When someone steals my purse, they steal but trash
When someone "soils" my Name/Reputation/Heritage,they wound me to the marrow.

For those that choose to call Loews Cineplex and Coca Cola "to task" for their very ill advised showing of the reprehensible short film, "Mafia Movie Madness", you have again rose up in defense of our Heritage.

Please stand up and take a bow. The Italian American community, and all those who  are opposed to the defaming of any race, creed, or color is in your debt doubly.
One for your Attempt, and two for your Success.

To those who did not heed the call this time, will you not consider it on subsequent occasions?? The Cause is Just. We need your Might to set things Right.
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For those who don't recall, "Mafia Movie Madness"  was the winner of a short film contest that was promoted by Coca Cola, with Lowes as copromoter exhibiting the film in it's theater chain. It is a maddeningly bigoted negative stereotyping of Italian Americans, and confounds me as to why that was not IMMEDIATELY recognized.

Mafia Movie Madness is HISTORY!
From Dona De Sanctis
Order Sons of Italy in America

The Sons of Italy Commission for Social Justice has just been informed that Mafia Movie Madness will be removed from circulation effective Saturday, December 6.  This afternoon (12/2) in a telephone conversation with Travis Reid, president and CEO of Loews Cineplex, the Sons of Italy learned that the huge movie chain would no longer show this film short which "was less than flattering" to Italian Americans, "Mr. Reid said, noting that he had viewed the film short and understood why we objected to it.

He also said he had contacted Coca Cola about this issue.  "They were not surprised we were dropping it," he said, leading us to believe that Coke had received a number of complaints, including the CSJ's, about this film.  Also today, Richard Cappezola informs us that he received a call from Rich Robinson of Coca Cola, who told him Coke was taking the film out of circulation in "two or three days."

We all have sent a powerful message to these corporate giants, who are now more aware of our concerns about this kind of stereotyping.  The CSJ congratulates all the Italian American organizations and individuals who took action on this issue.

This is a major victory for us and proof that we are at last making progress by speaking out together on an issue.

Bravissimi!

Dona De Sanctis, Ph.D.
Deputy Executive Director
Order Sons of Italy in America
219 E Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Tel:  202/547-2900
Fax: 202/547-1492
Web:  www.osia.org
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ACCENTUATE the Positive, ELIMINATE the Negative!!!!

Speaking out with One Voice against Negative Stereotyping

Italian-American One Voice Coalition is a national network of activists enabling the Italian American community to act as one united voice when dealing with defamation, discrimination and negative stereotyping.

Member organizations provide a liaison with the IA One Voice Coalition to disseminate information to the Italian American community and protest with one voice against each outrage against our heritage, culture and character.

Italian American One Voice - Who We Are

Web Site:
Italian American One Voice Coalition
http://www.italianamericanonevoice.org/iaindex.html