Sons
of Italy Contacts Berlusconi Re: DeNiro's Proposed
Honorary Italian Citizenship
Press
Contact: Kylie Cafiero, (202) 547-2900 kcafiero@osia.org
WASHINGTON, August
11, 2004 The
Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), the largest
and oldest national organization for Italian Americans,
has written to Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi,
urging him to cancel his government's plans to
confer honorary Italian citizenship on the American
actor Robert DeNiro, whose paternal grandfather
was born in Italy.
The
OSIA letter was prompted by newspaper reports that
DeNiro would be so honored during his visit to
Italy next month for the Venice Film Festival.
The
letter was faxed to Mr. Berlusconi's offices in
Rome yesterday, Aug. 10. It was signed by OSIA
National President Joseph Sciame and the OSIA Commission
for Social Justice President Albert DeNapoli, Esq.
In their letter, the two OSIA leaders pointed out that since his starring role in The
Godfather II in 1974, DeNiro has made a career of playing gangsters of Italian descent. Ironically, he will be in Italy
to promote his latest film, Shark Tale, a children's
gangster movie produced by Steven Spielberg's company,
DreamWorks, SKG.
"From
our conversations with DreamWorks and from what
we have seen to date from the studio's own Web
site, promotional material and trailer, this movie
will perpetuate the image of Italian Americans
as Mafia gangsters," Sciame and DeNapoli
wrote. "We are especially concerned since this movie is directed at children
who are particularly susceptible to absorbing negative stereotyping as studies
from the Jewish Anti-Defamation League and others have proven.
"We therefore
respectfully request that the Republic of Italy cancel its plans to make Mr.
De Niro an honorary citizen. He has done nothing to promote Italian culture in
the United States. Instead, OSIA and its members hold him and his movies responsible
for considerably damaging the collective reputations of both Italians and Italian
Americans."
The letter
also pointed out that Italy's conferring such an honor on DeNiro would be perceived
as an insult by millions of Italian Americans who have long objected to the actor's "distorted
and unbalanced portrayal of people of Italian heritage."
Copied on
the letter were Italy's Ambassador to the U.S., Sergio Vento and to Italy's Minister
for Italians Abroad Mirko Tremaglia.
Established in 1905, OSIA has a network
of more than 700 chapters coast to coast. The
CSJ is OSIA's anti-defamation arm. It fights
the stereotyping of Italian Americans by the
U.S. entertainment, advertising, and media industries
and promotes the achievements and contributions
of Italian Americans to the U.S. through research
and public education programs.
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