Italian American One Voice Coalition Executive Board Members Andre DiMino and Frank Cipolla late last week conducted a major presentation before members of the Writers Guild of America East Chapter at the guild's Manhattan offices.

"This was a major opportunity to educate important TV and movie script writers on the many facets of Italian American culture and the many heroes of Italian American descent," said Andre DiMino. "Frank and I successfully talk about the culture of writing in which all Italian Americans are somehow connected to organized crime and other nefarious activity and how these depictions are inaccurate."

Members of the writers' guild are directly responsible for TV shows and movies that are financed and produced by major and independent studios. The presentation was well attended and the questions at the end indicated a possible shift in how Italian Americans might be viewed going forward.

There was also talk of another presentation of its kind before the Writers Guild of America West Chapter based in Los Angeles.