There is the additional responsibility of NIAF in "'mistakenly" Honoring DeNiro
at a recent NIAF awards Dinner, sending out a stupefying message to the Italian American Community, and a very confusing message to the General public. 
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Thanks to our friend Bob Miriani, one of out more well informed and erudite subscribers, gives the matter great clarity. Well worth your time!  

"HANDS UP!, YOUR PURSE OR YOUR GOOD NAME?" 

Dear Italian-American Friends,

      Perhaps our discussion as to whether Robert De Niro's behavior is correct or incorrect is good, in that it takes us closer to some resolution as to whether or not those of Italian ancestry who consciously portray Italian-Americans in a negative manner should be free to do so without condemnation from other Italian-Americans. 

We obviously need some resolution concerning such behavior or we'll still be discussing this issue in the year 2035.  ALL of the other ethnic and racial groups have resolved this issue and put it to rest: 

NO STUPID PORTRAYAL OF THEIR ETHNIC/RACIAL GROUP THAT REEKS OF NEGATIVE STEREOTYPING IS PERMITTED WITHOUT CONDEMNATION!!

In the case of De Niro, or Chase, or Gandolfini, or Falco, or Castelluccio, or Turturro, or De Matteo, or Ventimigilia, or Pantoliano, or Curatola, or Ventimiglia, or Sirico, or Narducci, et. al., their behavior should be judged as everyone in history has been judged:  BY THE CONSEQUENCES OF THEIR BEHAVIOR.  

      If the "consequences of their behavior" are good and helpful to mankind, then they should be given credit for such, but if the "consequences of their behavior" are such that they bring hurt and injury to others, then such action should be rightly deprecated and condemned.

      Now, the "consequences of their behavior" might be up for discussion, but surely they are not the ones to determine or even offer an opinion as to whether the "consequences of their behavior" are good or bad, for they ALL have a conflict of interest in portraying their actions as good and admirable:  MONEY$$$$, which they obtain in abundance for their behavior, but at the cost of the negative stereotypical albatross we are all forced to wear about our collective and individual Italian-American necks.  

      However, for my part, the discussion is over, as there is a plethora of objective evidence that the consequences of the behavior of such individuals, rendered for MONEY$$$$, hurt and injure that which is called the GOOD NAME of 99% of Italian-Americans who have no connection to the Mafia, nor to buffoonery, nor to violence, nor to sexuality run wild, nor to extortion, nor to treating others in an abusive and crass manner, ad nauseam. 

This objective evidence comes to us from the Princeton based Response Analysis Corporation survey to the Zogby survey to the fact that more negative stereotypical movies are made by Hollywood concerning Italian-Americans than any other movies about Italian-Americans, to each and everyone of our personal experiences concerning references we have smilingly endured over each of our lifetimes regarding our supposed connection with the Mob and their qualities, and now the Sopranos, and "Analyze This," and "Analyze That," to the inane jokes about the state of our ethnic background's mentality and emotionality, etc. 

      Thus, why should those who display themselves as having an Italian ancestry, and who portray their/OUR ancestry in a negative way, for MONEY$$$$, be judged by any lesser of a standard than those who portray things Italian in a negative stereotypical manner but who are not of Italian ancestry: CONSEQUENCES!!!!!  

                        Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
                        is the immediate jewel of their souls:
                        Who steals my purse steals trash; 't is something, nothing;
                        'T was mine, 't is his, and has been slave to thousands;
                        But he that filches from me my good name
                        Robs me of that which not enriches him
                        And makes me poor indeed.

                            -- Shakespeare:  Othello, Act iii, Sc. 3

Bob Miriani