TONIGHT WE CONTINUE OUR LOCAL SERIES LOOKING AT THE ITALIAN
AMERICANS AND HOW MUCH THEY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR CULTURE AND
WAY OF LIFE HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
THIS IS ALL IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PBS SEARS "THE ITALIAN
AMERICANS" COMING UP LATER THIS MONTH ON WGBY.
AND OUR LONGSHOREMAN REPORTS ARE SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING.
TONIGHT WE LOOK AT WHAT IT MEANS TO GROW UP ITALIAN IN SPRISMED.
SPRINGFIELD MAYOR DOMENIC SARNO AND POLITICAL AND BUSINESS
CONSULTANT TONY CIGNOLI AGREED THAT FIRST AND FOREMOST FAMILY
IN CENTRAL TO THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING ITALIAN.
>> LA FAMILIA, IT'S ALWAYS THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING.
WHEREVER I'VE GONE IN THE COUNTRY AND EVEN OUTSIDE, YOU'RE
ALWAYS CALLING BACK HOME TOUCHING BASE WITH YOUR PARENTS,
NEPHEWS, SISTERS, DAUGHTERS, IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT
YOU'RE DOING.
THAT CONSTANT CONTACT KEEPS US CENTERED HERE.
>> DOMENIC SARNO, A NICE GLASS OF RED WINE GETS TONY AND I
READY FOR THE CHARL RE ROSE OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
HE SAID IT, THE FAMILIAR, L.A. FAMILIA.
I CONNECT THAT TO BEING FIRST GENERATION.
WE'RE REALLY THE LAST CONNECTION TO THE OLD COUNTRY, OLD SCHOOL,
GROWING UP WITH OUR GRANT PARENTS AND PARENTS AND THE
TRADITIONS.
EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE COME FROM MUCH IN THE OLD
COUNTRY, MY PARENTS SURVIVED TIMES ON THE GROUND DURING THE
NAZI OWCHTION WORLD WAR II.
AND REALLY NOT MUCH FORMAL EDUCATION.
THEY STRESSED EDUCATION FOR US BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO US DO
BETTER.
SOME OF THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, I'M SURE TONY WILL
SPEAK ABOUT HIS DAD AND DOWN IN THE SOUTH END ON MARGARET
STREET.
PICKING THE WILD MUSHROOMS WITH MY GRANDPARENTS, THE MAKING OF
THE WINE, THE BOTTLING OF THE TOMATOES, THE CHRISTMAS EVE
DINNERS IN THE CELLAR.
THE SUNDAY DINNERS WOULD START OUT, WE'D MOVE TO MY MOM'S.
NOW MY WIFE KARL LAVMENT AND THESE TRADITIONS AND THE OLD
SOUTH END, THE SMELL, THE BEAUTIFUL AROMA OF THE BAKERIES
ALL DOWN THERE.
THE FOOD WAS VERY, VERY BIG.
I'LL TURN IT BACK TO TONY.
BUT WHAT'S FUNNY TO US IS THE FOOD WE ATE, CONSIDERED PEASANT
FOOD Y DO YOU NEED TO GO OUT, HAVE YOU GOOD FOOD HERE, IS NOW
GOURMET FOOD.
SO FAMILY FOOD, FAMILY, FOOD, RELIGION IS VERY BIG TOO.
>> WHEN I WAS A KID GROWING UP, I WAS EMBARRASSED TO TAKE AN
EGGPLANT SAND WITH TORCH SCHOOL.
THE AMERICAN KIDS AREN'T GOING TO DIG THIS.
BUT WE'RE LUCKY, WE'RE THE LAST GENERATION, FIRST AND SECOND
GENERATIONS BORN HERE.
I REMEMBER ITALIAN BEING SPOKEN IN THE SOUTH END AND IN MY
GRANDPARENTS' HOME.
I REMEMBER THE WORK ETHIC THEY HAD.
I THINK OF YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER.
>> STILL WORKING AS THEY ALWAYS D THEY ARE UNBELIEVABLE.
>> THE BIG THING HE MENTION BAD LANGUAGE.
OUR GRANDPARENTS AND PARENTS DID NOT WANT US HINDERED IN SCHOOL.
THEY DID NOT SPEAK TOO MUCH ITALIAN IN FRONT OF US.
WE HAD AN EXTENDED NUCLEAR FAMILY.
I COULD UNDERSTAND IN HALF ITALIAN, BUT THEY NEVER LOST THE
TRADITIONS WITH THE OLD SOCIETY.
I REMEMBER SWEEPING THE STREETS WITH THE KID AND GO WITH THE
MADONNA UP AND DOWN THE STREETS.
MY GRANDFATHER WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS THERE.
A LOT OF PRIDE IN THAT.
I THINK FOR THE FAMILY, THEY ALWAYS SAY WELL, YOU MUST BE
PROUD, TONY MUST BE PROUD.
I'D SAY I'M PROUD FOR MY PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS, I'M PROUD FOR
THEM, THEIR HARD WORK ETHIC HELPED US MOVE FORWARD.
WE'RE PROUD TO BE AMERICANS BUT VERY PROUD OF OUR ITALIAN
AMERICAN CULTURE.
>> THE FOOD AND THE HOT AT THAT TIME, THE WARMTH.
THE THING I THINK OF, MY OWN IRISH FAMILY, WOULD YOU LIKE A
CUP OF TEA?
YOU GO TO AN ITALIAN HOME, THERE'S A PLATE IN FRONT OF YOU.
IT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS AND IT'S GOOD.
IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING ANYBODY IT SEEMS TO ME WELCOME.
YOU'RE HERE WITH US, PART OF OUR FAMILY NOW.
>> LET'S BREAK BREAD.
EVEN DOING BUSINESS WITH MORE ITALIAN AMERICANS AROUND THE
COUNTRY AND SOME FROM ITALY.
FIRST YOU EAT AND THEN YOU DO THE BUSINESS.
THANKS GOT WE LEARNED THAT GROWING UP.
>> EAT FIRST, SPEAK AFTER.
MY MOM, MY GRANDPARENTS OR MY WIFE KARLA, COME ON, YOU HAVE TO
EAT, COME ON, EAT.
AND SOME OF THOSE SUNDAY DINNERS FOR THE HOLIDAY DINNERS WOULD GO
ON FOR HOURS.
THAT'S WHERE EVERYTHING WAS DECIPHERED, AT THAT POINT IN
TIME.
IT WAS ALL ABOUT GETTING FAMILY TOGETHER.
AND YOU KNOW, GROWING UP, WE REALLY IT DIDN'T MATTER WHEN YOU
WORKED.
MY MOM WAS HOME, DID A LITTLE SEAMSTRESS WORK.
MAYBE WE'D TAKE A RIDE TO THE BEACH ONE DAY.
OUR RIVIERA WAS FOREST PARK AND MISSION WHITE, THAT WAS OUR
RIVIERA, THAT WAS IT, YOU KNOW?
>> YOU TALK ABOUT A TREMENDOUS WORK ETHIC AND BOTH OF YOUR
FAMILY RESOURCE GREAT EXAMPLES.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DOWN SIDE.
THERE WAS PREJUDICE, THERE WERE PUT-DOWNS.
YOU'RE ITALIAN AMERICAN, THE MOB, THE MAUVE I CAN'T,
ORGANIZED CRIME.
IT HASN'T BEEN EASY FOR THE GENERATIONS TO GET AHEAD AND GET
INTO POSITIONS.
>> REMEMBER JOE NAPOLITAN GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO
INTO THE SOUTH ON A COUPLE OF CAMPAIGNS.
AND APPROXIMATELY NORTHERN FLORIDA, TRIAL BY FIRE.
HERE WHAT'S WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
THOSE WERE ITALIAN AMERICANS LOOKING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
THEY DON'T LIKE US DOWN HERE, JOE.
HE JUST STARTED TO LAUGH, YOU NEED TO DO SEE THAT FIRSTHAND.
>> THIS WAS 1990.
I WAS SHOCKED BY THAT, THAT THAT WAS THERE.
THERE WAS THAT PREJUDICE THAT, STEREOTYPE.
WE JUST FIGHT THROUGH IT, WORK HARDER FOR IT.
MARIO CUOMO SAID THAT SEVERAL TIMES, WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER
BECAUSE OF IT.
>> MARIO CUOMO, GOD REST HIS SOUL.
HE SPOKE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE GRANDPARENTS.
THEN AT THE CONVENTION, THAT ECHO WHAT HAD IT WAS TO BE AN
IMMIGRANT COMING HERE.
MAYOR LAGUARDIA, ON THAT.
I THINK MANY GROUPS COMING OVER HAVE TO FIGHT STEREOTYPES AT
TIMES.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ITALIAN AMERICANS, WHETHER LOCAL, STATE,
OUR COUNTRY, THE WORLD, WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
ACCOMPLISH, ITALIAN AMERICANS, YOU LOOK AT CITY HALL, IT WAS
REBUILT BY ITALIAN AMERICANS AFTER THE FIRE.
AND THEN ABOUT 2,000 ARTISANS CAME FROM ITALY TO BUILD A
MAJESTIC CITY HALL AREA.
AND WHERE DID THEY STAY?
A FEW BLOCKS IN THE SOUTH END.
WE'RE JUST PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH.
TONY'S CAREER, I THINK THE HOUSE OF MARGARET STREET.
YOUR FATHER HAD THAT GROCERY STORE.
BUT THEY ALWAYS INSTILLED IN US TO WORK HARD, GET EDUCATED.
BE HUMBLE.
BE GENUINE AND ALWAYS GIVE BACK.
I'M ALWAYS PROUD, MY FATHER WITH HIS OWN BARBERSHOP.
MY MOTHER HAD A SEAMSTRESS SHOP, ALSO.
AS KIDS WE HAD HAIRDOS AND DRESSES.
TWO KNIGHTS NICE HEADS OF HAIR.
>> I'M ENVIOUS, LET ME TELL YOU.
>> I REMEMBER TELLING MY DAD ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS I
ENCOUNTERED, THE PREJUDICE.
HE SAYS, YOU GOTTA REMEMBER, IT'S DA VINCI, MARCIANO,
DIMAGIO, GAL LAY I CAN'T.
IT'S NOT GOOD, OTTI AND WHATNOT.
HE WOULD JUST KEEP IN THAT MIND, THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE PROUD
HERITAGE.
AND EVEN NOW, I REMEMBER MY FATHER WHEN THE MAYOR WAS
ELECTED AND YOU GOT ELECTED, SO MANY OTHERS, ANOTHER ONE HAS
MADE IT AND IS MAKING A MARK, ANOTHER ROLE MODEL.
TONY DID THE EULOGY FOR THE MAYOR, HE DID A GREAT JOB.
I'LL NEVER FORGET TEDDY, THE MAYOR SENT ME A BEAUTIFUL NOTE
WHEN I BECAME MAYOR.
CARRYING OUT THE ITALIAN AMERICANS' PRIDE.
HE CAME FROM THE SIX CORNERS AREA WHERE MY FATHER CAME.
MY MOTHER CAME FROM THE SOUTH END WHEN THEY CAME OVER.
WE WERE AT HIS BROTHER'S WAKE YESTERDAY
AND THEY HAD THAT PICTURE, 221 HANCOCK STREET.
THE BROTHERS DEMARO.
THAT'S WHERE WE COME FROM ON IT.
>> FAMILIAR.
>> AND I'M GUILTY, PROS AND CONS, WE DO WEAR OR EMOTIONS,
HEARTS ON OUR SLEEVES MANY A TIME.
>> FOR THE GOOD OF THE STIFF SPRINGFIELD.
>> GENTLEMEN, WE COULD GO ON AND ON, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR AND A
PLEASURE.
WE SHOULD HAVE WINE AND CANOLES.
[LAUGHTER]