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A group of 15 state and national Italian American organizations is demanding an apology from a liberal citizen group for using ethnic stereotypes to criticize what it says are the “Five Families” that are the top five insurance companies in Connecticut. The group is criticizing the Connecticut Citizen Action Group for using the imagery on its websi...

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“The Many Saints of Newark” is offal we must refuse. In darkening the silver screen with this lurid prequel to “The Sopranos,” David Chase concocts an origin story for the thuggish Tony Soprano that resurrects all the anti-Italian tropes and blood libels that made the original HBO series a showcase for society’s only socially acceptable prejudice....

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Slurs against Italian Americans were made in a Zoom chat during a recent public hearing to consider a businessman's request for a new night spot in the village, a trustee said last week. "There are two individuals — I'm not going to mention their names, but you know who you are — who made ethnic slurs against Italian Americans via this chat medium,...

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Fiorentina President Rocco Commisso renewed his attack on the media in Italy, insisting he received ‘an avalanche of support’ and blasting La Gazzetta dello Sport for using ‘insulting Italian-American stereotypes.’ His fiery press conference on Friday sparked a furious reaction from the media, as press unions released a joint statement condemning h...

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Elon Musk’s episode of Saturday Night Live continues to court controversy. Days after he hosted on May 8, two of the episode’s sketches received backlash. A segment titled “Gen Z Hospital” was criticized for appropriating AAVE (African American Vernacular English) sayings such as “no cap” and “stan.” (In a since deleted Instagram post, SNL cast mem...

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Here’s a “Jeopardy!” Clue: “Despite their significant and numerous contributions to the history of the United States, it is still socially acceptable to slur members of this ethnic group.” The Response: “Who are the Italian-Americans?” On April 8, 2021, I competed on the highly respected and loved quiz show, Jeopardy! and I emerged as the champion...

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On February 21, 2021, a new television series entitled “Le Indagini di Lolita Lobosco” (“The Investigations of Lolita Lobosco”) premiered on Rai, the national public broadcasting company of Italy. Inspired by a series of novels by Gabriella Genisi, the show follows assistant superintendent Lolita Lobosco of the Bari police force.  Set in the old to...

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As corporations and media organizations across the nation peer inward in order to carve a path forward on diversity and inclusivity, the question must be asked: why are Italian American stereotypes still so widely accepted in popular culture? For instance, the Buffalo Bills tout the “Bills Mafia” as a collection of players, fans and tailgaters who...

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The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) condemns the bigoted attack against Congressman David Cicilline’s heritage. Congressman Cicilline is a valued member of the bipartisan Italian American Congressional Delegation. Similar to other immigrant groups and minorities, Italian Americans have long been the target of attacks on their heritage a...

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In the same year "Teen Mom" premiered, MTV embarked on another "more real" reality show tentatively titled "Bridge and Tunnel." Camille Dodero (2011), who profiled the never-aired series for the Village Voice, called "Bridge and Tunnel" "the anti-'Hills,' a blue-collar rebuttal to the grossly loaded California clan that begat plastic-surgery monste...

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