A Ten-Foot Pole

Back in the day, Italian Americans were justifiably excited when one of their own achieved stardom.  In the 1930s, the elections of Fiorello LaGuardia and Angelo Rossi as mayors of New York City and San Francisco announced our arrival in the dominant Anglo/Celtic...

Rays of Light

The idiom “Ray of Light” doesn’t just refer to an expression of hope in challenging times; it’s also the title of singer Madonna’s last big album, which took home a Grammy Award in 1998. I bring this up in defense of the rather brutal...

The Uncurious Irish

Irish Americans will soon regale us with their ethnic pride, celebrating the saint that converted them to Christianity.  They concede that St. Patrick was a Roman, but they wince at the suggestion that Paddy’s paesans also trampled on the Old Sod.  Since...

Cultural Civil War

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry during the War of 1812 reported: “We have met the enemy and they are ours”. I’m sure everyone has heard this famous quote. As any self-respecting (i.e., self-educated) Italian American will tell you, it certainly applies...

My Favorite Stereotype

I had a minor procedure done a few weeks ago by a Dr. Baciagalupo.  For those of a certain generation this name evokes pleasant memories of the Abbott & Costello television comedy series of 1952-54. I was a faithful viewer of the reruns as a kid.  The...