posted about this doc. years ago in another section of the board








Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans and the Movies

DON’T get her wrong: Rosanne De Luca Braun loves “The Godfather.” Ditto, “The Sopranos.” But she has devoted much of the last seven years to exploring why certain Italian-American stereotypes — especially the gun-toting, cannoli-loving mobster — loom so large on screen, and in the national psyche.

The result of her labors is the documentary “Beyond Wiseguys: Italian Americans and the Movies,” which will have its Long Island premiere on Jan. 20 at the Cinema Arts Center in Huntington. Dominic Chianese, who played Uncle Junior in “The Sopranos” television series, is scheduled to make a guest appearance at the theater.

Running 57 minutes, “Beyond Wiseguys” interweaves celebrated movie and TV scenes with interviews with scholars and members of the film and TV industries. Among those appearing are the directors Martin Scorsese, David Chase and Spike Lee, the actor-director John Turturro (who was co-executive producer of the documentary with Ms. Braun), and, from the acting ranks, Marisa Tomei, Paul Sorvino, Ben Gazzara, Isabella Rossellini, Susan Sarandon and Mr. Chianese.

Some tell of having endured typecasting or of fighting ethnic clichés. Yet Ms. Braun, 59, of Sicilian and Calabrian descent herself, says she is not merely beating a drum against intolerance. “I’m not anti mob movies,” she said recently over lunch in her condominium overlooking Long Island Sound in Northport. (She shares it with her husband, Edward Braun, the chairman of the technology-instrument company Veeco.)

“I don’t relate to the fact that these are ‘stereotypes,’ ” Ms. Braun said. “I relate to the characters. And in the case of a great work of art, I don’t view it as Italian-American — it’s American.”

Nevertheless, “Beyond Wiseguys” has its roots partly in community concern over negative screen images. In 2000, Ms. Braun, then director of marketing and development at the Cinema Arts Center, worked with its co-directors, Vic Skolnick, Charlotte Sky and Dylan Skolnick, to organize an Italian-American film festival devoid of “made” men, rubouts and the like.

Such films proved hard to find, though. The depiction of Italian-Americans as voluble, emotional and sometimes murderous had remained “largely formulaic,” Ms. Braun said, from the earliest days of the movie industry.

That was true, she said, even though “we found an endless supply of Italian-American craftsmen working behind the scenes in Hollywood from Day 1 — set designers, composers, writers, costume designers,” making their mark in often sophisticated ways.

Convinced she was “really onto something,” Ms. Braun left her job in 2000 to work on the idea. She sent her outline to Mr. Turturro.

In the film business, “I was nobody,” Ms. Braun explained. “I knew I was going to need a name attached to open some doors for me.”

Mr. Turturro soon signed on. The issue of ethnic sterotyping is something he deals with daily on a professional level, he said through an assistant.

It worked. “I could have said, ‘This is Daisy Duck,’ as long as I said, ‘John Turturro,’ ” said Ms. Braun, who rounded up interview subjects and, over time, raised “about $350,000.” (”Beyond Wiseguys” got its major financial backing from Italian-American sources, including LiDestri Foods of Rochester, a maker of pasta sauce and other products, and the National Italian American Foundation, but they had no editorial input, she said.)

When it came to making the film, two veteran documentary makers, Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher, collaborated with Ms. Braun, a neophyte.

Given the documentary’s many strands, Ms. Braun said she would most like viewers to take away the sense that Hollywood’s Italian-American sagas, at their best, transcend stereotype: “They’re filled with the aroma, and the real experiences, of Italian family life and Italian history,” she said.

A lot of Italians Americanized their names when they came here from the other side. This was very common because it was easier to get work with a more American name and they ran into less prejudice.

Not only Italians Germans as well.

My Daddio was a German Jew. His name was Braun he changed it to Brown.

All my friends had Italian names. When we got stopped by the cops and were asked our names and I said Brown they thought I was giving them a phony name and they would rough me up. My so called friends got a kick out of that.

I met Susan Sarandon as a kid on a train. I thought she was very beautiful her skin was very dark. We just started to talk she told me she was an actor. She could not get enough parts she said because she was too ethnic.

She doesn't have dark completion now.

When I was a kid I had a dark complexion and I have curly hair my mother was a dark complexion women from Naples. When she went to Florida she came back real dark.

When I first met my wife she was not sure what nationality I was.

My best friend is Italian but he does not have an Italian last name its Williams. Original it was Guailairmo I probably misspelled it.

When Italians came here their sport was calcio soccer. They stopped following and embraced baseball.

I had a friend Joe Lombardi who never did that he founded the Italian league and the Brooklyn Italian soccer club. He did change the name of the club for a season to the Brooklyn Dodgers biggest mistake he ever made. He is in the US soccer hall of fame.

Yes but in the cover with scorsese, Tucci and de Niro would put an actress with italian because a person that see Susan sarandon (italian on the mother side; ok). What I want to say: there are italian american actress to put on the cover ?
Just my opinion.

Furio,

Out of the actresses interviewed for the doc., I'd say that Sarandon is the most well known to American audiences.

Isabella Rosselini and Marisa Tomei are the other actresses listed .

Are you saying that she doesn't "look" Italian? Or that her last name isn't an Italian one?



If the full documentary turns up online, I will post it here...I thought it was pretty good.

Furio,

If you asked most Americans years ago who their favorite Italian American actress was, they would say....................Cher.

How about Sophia Loren?

Sophia was born Sofia Villani Scicolone

Only for the surname. Why she was with de Niro &co on the cover ? Why not Marisa Tomei ?

Does anybody have a link,so i can watch this?

Working on finding a live link, DeNiro.

Sophia is Italian Italian

Stanley Tucci is a chameleon.

Look at his characters in The Lovely Bones & Spotlight.

I can't believe it's the same person.

Furio,

The four people on the cover are among THE most respected and accomplished artists in the world of American cinema/stage.....Italian or otherwise.

Not sure if Tomei is quite in that class.

Also, Italians ,like all other Americans are gonna marry other groups of people after 2-3 generations here.First I'd guess that the "other groups" include Italians from other regions...then it includes non-Italians.

Susan (and Robert Deniro) are the children of Italian parent and non Italian parent.....Deniro just carries the last name of his Italian father.

The woman who did the doc. is Italian but carries the Germanic last name of her husband.

Ok I read that the sarandon was italian on the mother side. What would say that at least on the cover could stay actor/actress with an italian surnames.

Gets

I think Robert De Niro's father was only Italian on one side and his mother doesn't carry any Italian blood, so Bruce Springsteen is just as Italian as De Niro is.

But as you say, as long as they have any Italian blood, you can call them Italian American or Irish American or Dutch American.

Moe,

thanks.....interesting and hilarious

So David Caruso(Sicilian father)

and Giancarlo Esposito (Neapolitan father)

are more Italian than Robert Deniro. hehe

Sorry for looked like a fanatic, the sarandon is italian despite the surname.

Don't forget Hulk Hogan.

And Jenna Marie Massoli aka Jenna Jameson.

Furio you horndog..

Yes,and like all the male in this forum I'm proud of it
And I think that must be done a sequela of this doc with the title Beyond Wisegirls: the Dark Side of the italian american female.

Here a list of this hidden heroines

Adult movie starsEdit

Lisa Ann, of Sicilian-Italian descent.
Ariana Kaitlyn Ashley
Carmella Bing
Lizzy Borden, born Janet Romano-Zicari
Charley Chase
Jewel De Nyle, half Italian, part English and Spanish
Nikki Delano
Tommy Gunn
Jenna Jameson, born Jennifer Massoli, part English, Irish and German, half Italian (father)
Ariana Jollee
Shy Love, half Italian, half Puerto Rican
Gina Lynn, half Italian, half Puerto Rican
Olivia O'Lovely, part Italian, Spanish, Chilean and French
Regan Reese
Raven Riley
Bonnie Rotten
Dylan Ryder
Joey Stefano (1968–1994)
Michael Stefano
Taryn Thomas, of full Italian descent (Sicilian and Neapolitan)
Flower Tucci, part Italian, Irish and Swedish
Angelina Valentine

Adult models

Aria Giovanni, adult model with Penthouse,Hustler, and Club magazines

^^^ FURIO, shame on you