# Are there any movies about Italian-Americans that don't involve the Mafia or "guido" stereotypes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947 "2014-04-12T18:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/41 "2014-04-13T01:46:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Give the characters last names like “DiFazio” or “Rizzo”. Set the movie in Little Italy. Have the characters’ grandmother speak in Italian, or with an Italian accent. There are plenty of options. > > And another one, I don’t think _Super Mario Bros._ has any Mafia connections, though it does have a few goombas. Grandmother in the Godfather also spoke only italian, entire flashback in Godfather 2 was little italy, and Benny Fazio is a character in the Sopranos. It’s like a Kevin Bacononi game, no matter what italian american stereotype you have, it can be connected to a mafia movie. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/42 "2014-04-13T01:51:40Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Is this what you’re thinking of? > > [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892437/?ref\_=nm\_flmg\_slf\_13](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0892437/?ref_=nm_flmg_slf_13) > > _Beyond Wiseguys: Italian-Americans and the Movies_. I think that is the one. I thought I had seen it more than 10 years ago, so I was putting dates into the search that were incorrect:smack:. Thank you very much - I never got a chance to see the entire film. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/43 "2014-04-13T01:58:24Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Top 10 Movies About Italian Americans That Don’t Involve the Mafia.](http://listverse.com/2008/10/30/top-10-movies-about-italians-that-dont-involve-the-mafia/) > > Ones set in New York include: > > _Kiss Me Guido > Mac > True Love > Marty > Moonstruck_ > > _My Cousin Vinny_ involves Italian-Americans from New York but isn’t set there. > _Big Night_ is set in New Jersey. The credibility of Listverse has just dropped substantially for me. They put Rocky as #1 on the list. Rocky was a low level enforcer for a small time mafia associate - one of the first scenes in the movie is him going to a shipyard threatening to break a guy’s thumb if he doesn’t pay. Also, see #14 above. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/44 "2014-04-13T02:26:20Z")
It is true that movies about Italian Americans are very heavily dominated by ones with Mafia elements. Of these [10 Best Italian-American Movies](http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/genres-movies/italian/10-best-italian-american-movies/), no fewer than 7 are mafia-themed. _Godfather Godfather II Goodfellas Mean Streets A Bronx Tale Mickey Blue Eyes Prizzi’s Honor_ All are set at least partly in New York. The other 3 have already been mentioned _Big Night Mac Do the Right Thing_ ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/45 "2014-04-13T02:28:49Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > The credibility of Listverse has just dropped substantially for me. They put Rocky as #1 on the list. Rocky was a low level enforcer for a small time mafia associate - one of the first scenes in the movie is him going to a shipyard threatening to break a guy’s thumb if he doesn’t pay. Also, see #14 above. What’s really odd is that Listverse acknowledges that as well. > [@](#): > > Yo! The underdog from South Philly makes good. Despite all the lousy sequels, the original remains a true classic. Stallone, who wrote the script, owned this character. You go through an entire range of emotions with him, and care about him. Now, some people would say there is some undertone of mob activity, with Rocky being a thumb-breaker for the local bookie, but let’s let that one slide, aiight? yo! ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/46 "2014-04-13T02:56:04Z")
Robert De Niro is of Italian, Irish, English, Dutch, German, and French ancestry: > **[Robert De Niro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_De_Niro)** > > Robert Anthony De Niro (/də ˈnɪəroʊ/ də NEER-roh, Italian: \[de ˈniːro\]; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2009, De Niro received the Kennedy Center Honor, and earned a Presidenti... Some more films that fit (although I’m not sure where in the U.S. they’re set): _Christ in Concrete_ (a.k.a. _Give Us This Day_) _Household Saints_ _Don Jon_ _The Amati Girls_ _Mac_ _29th Street_ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/47 "2014-04-13T03:17:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Superhal** : > > Grandmother in the Godfather also spoke only italian, entire flashback in Godfather 2 was little italy, and Benny Fazio is a character in the Sopranos. Oh, sure, you’re likely to have all of those elements in a Mafia film. You’re also likely to see main characters who have two arms and two legs each, blue skies and chlorophyll-tinted plants, and pieces of paper with presidents’ portraits on them used as money. But you can also have all of those elements without it being a Mafia movie. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/48 "2014-04-13T03:34:32Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Oh, sure, you’re likely to have all of those elements in a Mafia film. You’re also likely to see main characters who have two arms and two legs each, blue skies and chlorophyll-tinted plants, and pieces of paper with presidents’ portraits on them used as money. But you can also have all of those elements without it being a Mafia movie. What I’m saying is that any identifying characteristic of an Italian american would be found in a mafia film as well. To identify a film featuring italian americans without some mafia connection somewhere is virtually impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Melchior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Melchior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melchior)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/49 "2014-04-13T03:46:20Z")
Mystic Pizza ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/50 "2014-04-13T04:31:30Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > What I’m saying is that any identifying characteristic of an Italian american would be found in a mafia film as well. To identify a film featuring italian americans without some mafia connection somewhere is virtually impossible. I think you’re misunderstanding what he’s saying and what **monstro** is asking about. She’s asking for movies with Italian-American characters who aren’t in the Mafia or connected to the Mafia. Movies with the Mafia are going to have Italian characters in them, but Italian characters in movies aren’t necessarily in the Mafia. So, just because Godfather 2 was set partly in Little Italy doesn’t mean that every show that takes place in Little Italy is about the mafia or has characters who arei n the mafia. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/51 "2014-04-13T04:37:49Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I think you’re misunderstanding what he’s saying and what **monstro** is asking about. She’s asking for movies with Italian-American characters who aren’t in the Mafia or connected to the Mafia. Movies with the Mafia are going to have Italian characters in them, but Italian characters in movies aren’t necessarily in the Mafia. So, just because Godfather 2 was set partly in Little Italy doesn’t mean that every show that takes place in Little Italy is about the mafia or has characters who arei n the mafia. No, see the post with the title change. “Guido stereotypes” includes non-mafia Italian american stereotypes. I’m going to say that all Italian american stereotypes can be found in mafia films. Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinnie is basically playing the same character he played in all the Scorsese films, the only difference being he doesn’t beat Marissa Tormei. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/52 "2014-04-13T12:17:36Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > What’s really odd is that Listverse acknowledges that as well. True, my post makes it seem as if they don’t, which would make the list _really_ wacky. I think it is sloppy to make lists and put things in them that don’t really fit - or why not put Rocky II instead? But it is really more of an entertainment site so I think I will be able to move on with my life. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/53 "2014-04-13T13:32:57Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > No, see the post with the title change. “Guido stereotypes” includes non-mafia Italian american stereotypes. I’m going to say that all Italian american stereotypes can be found in mafia films. Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinnie is basically playing the same character he played in all the Scorsese films, the only difference being he doesn’t beat Marissa Tormei. And there are movies out there without quido stereotypes, too. So obviously it hasn’t been that difficult for people to find them. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/54 "2014-04-13T15:19:40Z")
_Mambo Italiano_, set in Toronto (I think), featuring Italian-Canadian characters. It’s a “gay” movie, though (but without explicit sex scenes or anything). It is, however, absolutely hilarious. Especially to this Italian-American. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947/55 "2014-04-13T15:22:28Z")
> [@Melchior](#): > > Mystic Pizza Most of the characters are Portuguese, not Italian, if I remember correctly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-movies-about-italian-americans-that-dont-involve-the-mafia-or-guido-stereotypes/685947.md?page=2)