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For Information Contact:
Dr. Emanuele Alfano (973)
429-2818
Bloomfield, NJ. The
second annual PASTA-TUTE Award was announced by
Dr. Emanuele Alfano, chairman
of the Italian American One Voice Committee.
The winner of the award
which "honors" the Italian American who "sold out" or
has done the most to tarnish
the image of his own people is Mayor Rudy
Giuliani of New York City.
"We announce this with heavy
heart" said Alfano, because we have so much
respect for his abilities
and achievements. His frequent, public Godfather
impersonations, even at
a high school graduation ceremony, grates many in our
community. "When he
put the cast of the "Sopranos," five floats full, in the
Yankees' parade, that put
him over the top" said Alfano. "The Columbus Day
Parade Committee wouldn't
allow them in the Columbus parade but he did. They
aren't even supposed to
be from New York" he said.
In second place was last
year's winner David Chase (De Cesare) for his
ongoing negative stereotypes
in the HBO series "The Sopranos." Chase has
angered a number of Italian
Americans with his insensitivity to their
concerns.
"He's making his thirty pieces
of silver many times over without any regard
as to who gets hurt" said
Alfano. "There's a link between the degrading of
the kinds of characters
and behavior that he depicts and the image that the
rest of us have to suffer.
He just doesn't get it" said Alfano.
Singer Jerry Vale came in
third place for his unabashed role as peddler of an
album of songs identified
with Italians called "Mob Hits." Criticism of his
involvement with the album
didn't prevent him from cashing in on the sequel,
"Mob Hits II."
In fourth place is "Sopranos"
cast member Michael Imperioli. He was singled
out from the rest of the
cast for his involvement in writing "Son of Sam."
"He not only rewrote history
but went out of his way to show Italian
Americans as despicable
racists and as the most vile characters" said Alfano.
The Italian American One
Voice Committee is dedicated to combating negative
stereotyping.
http://members.aol.com/ItaliaAmOneVoice
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