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December 16, 2015

On the Road to Naples I Discovered Why Italian American Politicians are their Own Worst Enemies

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
This is a Naples Bike Lane. My Neapolitan friend said the European Union gave funds to promote biking and the local authorities painted these so they didn't have to send the money back. In five days of walking, four or more hours a day, I didn't see one person riding a bicycle. There's a political lesson to be learned here but I don't know what it is.

Italian American politicians adhere to a corollary given by the 6th century BCE Chinese general Sun Tzu who wrote the Art of War. It was uttered by Michael Corleone in The...

August 9, 2015

Part II -- The Unfortunate Pilgrim*: Or You Can’t Get There From Here

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
The shortcut to Laurino, we thought (La scorciatoia a Laurino, abbiamo pensato).

Finding her roots in the almost mythic hometown of my wife's father, Anthony Charles Nicoletti, wasn't as easy as we thought it was, but it was well worth the effort. To...

July 17, 2015

Part I -- The Unfortunate Pilgrim*: Or You Can’t Get There From Here

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
A Cangelosi wedding circa 1935. My mother Martha Rose is the beautiful bridesmaid in the upper right corner. She didn't marry a Sicilian. Therefore the reason for this story.

*With apologies to Mario Puzo this essay in three-parts will demonstrate why, as to reconnecting to or even finding my Sicilian/Italian ethnic roots, "you can't get there from...

January 2, 2015

Between Columbus and Cuomo

Jerry Krase

With the sad announcement of the death of Mario Cuomo on the same day of the inauguration of his son Andrew for the second time as Governor of New York State, people, like myself...

December 20, 2014

Saint Francis Comes to Brooklyn

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
To get to Brooklyn Borough Hall, from the United Nations, it is best to take the Brooklyn Bridge.

Last week I received a last-minute invitation from Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and "The Committee for Frate Francesco” to attend the grand opening of the historic...

November 22, 2014

Verrazano and the Discovery of Staten Island

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
Sailing the Inner New York Bay today.

Given that we are currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of a misspelled bridge I thought an excerpt from my book, "The Staten Island Italian American Experience," briefly...

August 27, 2014

Andrew Cuomo: Tribulations and Perhaps Trials

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
I came across this "Sham Construction" company truck across from my house in Park Slope, Brooklyn and wondered whether it was the start of a "truth in advertising" movement that might be adopted by political campaign strategists. Aye, there's the rub.

Andy, the least lovable Cuomo is in deeper stuff than usual. The New Times reported recently that he “hobbled” investigations by the Commission he established when it got too...

May 14, 2014

Rather Grimm Fairytales

Jerry Krase
11th U.S. Congressional District New York State Immigration Action Fund
The 11th United States Congressional District is currently represented by Michael Grimm (R). It covers all of Staten Island and some southern Brooklyn neighborhoods such as Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, and Gravesend. He is being challenged for the position by Domenic Recchia (D).

Dominic M. Recchia is trying to fill the somewhat dirty shoes of incumbent Congressman Michael Grimm. However, I must warn him that strange things have happened to those elected...

March 21, 2014

The Irish Routes of Success for a few Italian American Politicians

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
Last year I was invited to march with friends who are members of the Brooklyn's Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. We started here at the family mass at St. Saviours R.C. Church.

There is an excess of successful Italian American politicians in the New York Metropolitan Area and as I’ve spent too much time on NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio, I shall turn my...

January 16, 2014

Pizzagate According to Me (Pizzagate secondo me)

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
What more can one say about frozen pizza dough and Pizzagate?

As with abstinence, Pizzagate leaves a great deal to be desired.

January 7, 2014

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Gracie Mansion

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
Waiting to see Mayor Bill De Blasio at Gracie Mansion.

There have been so many complaints about Bill De Blasio’s inauguration in the right-wing (di destra) mass media and apologies in the left-wing (di sinistra) mass media that I...

November 24, 2013

A Day, or so, in the Life of Jerry Krase, De Blasio Campaign Volunteer

Jerry Krase
Jerry Krase
Park Slope Bill De Blasio Get Out the Vote Campaign Headquarters

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn began Ivan’s bitterly cold and dark day as a forced laborer in a Gulag camp; mine began a bit more leisurely on a brilliantly warm and sunny Tuesday...

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