In a previous post Dominic Tassone reported on his search of NPR archives
and found a disproportional number of Mafia stories as compared to stories
of Italian Americans.  

Ben Lawton asked whether 'mafia' should become the IA 'n' word or has it lost 
its Italian connotation.  

I will answer thatquestion by giving my opinion of the impact of mafia 
stories on the IA Community.

I am going to use three studies in support of my opinion.  These studies are:

1.) Americans of Italian Descent: A Study of Public Images, Beliefs, and
Misperceptions, National Public Opinion Research for the Committee for
Social Justice, Order Sons of Italy in America, by Response Analysis Corp.,
Jan 1981; 

2.) National Survey:  American Teen-Ages and Stereotyping, ZOGBY
International for NIAF, March 1, 2201; and 

3.) 20% Dropout Rate found for Italian Americans: Stereotyping Attacked in 
a CUNY study, New York Times, Felicia R. Lee, (date? mid 80s ?).

In the CSJ sponsored survey respondents were asked to state 'yes' or 'no' to
each of ten different statements as to their applicability to five different
ethnic groups.  One statement was, "They are into a lot of organized crime
in this country."  The results for this statement are as follows: Italians:
74%, Blacks: 26%, Jews: 10%, Irish: 10%, English: 8%.  Note when the IAs
were asked the same question, they essentially gave the same answers as the
surveyed respondents.

In the NIAF sponsored survey respondents consisted of teenagers and they
were asked to identify the role that a particular ethnic background would
mostly play in the movies and TV.  The role chosen for Italian American was
crime boss, gang member, and restaurant worker.  When IA teens were asked if
their ethnic heritage was accurately portrayed on TV or the movie, 45%
agreed and nearly 30% said they were proud of their TV image.

The CUNY study, 'profiled' by the Calandra Institute, found the dropout rate
for IA New York City high school students at  20.65%.  The dropout rate was
third after Hispanics (32%) and Blacks (25%).  Why the high dropout rate?

Dr. Richard Gambino stated that the Hollywood image of IAs '{i}s not a
healthy basis for self-image to succeed in life or education," and went to
explain how this image is influenced by pop culture.  

Dr.Joseph Scelsa of Calandra said, "{I}talian American in New York were 
simply suffering from the same urban stresses that are so well documented 
for black and Hispanic youths, gangs; family dissolution and economic 
pressures."  

To put this study in its proper context I must add the following:  "The experts 
said the reasons for the high dropout rate included not only poor-esteem and
self-images, but also factors like peer pressure, parental ignorance about
education and the belief that benefits of education do not outweigh working."

I think that one need not take Stochastic Analysis 101 to state that these
studies show significant correlation between the 'Mafia' stories and their
impact on the IA community.  

What I also conclude, not only based on these studies but my own experiences, 
is that one shoe does not fit all.  Though I think all segments of the IA 
community are impacted by 'Mafia' stories there are substantial differences 
between the impact on the better-educated IA segment and the 'Bensonhurst' 
stereotype.  This may be one of the reasons for the wide divergent of 
opinions as to what is, or is not, the 'Mafia' stories impact.