Saturday Night Live Has Gone Too Far with Italian American Defamation by Dr
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VOL. 121 - NO. 16 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, APRIL 21, 2017 $.35 A COPY Saturday Night Live Has Gone Too Far with Italian American Defamation by Dr. Dean Saluti I am writing to you, Pamela highest levels in our profes- icans to fight against this Donnaruma, because your sions and to continue to serve SNL blasphemy. Next, I have newspaper, the Post-Gazette, our community. Has all of this alerted Tony Sestito, the Presi- has always been “The Voice been in vain? dent of the 6000-member Mas- of the Italian People.” The Sal DiDomenico, from sachusetts Sons of Italy. Tony Gazette, under you, your Cambridge’s Saints Cosmas & and I have both asked litigation parents, and your grandfather, Damian Society, called me to attorney Al DeNapoli, the Chair- has fought the tough battles express his outrage over a TV man of the Massachusetts Sons against discrimination toward program that had brought his of Italy Commission for Social Italian-Americans for over 100 family to tears. On Saturday Justice, the anti-defamation years. Just when we thought night, April 8, 2017, in the last arm of the Sons of Italy, to re- that we had reached a level of fi ve minutes of Saturday Night view the SNL issue. I am sure respect in this great country of Live (SNL), a line was crossed. that Al will solicit assistance ours, we fi nd ourselves kicked SNL stooped to an unacceptable from the National Sons of Italy down again by the seemingly level of defamation of Italians. Commission for Social Jus- uncontrollable nasty, tasteless, In a skit depicting tenement tice, led by Kevin Caira from biased media outlet, Saturday life in the early 20th century, Massachusetts. Lastly, I have Night Live. actors made statements such as brought the SNL situation to I write this letter as the Presi- “How do you brainwash an the attention of Dr. Frank dent of Boston’s Renaissance Italian? You give him an enema,” Mazzaglia, Chairman of the Lodge of the Sons of Italy. For “half-witted goomba rat-faced Board of the powerful Italian nearly 30 years, Boston’s Sons Italians,” “fi lthy greasy Italians,” American Alliance (IAA). Frank of Italy has worked to promote “greasy meatball-eating, crotch intends to bring our complaints the positive image of our com- grabbers,” and “Do you know to the Federal Communications munity’s Italian-Americans. why Italy is shaped like a boot? Commission (FCC), which reg- Our membership has included Do you think that you could fi t ulates the airwaves. Frank has judges, attorneys, high-level that much crap into a shoe?” told me that he is familiar with law enforcement offi cers, city SNL has built its image mocking the process of presenting a News Briefs offi cials, state and federal leg- anybody and anything in the formal grievance to the FCC. I by Sal Giarratani islators, college presidents, name of humor. But this isn’t hope that these efforts move us deans and professors, school humor — this is degrading to in the right direction. superintendents and teachers, our heritage. We all respect the Pamela, here is a situation in The Goat Had Their Back and other Italian-Americans in First Amendment, the right to which we can help our Italian- A goat saved a little girl from a house fire in nearly all professions. Together, free speech, but this has gone American community to right Arkansas. A dwarf goat named Speedy ran into here in Boston, we have worked too far! wrongs — just what our beloved the girl’s bedroom, jumped on the bed, and started hard to exemplify the “best in What can be done about Post-Gazette has so ably done bleating bloody murder to wake her up. mind and deeds” — working this? First, I am writing to for over 100 years. Thank you The girl sat up, smelled the smoke, and ran to her hand in hand with Boston’s “Our Voice,” the Post-Gazette, for your support, what you have dad, who spotted the garage on fi re. No one was hurt prestigious Pirandello Lyceum. to publicize this obscenity and done, and what you continue to thanks to Speedy’s speedy warning. We have strived to reach the ignite Boston’s Italian-Amer- do for all of us. Viva Italia! There’s a New Oldest Person in the World Dr. Dean Saluti Recently, Emma Morano at 117 years of age was the President, Boston Renaissance Lodge, #2614, Order Sons of Italy in America world’s oldest person and perhaps the last 19th century human. She passed in northern Italy about two weeks ago. The new oldest person by most accounts is a Italian American Alliance Responds to SNL Segment 117-year-old Jamaican woman named Violet Mosse- Brown. A former slave, she was born on March 10, The Italian American Alliance The Italian American Alliance Peoples Day. The Alliance re- 1900, and attributes her longevity to good genes and (FCC) has filed a complaint urged the Federal Communica- sponded to that resolution by reading the Bible. with the Federal Communica- tions Action to take immediate condemning the Cambridge City tions Commission objecting to and appropriate action with the Council as hostile to Italian- Words of Wisdom a Saturday Night Live segment producers of the Saturday Night American heritage. In similar “Few are willing to brave disapproval of their fellows, on April 8th, as demeaning to Live segment which reaches a fashion, the Alliance, which the censure of their colleagues, and the wrath of their Italians and Italian-Americans. national audience. was only recently incorporated, society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than The complaint particularly “The argument that Saturday condemned Tufts University for bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet, it is the one concerns itself with the dam- Night Live is shown at 11:30 a 2015 faculty vote which also essential vital quality for those who seek to change a age done to children. “In an age in the evening when most chil- replaced Columbus Day with world that yields most painfully to change.” where Americans are rightfully dren are asleep does not stand Indigenous Peoples Day. — Robert F. Kennedy sensitive to racial and ethnic up to modern day reality, or Dr. Frank Mazzaglia, board Carson Gets Stuck in Elevator slurs, the Saturday Night Live to the fact that the program chairman of the Italian Ameri- Ben Carson got a good taste of what it is like living segment disparages Italian- is repeated and fi nds its way can Alliance, said, “Those who in projects when the elevator he was on while touring Americans, Polish people, and into the internet,” said James demean Italians or Italian- one with the director of public housing in Miami-Dade African-Americans. Rather than DiStefano, president of the American people will hopefully broke down, trapping them inside for 20 minutes. being humorous, the segment Italian American Alliance. “The learn from the FCC that these The HUD secretary seemed amused according to was intentionally insulting. Saturday Night Live segment acts of discrimination are in- those there. When he visited another project building, The segment reinforces neg- was tasteless and insulting.” appropriate and unacceptable he asked if the housing director had an elevator key ative old stereotypes about The Italian American Alli- today.” on him. Italian-Americans and we ance was formed as an Italian- Anyone interested in join- worry that Italian-American American advocacy group fol- ing the Italian American Alli- (Continued on Page 14) children will face active hostility lowing a resolution by the Cam- ance should send a request for from their peers following the bridge City Council to replace membership information to segment. Columbus Day with Indigenous IAmAlliance@aol.com. THE POST-GAZETTE SATELLITE OFFICE HAS MOVED TO 343 CHELSEA ST., DAY SQUARE, EAST BOSTON This offi ce is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, for the convenience of our East Boston and North Shore clients and contributors Call 617-227-8929 for more information PAGE 2 POST-GAZETTE, APRIL 21, 2017 Operati on A.B.L.E. Expands Reach of Popular Employment Program for Seniors Residents of NH and Most of Central and Eastern Mass Now Eligible Operation A.B.L.E. (Abil- has expanded our responsibility ity Based on Long Experience) to include all of the State of New ADDIO SPORCACCIONE today announced its Senior Hampshire and Massachusetts while being tortured in other Community Service Employ- counties of Essex, Middlesex, ways. ment Program (SCSEP) has Norfolk, and Suffolk.” No person accused of even the been expanded to include New As of February 1, 2017, resi- most minor offense was spared Hampshire and additional por- dents of New Hampshire can from torment and death. Those tions of Massachusetts. apply to become a SCSEP par- who wished to die were forced “Workers 55 or older and out ticipant by contacting ABLE’s to live and those who committed of work often fi nd they need satellite offi ces in Manchester suicide were said to have given help getting up to speed on the located at 228 Maple Street or the emperor the “slip.” One man latest job search techniques, calling 603-206-4400. In Berlin, who begged for a speedy death sprucing up their offi ce skills the location is 961 Main Street, was told by Tiberius, “I have while earning an income,” said or call 603-752-2600. not yet become your friend.” An Joan Cirillo, President and “The goal at ABLE is for our ancient custom considered it to CEO of Operation ABLE.