Rudy Giuliani sent a message yesterday to Columbus Day Parade sponsors who want to ban two “Sopranos” stars from marching – lighten up!
“I’m a big ‘Sopranos’ fan,” said the former mayor. “The show is a terrific show, and I would urge some Italian-Americans to be less sensitive. You could spend your whole life wanting to be insulted . . . Why? Why do you want to be insulted?
“I think we’ll all get beyond it when we just relax more about it,” said Giuliani.
While he was mayor, Giuliani refrained from inviting cast members to march with him because the parade sponsor believes the show stereotypes Italian-Americans.
The sponsor, the Columbus Citizens Foundation, yesterday asked Mayor Bloomberg to revoke his invitation to “Sopranos” co-stars Lorraine Bracco and Dominic Chianese to march with him Monday. And the group threatened to whack Bloomberg with legal action if he refuses.
“We have a First Amendment right to determine the content of our parade,” said Lawrence Auriana, president of the group.
“In this society, stereotyping of subcultures, or minority groups or ethnic groups, is not permitted with the exception of Italian-Americans,” said Auriana. “‘The Sopranos’ has done great damage to this community. It affects the way our fellow citizens perceive Italian-Americans as a group and as individuals.”
Meanwhile, Sopranos star Joe Pantoliano – who plays Ralphie – said the organizers aren’t stand-up guys.
“I don’t know about this Christopher Columbus parade that is basically celebrating some guy who 500 years ago went out to find the Indies and instead found America and then killed all the Indians,” the actor told the Washington Post.
“I personally feel that they’re hypocrites . . . [they] need to wake up and smell the cappuccino.”
This past Wednesday, Bloomberg said that if anyone had a problem with the actors marching, they could merely not wave to them as they pass by.
Bracco plays psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Melfi on the hit show, and Chianese plays patriarchal mobster Uncle Junior.