Politician's flier offends some with Italian roots

VIRGINIA BEACH

Albert Marra was shocked by the political fundraising flier he found in his mailbox last week.

It was a picture of Del. Sal Iaquinto, in a dark suit, hair slicked back, hands clasped in a prayer position, evoking Al Pacino in the movie poster for "The Godfather Part III."

"I found it utterly offensive," said Marra, an Italian-language professor at Old Dominion University. "It perpetuates the kind of stereotypes we're accustomed to getting from Hollywood, not our elected officials, especially one that has Italian roots."

He took the flier to the weekly dinner of the Order Sons of Italy in America Roma Lodge #254 in Virginia Beach and showed it to the group's president, Bruno Cardo, who criticized it publicly at the meeting.

Cardo said he found in especially poor taste the part describing dress attire for the Sept. 16th "Join the Family" fundraiser. It says: "Zoot Suit or Business Casual. No Cement Shoes."

"This is totally inappropriate," Cardo said Monday. "What are we, a bunch of gangsters around here?"

The flier takes the Mafia theme further, listing donor levels such as "Godfather" ($2,000), Don ($1,500), and Consiglieri ($1,000), which can be translated as "trusted advisor."

Iaquinto, an Italian-American Republican who represents the 84th District in Virginia Beach, said the flier was supposed to be humorous and an attempt to distinguish his event from the typical "rubber chicken dinner."

He said he was trying to celebrate the movie, not the culture of organized crime.

"This isn't a Mafia thing," he said. "It's a movie thing."

Iaquinto noted that last year, he threw a fundraiser based on the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean," complete with a roving band of pirate actors.

"I by no means condone the activity of organized crime, and I don't condone the activities of pirates," he said. "I do apologize if I've offended anyone, but that was not the intention."

Marra said that wasn't the kind of apology he and his group wanted to hear.

"Always the caveat, 'If I've offended anyone,' " Marra said. "He has offended. Saying that means he doesn't really see it as offensive, and he needs to see it as such."

Iaquinto, who is a past member of the Roma lodge, said he will try to talk to group members.

"I'm sorry that they feel this way," he said. "It was just an homage to a good movie."

Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com