I just wonder how many of these second generation bosses and Skips could speak the language.

Sal

No. But he could burp the alphabet.

No joke, seriously.

Does anybody know for sure.....

I am 99% sure that he could only speak a few words and that he couldn't form a sentence in Italian.

I think you are probably right.

Probably only the curse words

Definitive NO.

He spoke Paulie Walnuts/Tony Soprano Italian. A minchia here, a mannaggia there, makes guys think they were born on the other side. Just like that episode of "The Sopranos" when they go to Naples thinking they're natives and make buffoons of themselves.

No, Period.

"Giovanni" Gotti

It's funny how they speak sometimes mixing languages:

Nick Civella: I think he is pazzo

Francesco Madafferi: Io sono fucking responsabile per la fucking Melbourne!

No, he couldnt. As the great joe coffey said about gotti had the vocabulary of a sailor and the IQ of a mothball lol

Born here?

Cali, some of the 18th Avenue kids.

Sally Larca (the father) was born here, spoke Italian fairly well. And that's rare because the Westsiders are the most Americanized. A few other guys.

Just like every other Italian family, the language got lost because our parents and grandparents wanted to better us and have us speak English first. Not like most Latinos and Middle Easterners who refuse to learn the language. I know THIRD GENERATION Puerto Ricans born in the Bronx that won't speak a word of English.

Now, there are some fine Puerto Rican people here in the Bronx. But wherever you come from, if you refuse to learn the language, get the fuck out. And I don't care who gets offended by that.

I think what many people don't "get" is that being an Italian American is a special culture all its own.

Its one that is neither European (like being FROM Italy) but its also not Wonder bread mayonaise and spagetti-o's either.

Its simply what it is. A hundred years ago a group of imigrants came to this country and still after all these years they try to embrace their heritage.Some try too hard though, this annoys me.
,
I'm with PB on the "Goomba" shit. I can understand Italian pretty well because I lived right next door to my grandparents until they died when I was well in my early 40's when they passed. I can say some sentances, but I would never pretend to know the language fluently by using certain words that most of us grew up with in front of real Italians from Italy. Also they spoke a heavy Naples dialect. I remember when the news would come on cable from Rome my Grandmother had to pay very close attention to understand it.

But there definitely is and Italian American culture that stands alone.

concur..

nah

coffey..hmm..i think him and john were in the same clas

Always found it strange that people call themselves Italian but can't speak the language


We have a lot of Italians in the UK and many are maybe now 2nd or 3rd generation Brits and they hardly bother with anything Italian and don't describe themselves as Italian

Must be more of an American cultural thing, I think its nice that people want to hold on to their history, but they should know the language if they feel that strongly about it..

I find Italian-Americans to be completely different to Italians characteristically and culturally.

I think those scenes in The Sopranos that feature Italian characters (Furio etc.) capture the dissonance pretty well.

americans of italian descent,, thats what i am..

I can say this about the Italian Americans: A hundred years ago our ancestors were busting their asses doing work that no one else would do. They were ridiculed and even spit on, having to walk in the gutter. Now look at the Italian Americans. They are living the American Dream that their grandparents and great grandparents worked so hard to achieve for them.

How can you NOT be proud of that!!!!

And I cannot speak the language fluently. So what? Nothing is wrong with that. It's understanding and appreciating what our ancestors had to go through to give us an easier life. That's what we celebrate along with the traditional feasts. Plus we have the BEST food...and of course the American Mafia. Try to TOP all that

Okay, you can take a deep breath and have a drink now. I think this thread is about the Italian-Americans who are fourth and fifth generation and overdo it. A twenty-year-old kid who grows up in Upper Montclair or Scarsdale and deliberately tries to sound like Vinny Barbarino. That's a fucking disgrace. Their parents should be drawn and quartered. You keep the CULTURE alive, not the STEREOTYPE. My two cents.

And I speak both dialects fluently. But as I've said, I lived in Cosenza for 18 months and visited close to a dozen other times. Not to mention staying with my Mom's people in Basilicata. So I'm a little different.

I gotta disagree Moe. Culturally, yes. Characteristically? No.

Quality post, Alfa. Four Stars from Pizzaboy.

Thanks PB.

I work in hospitality and meet tons of people from all over the world every day. So you begin to see patterns. All Europeans are not the same, and Italians from Italy are similar in many respects to Italian Americans. The Italians from Italy are very quiet people, but the men have very explosive tempers.

did you go to troppia..if spelled right

Tropea. That's a couple hours south of Lauropoli. Gorgeous beaches. We've been there for short stays. And then My Mom's people are in Matera, about two hours north of Lauropoli. Easy travel, even in a Fiat .

i have friends in Tropea..lol thanks

Fiat.

Fix It Again Tony.



Best acronym ever.

Same thing here in italy,there for example chinese that don't speak chinese but onlu italian and in some case the neapolitan.

Mario Balottelli is african but adopted by a northern,so when speak,you can hear the dialect.

For me if a person is born in italy,speak italian and was full integrated,this person is italian,this is called Ius Soli (right of the soil,is the right of anyone born in the territory of a state to nationality or citizenship.)

I'm also agree with Moe,a fifth or sixth generation italian is an american of italian descent,that all,or simple a white people.

For Gotti I doubt that know that the Italy stay in the Europe.




That in the 70s now in the 2010s the people accused Obama of sold the Chrysler to the italians.

lol never heard that

Nah, it was a loan. The Italians charged him four points a week, and the fucking moron thinks he got a deal .