VOL. 116 - NO. 25 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JUNE 22, 2012 $.30 A COPY Italian Ambassador Praises Community Efforts in Boston Eastie Casino? Claudio Bisogniero met with community leaders during his 2-day visit by Nicola Orichuia TO BE OR NOT TO BE During a recent two-day visit in Boston, Italian Am- bassador to the United States, Claudio Bisogniero, met with representatives of the Italian and Italian American communities at the Dante Alighieri Society in Cambridge on June 18. “It is a great pleasure to be here,” said Bisogniero, after an introduction by Dante Alighieri Society President Spencer Di Scala and Co- mites President Maurizio Pasquale. Italian Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero was called four Bisogniero and Consul months ago to replace Giulio General of Italy in Boston Terzi, who was called upon Giuseppe Pastorelli last fall to be Minister of (Photo by Rosario Scabin, Foreign Affairs for Mario Ross Photography) Monti’s government. Bis- ogniero knows the Ameri- Thomas M. Menino, State can political and cultural House Speaker Robert landscape well, having lived DeLeo and Governor Deval and worked in the United Patrick. During the meet- States for eight years and ings, there was great appre- No Eastie Casino showed up en masse in Day Square on the afternoon of Saturday, having recently served as ciation for the increased June 15. You can join other concerned neighbors on Monday, June 25 from 6:00 to Vice-Secretary of NATO. visibility of Italian culture 8:00 pm at the East Boston Social Center to learn more about the impacts the pro- During his visit in Boston, and heritage in Massachu- posed casino at Suffolk Downs may have on our neighborhood. This is the place to Bisogniero held meetings setts, according to Consul learn where we are in the process, find out what we can do as a community to have with community leaders, as our voices heard, and plug in to one of the many volunteer opportunities that are well as with Boston Mayor (Continued on Page 14) available. If you are concerned about the effects of bringing casino gambling to our community, please come and invite others. For further details and updates visit www.noeastiecasino.com. News Briefs (Photo by Sal Giarratani) by Sal Giarratani Mayor Menino’s Early Childhood Initiative Stop Caring About Us So Much Receives City Livability Award from U.S. Conference of Mayors Mayor Bloomberg National Award Goes to Neighborhood-based Early Childhood Initiative The Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg Mayor Thomas M. Menino today accepted neighborhood businesses that plan and carry is very concerned about the health and well-be- the Outstanding Achievement City Livabil- out activities and provide opportunities that ing of his constituents and has decided it is time ity Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors support young children’s healthy growth, to ban all super-sized soda drinks in the Big and Waste Management, Inc. for Thrive in development and school readiness. Apple. Remember when Lt. Theo Kojak used to 5, part of the city’s Boston Children Thrive “Through Boston Children Thrive, we have say, “Who luvs ya baby!” Well, obviously Bloomberg initiative. Mayor Menino accepted the created leadership pathways for parents does but what about that lollipop Kojak was al- award at the USCM annual conference that put parents at the forefront of school ways sucking on, wasn’t that unhealthy for his in Orlando, Florida alongside Thrive in readiness efforts in their neighborhood,” teeth? What’s next for New Yorkers? Will 5 Executive Director Jane Tewksbury. said Jane Tewksbury, Thrive in 5’s Execu- McDonald’s have to replace their Big Macs with Thrive in 5 is led by a public-private part- tive Director. “Research shows that invest- Little Macs? How many French fries will folks be nership between the City of Boston and ing in the early years of life offers enormous allowed to eat a day? Maybe, ten or fifteen, that’s United Way. returns for the child and for society. The it, no more? Will the government require fast food “Boston is a city of neighborhoods and City Livability Award is in recognition of the joints to hand stamp us so that if we try to go Thrive in 5 is transforming our neighbor- critical role that parents play in the Boston somewhere else for more, we can’t? hoods into opportunity-rich communities for Children Thrive communities.” Sadly about 47/48 percent of us will go along our city’s youngest children and their fami- “We’re proud that the City of Boston and with the program since they are already in the lies,” Mayor Menino said. “I’m honored to Thrive in 5 are being nationally recognized government tank collecting checks the rest of accept this award on behalf of Thrive in 5 for creating enriching experiences for young us work to finance. and all of the Boston Children Thrive children and their families that lay the Backlash to Wisconsin Arrives partners.” groundwork for their future learning and Listening to the Ed Show on MSNBC on Elec- Launched in 2010, Boston Children Thrive success,” said Michael K. Durkin, President tion night results in Wisconsin’s recall battle with is Thrive in 5’s on-the-ground effort to en- of United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Sgt. Schultz ranting and raving like someone off gage parents as their children’s first teach- Merrimack Valley. “Our future economic his meds. He couldn’t understand why 26 per- ers and as neighborhood-wide change prosperity depends on building a strong foun- cent of union members voted to keep Governor agents for school readiness. In Allston/ dation for this next generation.” Brighton, East Boston, South End/Lower Strategies in each Boston Children Thrive (Continued on Page 14) Roxbury, Dudley, and Fields Corner, Thrive neighborhood reflect the community’s in 5 and its partners have created networks of parents, community organizations, and (Continued on Page 15) THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE IS NOW OPEN AT 35 BENNINGTON STREET, EAST BOSTON This office is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PMPM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information Page 2 POST-GAZETTE, JUNE 22, 2012 Stirpe by Prof. Edmund Res Publica Turiello Nostra by David Trumbull A weekly column highlighting some of the more interesting aspects of our ancestry...our lineage...our roots. A FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM Intolerance — official dedicated as “fortnight for “This phrase, known as the state-sponsored intolerance freedom.” and have issued “Establishment Clause, THE DINNER OF TRIMALCHIO (Continued) — is on the rise in America the following Q & A to explain started out as a prohibition on Last week I presented the out through the flutes onto to an extent not seen since what is at issue. Congress’ either establishing first part of a detailed account cooked fish until they ap- the heyday of the Ku Klux “What do we mean by a national religion or interfer- of a sumptuous Roman ban- peared to swim around in Klan in the 1920s or even religious liberty? ing with the established reli- quet provided by “Trimal- the liquid. the period of the “Know Noth- “Religious liberty is the first gions of the states. It has since chio,” a boastful, pretentious Next came a wild boar with ings” in the mid-1800s. liberty granted to us by God been interpreted to forbid state and ignorant recipient of a palm leaf basket hanging America’s Catholic bishops and protected in the First establishments of religion, to newly acquired wealth. I de- from each tusk. The baskets have characterized the Amendment to our Constitu- forbid governmental prefer- scribed the hors d’oeuvres, contained dates from Turkey Obamacare HHS mandate as tion. It includes more than our ence (at any level) of one reli- cooked dormice, hot sau- and from Egypt, that were unconstitutional. It is un- ability to go to Mass on Sun- gion over another, and to for- sages and European song- passed out to the diners constitutional. day or pray the Rosary at bid direct government funding birds called “beccaficos.” while bearded huntsmen On Friday, June 8th, sev- home. It also encompasses our of religion. This week we are told that entered to slash the side of eral hundred of us gathered ability to contribute freely to the “What does “prohibiting after eating their fat song- the boar and release a flock on Boston Common to rally common good of all Americans. the free exercise thereof” birds rolled in spiced egg of thrushes. Each bird was against the mandate’s un- “What is the mean? yolk, the guests washed their then caught in a net by the constitutional interference First Amendment? “This phrase, known as the hands with a good grade of slaves and cooked for a with the free exercise of re- “The First Amendment of the “Free Exercise Clause,” gen- unwatered wine. The wine, guest. During a stretch ligion. We were Catholics, U.S. Bill of Rights states the erally protects citizens and which was served for drink- period, fresh covers were Protestants, Jews, and even following: “Congress shall institutions from government ing came from Falernos Ager, spread on the couches and a few non-believers who un- make no law respecting an interference with the exercise a district in the north of off they went again. This derstood that the issue is not establishment of religion, or of their religious beliefs. It Campania, which produced time the servants brought in the Church’s teaching on prohibiting the free exercise sometimes mandates the ac- the “Falernian” wine, one of a boiled calf on a huge dish sexuality, but our Constitu- thereof; or abridging the free- commodation of religious prac- the finest in ancient Roman and laid it on the table.