Tom Suozzi Blasts Mazi Pilip Campaign’s Usage of Anti-Italian Slur
Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Italian-American advocacy groups have criticized Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip’s campaign for referring to Suozzi as the “godfather of the border crisis,” in a New York Post article.
The phrase “godfather,” particularly in usage against Italian-Americans, carries a negative stereotype of association with the Mafia, as a result of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather films.
“As Italian Americans and Italian American organizations, we condemn this anti-Italian attack and demand that Legislator Pilip apologize and refrain from issuing any other anti-Italian stereotypes in the future,” a joint statement by Suozzi, Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations, the Italian American Action Committee, the New York State Italian American PAC, and the Order of the Sons of Italy said in a statement.
“You can call me a lot of things that are inaccurate, you can call me all kinds of names which they have throughout this campaign. But why would you call me ‘the godfather?’ ” Suozzi said in a Zoom call on Wednesday. “Why would you use that particular expression?”
Robert Fonti of the Italian American Action Committee said that Pilip will feel the effects of this on Election Day.
“When you insult one of us, you insult all of us,” Fonti said. “There is no time and space in this world to denigrate Italian-Americans or any American. But it seems that this campaign has gone off keel. Words matter. And I’m going to tell you something, votes matter too. The largest voting bloc in the state of New York are Italian Americans, we will be voting for our candidates.”
Suozzi, whose father was born in Italy, said he is particularly sensitive to this kind of comment.
“My father had a deal with these attacks,” Suozzi said. “He served in World War II as a navigator on a B-24. And went came back home and went to Harvard Law School on the GI Bill, but couldn’t get a job at a law firm, even though he went to Harvard Law School, because people wouldn’t hire Italians – because the Italians had teamed up with the Germans during World War Two and because of the Mafia.”
Suozzi mentioned his history of advocating for Italian-Americans, such as calling on the U.S. government to formally apologize for the internment of Italian-Americans during World War II.
Pilip’s campaign refused to apologize for the usage of the word “godfather” in reference to Suozzi, instead doubling down on her views about Suozzi’s role in the border crisis.
