about more frequently.

A poor young lady I-A aspiring opera singer, implores to be "adopted". But Tonelli doesn't offer to "adopt" her, but merely uses that plea to launch another attack on "activists/reformists"

I would be tempted to nominate Tonelli as "Pasatute of the Year", but on second thought, that Award should be reserved for Upscale pasatutes, not two-bit pasatutes!

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Subj: Tonelli Incorrect--Italic Studies Institute's Report is Valid!
Date: 4/13/01
To: H-ITAM@H-NET.MSU.EDU (REJECTED)

Mr. Tonelli,

You write: The FIERI press release credulously reports the following:

"Indeed, a 1999 film study conducted by the Italic Studies Institute indicated that Italian-Americans have been portrayed negatively as undignified, low-class people predisposed to crime in 73% of Hollywood movies produced since 1928."

You go on to question:

"Does that mean somebody sat down and watched the thousands of movies made by "Hollywood" over the past 73 years... and found undignified, low-class Italian criminal characters in 3 out of every 4 of those movies?"

Or have I misread this?  I respond:

Apparently you have either misread or misthought.

(1) Yes, a number of researchers, for the Italic Institute, over a period of several years of painstaking work, of pouring through Film Encyclopedias, Film Reviews, Film books, Filmographies AND watching Films determined that there were 1001 films, out the thousands eligible, during the period between 1928 and 1999 in which Italian/ Italian American Characters were portrayed. I know for people in the "tabloid/fiction" industry that much scholarly work may be hard to comprehend.

The Italic Studies Institute has excelled in low-cost mass media communications. Their small but effective staff of media watchers monitors an impressive array of periodicals, textbooks, movies, and television programs. Utilizing letter writing, press releases, telephone calls and even protest demonstrations their staff reacts quickly to call the public's attention to factoids and outright propaganda.

(2) FIERI stated : " Italian-Americans have been portrayed negatively as undignified, low-class people predisposed to crime", which if you read it carefully, you will realize that there are at least 3 different negative characteristics, not one elongated one, with two adjectives referring only to criminals.

In the Italic Study FIERI is referring to, those "undignified, lowclass people" were "Boors, Buffoons, Bigots, etc.", (I'll add Brutes) AND Criminals. So you misread.

(3) Of that 1001 previously mentioned 473 were Mob Characters (350 fake, 57 real), 333 Boors, Buffoons, Bigots for a total of 740. the remaining 261 were positive portrayals. So 740 out of 1001 IS IN FACT the 73%+, that you erroneously questioned.

It is a 42 page Study, which you might do well to read before jumping to inaccurate conclusions or before casting inappropriate aspersions.

It seems strange that one who is in the "tabloid industry", where truth seems to be only a slight inconvenience, wouId hardly be in a position to call into question the credibility of a highly regarded Institute, that is doing an admirable job in attemting to educate the Italian American to their History and Culture.

What are you doing to enrich the Italian American Community?

I keep asking without getting an answer! What contributions have you made to the Italian American Community. All I'm aware of is a self indulgent book about your extended family, and how proud they were to be "assimilated" (which I interpreted as not knowing much about their ancestral culture), and your attending panels or writing articles or E-Messages that attack Italian American Activists and support those "Hollywood" projects that Negatively Portray Italian Americans.

Have I misunderstood you?

Inquiring minds want to know?

Cordially,

Richard Annotico
One of the "Bozos" you recently referred to.
trimtantre@aol.com

PS. The web site for the Italic Studies Institute is www.italic.org
The summary of the report is www.italic.org/imageb1.htm

Mr. Tonelli can be reached at: bill.tonelli@rollingstone.com

Tonelli Foaming Again! His Presentation, Then Post on H-ITAM

Bill Tonelli, Editor of the tabloid "Rolling Stone", and an egotistical, self inflated, enormously "taken with himself" "author" whose only book that he has written, is a self indulgent book about his extended family throughout the US, and how proud he is that they have assimilated (meaning they know very little of their Italian or Italian American Culture).

Despite numerous entreaties, has never given evidence of any contribution to the Italian American Community, but instead has "used" his Italian surname to serve as a "Judas Goat" in panel discussions.

I would otherwise ignore this "cafone", if it weren't for the fact that he has spent all his time on the H-ITAM List Serv, dedicated to attacking, ridiculing, humiliating, degrading, and name calling "I-A Activists" opposed to I-A Defamation.

He never gives any logical reasoning, mostly just personal attacks.

Tonelli's latest long winded post, was delivered as an Event, which is hard to believe. He "frets" about how misunderstood he is, and then embarks on explaining the results of a "curious" survey he took of the NY Times, that merely lists the number of Italian names, and their career status.

Tonelli doesn't make clear, nor is it apparent to me what this survey is supposed to prove.

What is even more puzzling to me is, that Tonelli is so consistent in his type of muddled, incoherent, meandering scribblings, that seem to have no point or objective, and no clear reasoned path to bring you to an acceptable conclusion.

I would be embarrassed to put my name to such tripe as an amateur, but for him to dole out such rubbish as a professional writer/editor, it gives me great cause for wonder. Does he think that anything that bears his name should impress us? Is he a victim of "burnout"? Does he have a "substance " problem?

Is there any basis to the rumor that he writes for the 'Soprano' under a pseudonym, which may account for his knee jerk defense?

For whatever reason, Tonelli and his blatherings are pathetic, and he should continue to be told so.

Otherwise, to remain silent, is to acquiesce.

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THE FOLLOWING IS HIS POST. DON'T EXPECT TOO MUCH! AND IT IS VERY BIASED AND WILDLY INACCURRATE.

From: bill tonelli <bill.tonelli@rollingstone.com>

On saturday at bob viscusi's event. here's what I read. Rather than read from my own writing, I’m going to share something only slightly less fascinating---reactions to my writing. Specifically, I’m going to read selected nasty, lousy, rotten emails and letters in response to an article I wrote that appeared in the Sunday New York Times on March 4, which was opening night of the third seasons of the HBO series, The Sopranos. The article was about how Italian-Americans seem to be split into two camps where shows about gangsters are concerned -- how most Italian people I know loved the Godfathers and Goodfellas and now love The Sopranos, whereas other Italian people hate those movies and think they are responsible for bigotry and negative stereotypes. I wrote about how I’ve watched this division play out in an email discussion group I belong to, me and 300 or so Italian-American academics. Once the Sopranos became popular, some of the men in this group would send out for public consideration the angriest, most aggrieved-sounding emails imaginable, attacking the show and its creator and anybody who likes it. I like it, and when I said so, the emails began attacking me. One guy called me an Uncle Dom, as if to say I was taking part in racist behavior that ultimately hurt me and all Italian-Americans, or that by watching the show I am selling out my heritage.

Anyway, I wrote about this in the paper. And I wrote my real opinion, which is that people like gangster shows because they envy the gangsters and how they live free, doing what they feel like, breaking any law that gets in their way. I went so far as to say that in my opinion non-Italians envy Italians, and wish they were Italian. And I said that the whole genre of mob movies and TV shows was America’s way of paying tribute to what they envied about Italian-Americans -- that it made us mythic, larger-than-life, glamorized figures.

I wrote all that. In one or two spots I may even have tried to be funny on the subject.

Starting the next day, I began to get reactions in the email discussion group. Mostly they were angry. Some were so angry and personal that the group moderator didn’t allow them to be posted to the open forum. Several of those were then sent to me directly, by people who couldn’t contain their feelings, and who were even angrier at being censored. I got letters in the normal mail too. I’m still getting these love notes:

One guy called me "A TABLOID editor who has continually ignored requests to evidence what contributions he has made to the I-A community. This tabloid caters to the lowest denominator of reader, yet the editor ‘poses’ as an arbiter of ‘cultural tastes’ and fanatically supports a TV series that depicts I-As in a terribly negative manner."

"You make it very difficult for me to take seriously anything you have to say, and I am beginning to reach a point where I could consider encouraging others to get you off the ‘high prestige’ list of I-A writers." one wrote.

Another member ventured a guess about what motivated my criticism of the antidefamation mafia. "It is not difficult to figure him out. The scary part is why the Sons of Italy (which once published another article of mine that got these guys mad) and the email discussion group think he is the greatest thing since sliced bread (white sandwich variety). If he was a bit more famous he would certainly be my submission for the Pastatute award."

"Why are you always so ready to denigrate the efforts of I-A activists? Is it to advance your career? Or what? Your emails and your article in the New York Times just seem to miss the point so completely. No one envies I-As because of "mafia mystique." They despise the image and they despise us. They may like our food, admire our architecture, enjoy our music, etc. BUT THEY HATE US. And the ‘us,’ sorry to say, includes Bill Tonelli."

"Your purpose is certainly mercenary; otherwise clearly ludicrous. But you have found YOUR NICHE that feeds and shelters your fully assimilated (once upon a time Italian) family; one of the few opportunities open to Italian journalists,that is, to EAT YOUR OWN. To respectfully borrow a relevant phrase from African-American activists in regards to Mr Tonelli, ‘you been workin’ fo’ de Massa.’ Mangia buona, Mr Tonelli!"

"I consulted with a physician friend who said you have a few rolling stones in your head which probably have caused you to become one of the I-A community’s greatest Uncle Tomassos."

"Tonelli’s action belies his loyalty to the bigoted moguls of Hollywood. I, as a busy I-A activist, do not care what he thinks and/or what he says."

"He has been duped into giving this vicious, slanderous ficticious trash - The Sopranos -- a life of its own. I can understand the Rolling Stone publishing his tripe, but it’s frightening when the New York Times does." "Mr. Tonelli is a skillful, clever writer, but a clumsy, heavy-handed thinker as well who believes that fear is more important than respect. Perhaps that is why he bullies other writers on the list. I say let his words stand without reply because they reveal the character behind them: self-serving, sycophantic, shallow."

My favorite letter was attached to a pamphlet exposing the myth of Italian-American domination of organized crime. The note paper-clipped to it said simply, "Dear Bill, You are an asshole."

I wrote back letters and emails that were just as nasty and insulting and foul. G.B. Shaw once said you should never wrestle with a pig because you get dirty and the pig likes it. But I couldn’t help it. I think I even kept the fights going. I thought that when these other guys got angry they said things that exposed their truest and deepest feelings. Like the guy who insisted, in capital letters, that most people hate Italian-Americans. I told him that probably people just hate him and he’s confused about why. I detected a lot of self-loathing and snobbery (a weird combination) in the attitudes of those who attacked the writers and directors and actors who work on The Sopranos.

After hearing so many people complain so heatedly about how mainstream mass media disrespect Italian-Americans, I decided to conduct an experiment. I’d find five volunteers and together we’d go through the entire New York Times every day for two weeks, carefully recording every Italian name. By noting who was being named, and in what context, I thought, we’d come up with a credible and potentially interesting picture of how Italians from America or elsewhere were being presented to the readers of a paper that, I think, most accurately depicts the prejudices and beliefs and leanings and yearnings and hopes and dreams and fears and pretensions and hatreds and paranoid nightmare fantasies of the people who control the mass media. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find five volunteers. I contacted five good candidates, all intelligent and successful Italian-Americans, and asked if they’d help. Two thought they might not have time in the near future. One, a woman who grew up in Bensonhurst, said she would do it but warned that the experiment would reveal there’s no great body of anti-Italian feeling out there. Another, a man who grew up in Co-op City, in the Bronx, said he would do it but warned that the experiment would reveal a good deal of anti-Italian prejudice out there. The fifth person never called me back.

So last Sunday, April 29th, remembering that I was going to have to talk here today, I conducted the experiment myself, on one edition -- that day’s -- of the paper. Section by section, here are the Italians I found:

IN THE FRONT SECTION: I found Businessman-astronaut Dennis Tito. Italian politicians Silvio Berlusconi, Francesco Rutelli, Massimo D’Antona, Umberto Bossi, Giuliano Amato, and Emma Bonino. CBS spokesman Kevin Tedesco (in an article on John Kerrey).  Journal of the American Medical Association editor and Johns Hopkins Medical School professor Dr. Catherine DeAngelis (in an article on why babies don’t crawl like they used to).

IN THE METRO SECTION Rudy Giuliani. Acting NJ Governor Donald T. DeFrancesco, Supreme Court Justice Peter G. Verniero and US Senator Robert G. Torricelli, in a column on state politics. Lawyer Michael Volpe, and his father, Metropolitan Opera GM Joseph Volpe. Alleged mobsters Thomas Bilotti, Paul Castellano (both dead), John J. Gotti and Salvatore Gravano. Westchester Detective Dennis DeMele. Andrew M. Cuomo, Peter F. Vallone and Mario M. Cuomo. Social worker Peg Gancio (in an article about the rural poor). Joe Rao, a lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium, author of the Times’ "Sky Watch" column..

IN THE WEEK IN REVIEW SECTION: Frank Sinatra and Joe DiMaggio (In a story about Marilyn Monroe). Perry Como, in an article about the Mississippi River floods, a reference to a DJ helping the diggers by playing music they were familiar with. Dennis Tito again. Paul Amato, co-author of a study on divorce, quoted in a etter to the editor. IN THE MONEY AND BUSINESS SECTION Argentina’s economy minister Domingo Cavallo. GENERAL Manager of smartmoney.com Lou Tosto.

Commissioner of the Congressional Softball League Gary Caruso, and spokesman for an online payment service, Vince Sollitto.Head of the Programmers Guild, a trade group, John Miano.

IN THE WESTCHESTER SECTION: Groton High School baseball coach Frank DeGrazio. Local coffee shop patron (in Larchmont) Marie Meglio. Music store owner Bob Galassi, Bronxville resident Lou Aragona, and children’s home dean of students Joseph Ciffone (in an article on respectable middle-aged men joining motorcycle clubs). Elmhurst mayor Arthur DeAngelis and Elmsford chief of police Frank Nanna (in an article on the homeless shelter). Basketball coach Mo Sanginiti and his lawyer Anthony Pirrotti. New Rochelle mayor Timothy Idoni, for proclaiming Mario Lanza Day. In listings of upcoming events, there were artist Karen Guancione, the composer Antonio Vivaldi, playwright Angelo Spinelli, painter Michael Cipriano, and naturalist-lecturer Giacomo Benelli. I won’t even count Pat Cooper, because his name isn’t recognizably Italian. A letter to the editor was written by Richard Scudero.

IN THE TRAVEL SECTION An Article on Russia was written by John Varoli. Boston museum guard/guide Frank DiMaria. IN

THE REAL ESTATE SECTION Jay Romano wrote an article on rental apartments, quoting legal secretary Judy Febbraro.Appraiser John Cirincione in an article on appraisals. Real estate broker Maggie Mascia. A Letter to editor from Anne Mosca.

IN THE STYLES SECTION: In wedding announcements, Thomas Bianco, Anthony Mastromarco, Judy battista, Eve Stamato, Keith Melchionni, Luca Renda.

IN THE  SPORTS SECTION Mike Piazza, Joe Torre, Devils president Lou Lamoriello, and I didnt go thru the box scores or other small type.

IN THE BOOK REVIEW no Italians

IN ARTS & LEISURE Byline of Anthony Tommassino. Movie directors Brian DePalma, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Michelangelo Antonioni, actors Robert DeNiro and John Travolta and historical figure Al Capone (in an article about DePalma’s movie, Sisters). Film directors Silvio Narizzano, Luchino Visconti and Liliana Cavani, in an article on Charlotte Rampling. Set designer David Gallo. European film actors Pierre Clementi and Greta Scacchi. Giuseppe Verdi, Riccardo Muti, singer Ambroglio Maestri, director Ruggero Cappuccio, conductor Arturo Toscanini, costumers Ezio Frigerio and Luigi Sapelli, playwright Luigi Pirandello, scenery artist Eduardo Marchioro, and designer Carlo Poggiolo (in an article on Falstaff). Paganini, Gigli, Cesare Siepi, Ivor Novello and conductor Ettore Stratta. Painters Francesco Clementi and Enzo Cucchi IN THE MAGAZINE I couldnt find it.

When you add up all those names, here’s what you find:
2 lawyers
2 cops
3 corporate or business figures
4 scientists
5 mobsters
7 movie directors
7 sports figures
14 people in the arts, not including opera or film directors
15 people in opera
16 politicians
18 normal citizens -- brides and grooms, coffee shop patrons, letters to the editor writers, a social worker, and so on.

There were also 3 Italian-American bylines in the paper. I don’t know what it all adds up to. I don’t know how the Irish made out in that day’s paper, or the Polish, or the Jews. I don’t know if it’s a fair or accurate reflection of who we are or what we do or whether we’re good or bad. There are a lot of people in the arts, although most of them -- especially the 15 opera people -- are Italians from Italy, not from South Philly or Arthur Avenue or Nutley, New Jersey, and maybe that makes a big difference to the New York Times.

Maybe they prefer their Italians to be refined and successful people, especially ones who can sing opera. And maybe the guys on the email discussion group who complain about too many gangsters and guidos on TV feel the same way.

###

Bill Tonelli
Rolling Stone
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104

bill Tonelli <bill.tonelli@rollingstone.com>

from the late, great John Ciardi, who wrote, in a letter to an Italian-American poet complaining about anti-Italian bigotry:

"I have had various It.-Am. friends tell me that they have felt discriminated against. In many cases I felt that their paranoia was justified because everyone did hate them---because they were jerks."

amen!

Bill Tonelli
Rolling Stone
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10104


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