Driving in Tuscany

Posted on March 9, 2017 by babbityjean

In general, Americans think that Italians are crazy drivers.  Perhaps it’s a stereotype about Italy.  But I remember that when I was in Naples, it seemed that those at the wheel rarely respected the street lights, considered other street signs only as a suggestion, drove attached to the bumper in front, and cut off the street to pedestrians, especially those in the pedestrian walkways.  And, certainly, they drove like a bat out of hell.  At that moment, I decided not to buy a vespa.

So, when we decided to go to Tuscany 2 years ago, I thought that it would be easy to rent a car and drive through the beautiful countryside.  After all, we would not be in a large city.  It would be tranquil and fun.  Was I ever wrong!

I drove the entire time.  Despite the GPS and the brother of my husband who was the navigator seated next to me, we got lost several times.  There were so many roundabouts and at times it wasn’t clear which exit to take.  So, I drove slowly…causing other drivers to become angry as they honked their horns and yelled things like “What are you doing?” together with various hand gestures.

Even driving in medieval cities was difficult.  There were so many narrow streets, many that were one way, and others that were closed to vehicular traffic at certain times.  Inevitably, I made the wrong decisions.  But the worst was trying to return the rental car in Florence.  Suffice it to say that it is difficult to drive in city streets that you do not know, and at the same time, to search for an address and try to follow the street directions …in a fairly new language.  Four months later, I received 3 citations for street violations (like driving in a lane reserved for public transportation) taken by a telecamera.  All of the violations occurred within an hour.  Very costly!

Posted in Abitudini, Campania, Differenze culturali, English, Firenze, Italia, Toscana | Leave a comment

Perché la parola “mafia” non è mai pronunciata in “Il Padrino”

Posted on March 2, 2017 by babbityjean

il-padrinoIl Padrino (1972) è uno dei film più celebri e amati della storia del cinema.  Ha vinto tre premi Oscar, tra cui Miglior Film.  Ma ci sono alcune persone che credono che i film sulla Mafia solo raffigurino o rafforzino gli stereotipi peggiorativi sugli italo-americani.

fbi-and-italiansQuesto era particolarmente vero negli anni ’60 e‘70.  La IACRL (the Italian-American Civil Rights League) era un’organizzazione politica di New York fondata nel 1970 dal mafioso Joseph iacrlColombo per combattere gli stereotipi negativi sugli italo-americani.  Appena ha sentito che una compagnia cinematografica aveva progettato di fare un film basato sul romanzo più venduto di Mario Puzo (1969), la IACRL manifestò il proprio dissenso.   Ironicamente, a differenza di altri gruppi di pressione, ha usato le maniere forti.

Per esempio, la prima sorpresa è arrivata quando il regista Francis Ford Coppola andò a Little Italy con una piccola carovana per fare i primi test.  Quando tornò dal pranzo, il camioncino era sparito insieme gianni-russoa tutte le attrezzature che valevano milioni di dollari. Secondo Gianni Russo, che ha interpretato il genero di Vito Corleone nel film, la famiglia Colombo aveva attorno a sé “idioti che sarebbero stati capaci di tutto.”

Le minacce non si fermarono qui.  Il produttore Robert Evans ricevette una telefonata anonima nell’albergo di New York in cui soggiornava: “Non vogliamo spaccarti la tua bella faccia,” disse la voce, “e non vogliamo neppure far del male a tuo figlio.  Andatevene dal nostro quartiere e non girate il film.  Avete capito?”

Al quel punto il produttore decise di contattare direttamente il boss Colombo per “sistemare” la faccenda.  Secondo Tom Santopietro, autore del libro, “L’effetto Padrino” (2012), il gangster italo-americano accettò che il film venisse girato, ma a determinate condizioni.  “Né la parola ‘Mafia’ né ‘Cosa Nostra’ devono comparire nella sceneggiatura.”  Inoltre la produzione promise di donare il ricavato dell’anteprima a un fondo di edilizia ospedaliera promosso dalla Lega.

 

Ironicamente, la parola “Mafia” è apparsa solo una volta nella sceneggiatura originale.  Colombo aveva chiesto che i personaggi del film abbiano nomi che non suonino italiani.  La risposta è stata “no.”  Tuttavia, un accordo è stato fatto.

In “Il Padrino,” c’erano 5 famiglie del crimine: Corleone, Barzini, Tattaglia, Stracci, e Cuneo.  Nel mondo reale in quel momento, c’erano 5 famiglie del crimine nella zona di New York: Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno, Lucchese, e Colombo.  Ma non tutti i mafiosi gradirono la benedizione del film, e pochi mesi dopo Joseph Colombo fu punito: il boss fu sparato da un sicario con diversi colpi d’arma da fuoco alla testa e al collo e rimase paralizzato per sette anni, prima di morire nel 1978.  Carlo Gambino (capo della famiglia Gambino) e Frank Costello (capo della famiglia Luciano) lo avevano avvertito.  Dando il sì al film aveva acceso i riflettori sulla mafia e sul suo stile di vita.   Questo non era accettabile.

Tutto questo potrebbe anche essere un film.

 

Posted in Abitudini, Film, Foto, Italiano, Italoamericani, New York, Storia | Leave a comment

Why the word “mafia” is never uttered in The Godfather

Posted on March 2, 2017 by babbityjean

il-padrinoThe Godfather (1972) is one of the most famous and best loved films of all times.  It won 3 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.  But there are some people who believe that films about the Mafia only depict or reinforce pejorative stereotypes about Italian-Americans.

fbi-and-italiansThis was especially true in the 1960s and 1970s.  The Italian-American Civil Rights Leagueiacrl (IACRL) was a political organization founded in 1970 by mobster Joseph Colombo to combat negative stereotypes of Italian-Americans.  When it heard that an American film company planned to make a film based on the bestselling novel (1969) by Mario Puzo, the IACRL “expressed” its opposition.  Ironically, unlike other “pressure” groups, it used some questionable tactics.

For example, the first surprise came when Francis Ford Coppola, the director, went to Little Italy with a small caravan to do the first film tests.  When the group returned from gianni-russolunch, the truck had disappeared along with the equipment that was worth millions of dollars.  According to Gianni Russo, who played Vito Corleone’s wife-beating son-in-law in the film, close to the Colombo family were “idiots that were capable of anything.”

The threats didn’t stop there.  The producer Robert Evans received an anonymous phone call at the hotel where he was staying in New York: “We don’t wish to smash your beautiful face,” said the voice, “and we don’t even want to hurt your son.  Get out of our neighborhood and don’t make the film.  Understood?”

The producer decided to contact Colombo directly “to settle the matter.”  According to Tom Santopietro, author of “The Godfather Effect” (2012), the mob boss finally accepted that the film would be made…but under certain conditions.  “Neither the word “Mafia” nor ‘Cosa Nostra” must appear in the screenplay.”  Moreover, the production had to promise to donate the proceeds from the film’s preview to a hospital building fund supported by the IACRL.

Ironically, the word “mafia” appeared only once in the original screenplay.  Colombo had also asked that the characters in the film be given less Italian-sounding names.  The answer was “no.”  Nonetheless, a deal was struck.

In the Godfather, there were 5 crime families:  Corleone, Barzini, Tattaglia, Stracci, and Cuneo.  In the real world at the time, there were 5 crime families in the New York area:  Genovese, Gambino, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Colombo.  But not all of the other Mafiosi took kindly to the Colombo deal, and a few months afterward Joseph Colombo was punished.  He was shot by a hitman several times in the head and neck and remained paralyzed for seven years, until his death in 1978.  Carlo Gambino and Frank Costello (from the Luciano family) had warned him.  Giving the go ahead to the film would turn the spotlight on the mafia and its way of life.  Criminal organizations operate in secrecy.

All of this could be a film too.

Posted in Abitudini, English, Film, Foto, Italia, Italoamericani, New York, Sicilia, Storia | 4 Comments