[This letter was published in the Chicago Sun-Times on 13 October]
The selection of actor Chazz Palminteri (right) as a grand marshal in this year’s annual Columbus Day Parade is a sobering reflection of how the Italian American media image has deteriorated over the decades.
Consider the following comparison.
In the 1960s, Frankie Avalon (below right)was so popular that he starred in a series of hokey, yet very successful, beach party movies. Frankie was seen as the quintessential “all-American” teenager: wholesome, attractive and likable.
But in 1972, Francis Ford Coppola turned a trashy 1969 novel by Mario Puzo into one of the first blockbuster movies of the decade: “The Godfather.” It featured a leading (and fictionalized) character, Don Vito Corleone, who could pass for any regular, soft-spoken, Italian nonno — grandfather — except this nonno was the epitome of evil.
In contrast to Frankie, Don Vito represented not the all-American dream but the all-American nightmare.
The popularity of this dark image in American culture has fossilized into what we have today: The image of the Italian American male as an illiterate, violent mobster, either dramatic or comical. Palminteri’s career demonstrates how Hollywood has unfairly kneecapped actors like him when it comes to the diversity of the Italian American media image.
Palminteri has played both violent gangsters — in “A Bronx Tale” and “Legend” — and comical ones in “Analyze This,” “Bullets Over Broadway” and “Oscar.”
This stereotype eventually moved to cable TV in the late 1990s with “The Sopranos,” featuring the late James Gandolfini as, once again, a fictionalized Italian American dad whom you would not want to have as your neighbor.
Those who dismiss the power of such a stereotype, recall former President Bill Clinton being overheard on a taped phone conversation in the early 1990s. He referred to the eloquent New York Gov. Mario Cuomo as acting like a “mafioso.”
It was even done to an Italian American woman: Geraldine Ferraro chosen as Walter Mondale’s ground-breaking, vice presidential pick in 1984. Respected journalist Sam Donaldson suggested to Ferraro that “Italian Americans should expect the press to pursue allegations linking them to the Mafia.” The issue is that many such links are quite often baseless, guiltby-association tactics. Donaldson also conflated “the Mafia” in Sicily with “organized crime” in the U.S.
Italian Americans are, and have been, doctors, teachers, business leaders, writers, lawyers, scientists and even political and religious leaders (e.g., Pope Leo XIV’s grandfather was Sicily-born Salvatore Giovanni Gaetano Riggitano Alito).
But with pitifully rare examples, you never see this vivid reality reflected on Hollywood movie screens.
Vergogna! (Shame!) -BDC
A sad but true observations, and The Godfather phenomenon served to consolidate all the pre existing stereotypes already out there (and there were quite a few)….there is not much more to say about it, but the pre- and post-Godfather film really was a benchmark moment. Even the whole concept of a godparent, in the Catholic tradition was tarnished by that film. Still, I have always contended the film said more about mainstream American values and needs, than Italian Americans.
Ironically as Italian Americans assimilate and adopt mainstream values we also pick up the same stereotypes. and even embellish them. Nothing stranger than a 1/4-Italian American young person talking about (or even boasting about) his great grandfather’s gangster connection….such is the level of current pop culture…..and that, sadly, cuts across a number of ethnic groups and issues. Talk about self-fulling prophecies….. Hollywood et al, has truly contributed to the dumbing down of society in general….and the consequences for our community is just not good. And then you have to add to this assessment, a certain sense of intellectual laziness, that dismisses critical thinking, and there you have modern American society.
I am very sorry to say that the mistake of selecting actor Chazz Palminteri as Grand March of this Columbus Day Parade in Chicago happens too often elsewhere. In Italian American publications you read of these very poor decisions. Italian Americans who are so honored should not be. Being famous is not enough, they should have our values and demonstrate their support for our Italian American Community, our Italian heritage, culture and values
Totally agree with this observation…….just because someone of any heritage becomes “famous” it does not automatically mean there is any connection with common values. This “star struck” phenomenon plays out in so many other venues too. I guess it comes with assimilation too, you assimilate the stardom not the message. You see this a lot with endorsements…..a popular figure endorsees something they have not one ounce of expertise about……talk about selling snow to Eskimos !
Do you gentlemen have any hope that this will ever change?
Especially when a large part of the younger generations seem to be oblivious to the consequences of what is done to us in the name of entertainment.
We don’t know if Gen Z embraces mafia movies like Gen X does. Only time will tell. But count on these movies to be around for another couple of decades.
“The Godfather” is the gangster version of “It’s A Wonderful Life”–an accepted part of Americana. Yet Coppola’s “dark vision” has muffled Capra’s optimism.