Garibaldi, Meucci, Mariani, and a Lost History

Sent from a descendant who wished to remain anonymous, via a friend:

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Sir. My great-grandfather Domenico Mariani came from Italy some time around 1844, here is a history about him.

We know that he was on the other end of the phone as it was in those times and first heard the voice of Meucci. When Meucci took Bell (AT&T) to court over the rights to the invention grandpa Mariani was his witness. AT&T sent around some men to offer my Grandfather $25,000 to return to Italy where could live very good on that but he said friendship was more important. That is the kind of man Italy put out in those days! Italian Blood was more important then they money. needless to say Meucci lost the case.

We Know that history doesn't have Garibaldi in Cuba, but letters sent to my Grandfather has him there on the QT. We love all that we come from, growing up in Brooklyn NY's mostly Italian community (waterfront) we learn to love the culture and it's people! There is much more to the life of this great Italian, but this will do. God Bless.

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The information I have is that he was born in 1805 in or near Milan. He played in Teatro alla Scala for 20 years. He was a musician with the violin, viola. We believe that he came to America with the first Italian opera company in about 1844. We know that he played at the Tacon Opera house in Havana, Cuba for 4 or 5 years with Antonio Meucci. He lived with Antonio Meucci, and Giuseppe Garibaldi in New York City in the 1850's.

From 1860 to 1885, he played at the NYC Academy of Music and the Metropolitan Opera House, under the direction of many persons, including Luigi Arditi. He played under the control of the Impressario Mr. Mapleson.

My GGGrandfather was important in influencing the Regimental Army bands of Massachusetts during the American Civil War 1861-1865, and was a music teacher and drum major.

We know that he had the reputation as one of the finest violists in America in the 1870's.

We do not know exactly where he was born in Milan.

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A letter from the "Old Country." [records department]:

Let me only state that, whenever there was a problem with the Meuccis, Domenico Mariani was with them, helping them with his own means, sacrificing his own time and interests, for the mere sake of friendship. For example, when Esther (Meucci's wife) was confined in her bed as an invalid, Domenico came and cooked the meals for her, also giving her invaluable moral assistance, to the point that she exclaimed to him: “Bravo, Mariani; you are a great man. You will be the man that will cure me.” [Deposition of Domenico Mariani, in the Bell vs. Globe and Meucci trial, Answer 24].

Moreover, referring to a visit paid to the Meuccis in 1873, Mariani stated [Ans. 55]: ". . . In 1873 I went to Staten Island to visit Mrs. Meucci that was sick. We sat at the table, and they told me, crying, that they were in extreme poverty. Meucci recalled to the memory the times of plenty, and added: “Of so much gold nothing is left us”. This made me cry also. Meucci had once a marine telescope of the value of about $280. Tagliabue, who was keeping a store for optical instruments offered for the telescope one dollar. I cried with pain at not having money, and Meucci cried in confessing to me that he was living on charity. His friends sent him flour, provisions and other things."

You should have in your records all the above: I only quoted it to let you understand how high I value your ancestor.

All the information you kindly included in your email agrees quite well with that in my possession.

You can be well proud of such a great ancestor.

Cordially yours,

Basilio Catania

What is Leaguism?

"Leaguism," sometimes spelled "Leagueism," is a political ideology which attempts to combine the better aspects of the right and left, and mold them together under a nationalistic banner. It is the ideology which was invented by the Lega Nord party in Northern Italy.

The name Lega Nord (Northern League in English) is taken from the Lombard League. The Lombard League which was the alliance of Northern Italian city states in the middle ages, which fought for and won it's independence on several occasions from the Germanic Holy Roman Empire.

Leaguism is the antithesis of Imperialism, Globalism, and central governance, so it is somewhat similar to Libertarianism. It not only respects, but fosters and encourages the local cultures of regions, provinces, and cities. Leaguism is sometimes synonymous with regionalism or secessionism. Whenever a city, anywhere in the world, is touted as an "International City," that always spells the decline of the local culture.

Although attacked as Fascist or Communist by it's Monopoly Capitalist and Social Marxist opponents, it is nothing of the sort. If Globalism (Fabian Socialism) is the fusion of Monopoly Capitalism and Social Marxism, then Leaguism attempts to take pure Capitalism and pure Democracy and merge them in practice (not as overriding dictatorial systems) in a similar manner as was done in early America.

Leaguism is not to be confused with "Land Leaguism" or "Collectivism." It attempts to take the best aspects of both individualism and regional identity. You could say that it would tout the individual, the region, and the nation as "sovereigns." It is ANYTHING but Communist or Fascist.

Benvenuti - Griffith: Forty Years Later

One of the forgotten epics in boxing history was the trilogy of boxing matches between Nino Benvenuti and Emile Griffith. All three being for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world. Benvenuti is considered by many, including noted boxing writer Brian Doogan, to be the greatest boxer ever from Italy.

Although I can't do justice in this short piece as far as Benvenuti's amateur and early pro records in winning the 1960 Olympic welterweight gold medal, as well as numerous Italian and European titles, I will just quickly set the stage for the first Griffith bout. In June 1966, Benvenuti entered the ring to defend his Junior Middleweight (154 lbs.) world championship for the third time against the somewhat lightly regarded South Korean Ki Soo Kim in South Korea. Benvenuti had an amazing 65-0 record, and seemed on his way to much bigger fights. He ended up losing a split decision to Kim.

Perhaps his prior bout against notorious head butter Don Fullmer (whom he did defeat) broke down his confidence (after 26 stitches in the dirty bout), or maybe it was Kim flying very high in his home country (which is so common in sports), or maybe it was a questionable decision, but he did end up losing. Back in those days, the "light middleweight" division was lightly regarded, so losing to an average contender like Kim didn't bode well for Benvenuti's future chances at higher glory, prestige, and money in the great middleweight division. As it turned out, it was probably just an off-night in Seoul.

On April 17th, 1967, after six more wins in the middleweight division, Nino Benvenuti took a 71-1 record into the legendary Madison Square Garden (now closed) in New York City to face middleweight champion Emile Griffith. In a thrilling fight, in which both boxers were down, Benvenuti defeated Griffith by a clear unanimous decision. Ring Magazine named it the "1967 Fight of the Year." The enthusiastic crowd, of largely New York Italian-Americans, adopted the native of the Veneto as their very own. As the legendary trainer (of Griffith) Gil Clancy said, the crowd was virtually 100% in favor of Benvenuti. It was clearly an Italian thing, rather than some kind of overwhelming cheering of a White man over a Black man. Actually, as stated earlier, enthusiastic crowds can have a very favorable effect on the individual or team that is being cheered, like a bolt of electricity on their side.

Five months later, Benvenuti defended his title against Griffith again, and again it was held in New York State (Shea Stadium, Flushing, NY). This time Griffith won a close unanimous decision. After another win, Benvenuti again challenged Griffith in a "rubber match" in Madison Square Garden in 1968. Benvenuti won a close unanimous decision. Benvenuti went on to lose and win the world middleweight championship a couple of more times (5-time world champion in total). Between 1970 and 71, a slightly past his prime Benvenuti was defeated twice (TKO & KO) by Argentinian Carlos Monzon, who is considered today by many to be THE greatest middleweight of all time.

Perhaps someday we can produce a documentary, about Benvenuti and the trilogy with Emile Griffith, worthy of this piece of largely forgotten history. Benvenuti has gone on to do many things since his retirement from boxing, too numerous to name here, including a long friendship with Griffith and Monzon.

Related Links:
Nino Benvenuti Bio - Wikipedia
Emile Griffith Bio - Wikipedia
Nino Benvenuti Record - Boxrec.com
Emile Griffith Record - Boxrec.com
Benvenuti-Griffith I - YouTube

The Harmless Ethnic Slur: "Polentone"

The supposed insult, "Polentone" ("Polentoni" in plural), is aimed at people of Northern Italian descent, in an apparent attempt to remind them of their times of struggle. During the hard times of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and perhaps at other times, people relied on Polenta to survive.

Hard times such as these affected every nation in Europe, and the world, during this period. Therefore, the "insult" doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The real root of this is from poor Southern Italians, who migrated north after the second world war in the millions, and were denigrated partly due to their extreme poverty. The real reason for this bigotry was that the Italian peninsula was put together in 1860 from numerous nations. This is why Italy has always been such a regional-minded country, at least since the fall of the Roman Empire.

While this term hardly strikes me as an insult, I do recall overhearing some guy in an Italian-American Yahoo chat room, speaking on the microphone, spouting off something about "Polenta, cornmeal, yuck!" This smart alec was probably benignly speaking out of turn, but it sort've ticked me off. This was something that people needed for their very survival. I mean, how high-minded can people be? Hard times seem to be coming back to America. Who knows, maybe he will get a taste of humility.

Polenta is indeed a dish made from boiled cornmeal. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone who didn't like it, except for the joker in the chat room. Although overwhelmingly associated with Northern Italy (not Southern Italy), it is also part of the history of the whole Alpine region (Alpine German, French, and Slavic), and also west to Corsica and as far east as Rumania. I was going to put a recipe here, but it's so easy to find them online. However, I do recommend the book 'The Classic Food of Northern Italy' (Anna Del Conte; 2004).

Many times in history, various people have co-opted negative terms aimed at them. It depends. If the "intent" was so negative, maybe they wouldn't. I don't think there are any Canadians who would take offense at being called a "Canuck." There are a few other examples like this. For whatever it's worth, "Terrone" ("Terroni") refers to a Southern Italian, and "Mezzogiorno" refers to Southern Italy or the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. I don't think they're considered negative terms anymore.

Hiding the Welcome Mat

Minerva has something to say about leukophobia and its effects on Italy.

A few years ago when the economic crisis in Argentina was at its worst, many Argentineans of Italian descent wanted to come back to Italy. They were either the children or descendants of Italian parents who had settled there. As such they didn’t have Italian passports, but they invoked the right of return, the fast lane if you wish, to settle in what they had always regarded as their original motherland.

By all accounts they made ideal immigrants. Brilliant, educated, they were skilled workers or professionals. They could already speak Italian because they had learned it at home from their parents or grandparents. What’s more, they didn’t just “know” Italian culture, they belonged to it. Italians — in one variant or another — constitute a sizable portion of the Argentinean population.

Since one of Italy’s problems is an ageing, dwindling population, you’d think our politicians would have jumped at the occasion to bring in loads of energetic, enthusiastic people whose dearest wish was to be reunited to the country they loved. These “immigrants” would have adjusted easily; there would not have been the usual problems encountered in moving to a foreign country: the Argentinean-Italians would have been eager to assimilate. In fact it wasn’t even a question of integration or assimilation. These South Americans of Italian extraction just wanted to come home.

So what happened to the fast lane?

It was the same old story — the fast lane disappeared in the thickets of EU plans. The right, which was in power at the time, briefly considered the idea of the right of return. The left, though, which actually holds the reins of power, refused utterly, afraid the newcomers would naturally gravitate to the right when it came time to vote. The whole thing was quietly dropped and fell into the memory hole.

As Ida Magli repeatedly says, the EU was constituted to bring the Orient into Europe. The goal of our elites is to have fewer Italians around, not more of us. We are to be replaced gradually — or not so gradually — preferably with immigrants from Asia and Africa. The last thing these “leaders” wanted was a big bunch of starry-eyed Italians full of patriotic zeal.

Affected as they are with leukophobia^*, fear of white, the elites also frown upon too many immigrants from Eastern Europe (unless they’re Rom — that is, gypsies). Letting in those who are not only unforgivably white, but also come from cultures akin to ours, is not part of the elites’ plans for Italy.

Despite all the hype we get from the media, unquestionably we have more in common with, say, Bulgarians than with we do with Arabs. Permitting those with Italian or European ancestry to obtain citizenship would have spoiled The Plan. Thus it was goodbye to the right of return. It didn’t matter that the newcomers, or rather the returnees, would have been an asset for Italy, or that we native born Italians could have helped our compatriots. What we wanted, and what they so badly desired, was not to be.

Italians are not wanted here in Italy. Whites need not apply.

^*You’ll notice I use the term leukophobia to indicate the loathing of white people, a condition that is widespread among our splendiferous elites. As a phobia — fear of the colour white — the word is already in use clinically. However, I don’t see why its meaning shouldn’t be extended to include the spreading pathology of anti-white racism.

Ciao,
Minerva

['Hiding the Welcome Mat' was borrowed from the Gates of Vienna blog. Grazia.]

Da Vinci Exhibit in San Francisco

"Da Vinci: An Exhibition of Genius" opens on August 4th in San Francisco. This stunning exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci is presented for the first time in North America at The Metreon Center in San Francisco. It's one unique and inspirational exhibition. For ticket information and exhibition hours, click here.

With the popularity of the book 'The Da Vinci Code,' the magnitude of this event is much greater than it would normally have been. This is a big event. I guess it would be pointless to give a bio on Leonardo Da Vinci here now, or to try to give a background on 'The Da Vinci Code.' I will suggest getting your hands on the recent biography on Da Vinci from the A&E webstore. It's outstanding, and gives a great look into Da Vinci, and that time period. Any list of the greatest men of all time will feature the Tuscan Leonardo Da Vinci.

Lastly, here's a list of related links: Da Vinci in Wikipedia (with a large number of related links at the bottom), Da Vinci: An Exhibition of Genius (offical website), and the companion Da Vinci webstore. Big Da Vinci exhibit in San Francisco, ya can't miss it!

Cesare Battisti and Neo-Irredentism

Lets begin with a short biography of Cesare Battisti:

Cesare Battisti, Trentinese/Italian Patriot, was born in Trento, then part of Austria, on February 4, 1875. His early youth was spent under Austrian oppression in the atmosphere of Irredentism, and Battisti soon became one of the most active exponents of the movement, lending it new life by his courageous articles and speeches. In 1911 he was elected from Trento to the Chamber of Deputies in Vienna, where he continued his battle for the liberation of the Trentino from Austria. At the outbreak of World War I he moved to Italy, where his untiring propaganda constituted a valuable contribution to the campaign for Italian intervention. Immediately after Italy's entry into the war he joined the Italian army, but was taken prisoner by the Austrians. Court-martialed for high treason on July 12, 1915, he was hanged in Trento.

Next, definitions of “Irredenta” and “Irredentism”:

Irredenta - a territory historically or ethnically related to one political unit but under the political control of another; Etymology: Italian; “Italia irredenta,” literally, “unredeemed Italy”; Italian-speaking territory not incorporated in Italy.

Irredentism - a political principle or policy directed toward the incorporation of irredentas within the boundaries of their historically or ethnically related political unit.

In an incredible spectacle of injustice, Battisti was hanged in his hometown of Trento, as a “traitor to Austria!” Austria had absolutely no business whatsoever in even being IN Trentino in the first place! They had long had their boot on Lombardy and the Veneto. The Battisti-Irredentist example is applicable today, with the European Union dominating Italy, and the proposed “North American Union,” and numerous other Globalist institutions, seeking to dominate the USA, which they already do in many areas. For example, a secret NAFTA committee can override the Supreme Court, or the WTO can dictate American trade policy.

There needs to be a “Neo-Irredentist” movement worldwide to counterbalance Globalism. The advance of Globalism is amazing when we consider that NOBODY seems to want it, and yet it just grows with leaps and bounds each year. Any honest person on the left or right would at least admit that a National Free Market is much more desirable than Global Monopoly Capitalism. It’s very difficult to even run for political office if you’re not a Globalist (ex. Nader, Buchanan, Paul). Every “Nation” in the world has the right to be sovereign and free. By “Nation,” I include people like the Tibetans and the Kurds, who have no formal government.

[Left: Battisti Memorial in Trento] Battisti’s hanging is along the same lines as an Italian being arrested for breaking an “EU law,” or a British citizen being arrested in Austria because he “broke” an Austrian law when he was in Britain! Americans are not without threat. Did you know that the Canadian government frequently contacts American web service providers and demands that content on “American-based websites” be removed? In addition, they actually issue arrest warrants for American citizens for statements which they consider “illegal.” This is madness, and we stand for this?? The threat is much greater when we consider that we would be under the thumb of the Canadian government if the North American Union ever becomes reality.

Cesare Battisti is more than some “Italian patriot” who died long ago. To me, his memory is very much alive today. His sacrifice symbolizes the struggle of freedom seekers, in MANY different camps, against this growing tyranny. There is a mindset that exists all over the world, in elite circles, that does not believe that you or I have any right to free speech, privacy rights, or personal sovereignty. This doesn’t really have to do with politics as much as it does to something much greater.

For further reading, visit the Wikipedia page on Cesare Battisti, and Cesare Battisti: Italian Patriot, Hero, Martyr.

New Definition of "Padania?"

Recently, probably due to changing politics in Italy, Lega Nord has redefined what is "Padania," or at least has gone in that direction. Under this new definition is often the disclusion of Tuscany! That would mean that even Lucca may not be included as part of Padania. Well, we will not recognize this at all. As far as we are concerned, Rome sits at the southern end of Padania. Lets say "Trento to Rome," to make it simple.

Surprisingly, there are relatively few Americans of Roman descent. "Roman" with a provincial definition that is. A very large number of Americans are of Neapolitan descent though. Perhaps as many as half of the Americans of Northern Italian descent are from western coastal urban areas, like Genoa and Lucca. Not just in California either. There is a sizable Lucchesi-descended population in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for example. Also, there were Genoese who migrated to New Orleans long ago.

Very well represented in San Francisco were immigrants from the "Italian Riviera Circle," to coin a phrase. Of course, many from Genoa and the surrounding area, Lucca in northern Tuscany, Portofino, San Remo, and all along the coastline of Liguria and northen Tuscany. Also, I have run into people whose families were from Monte Carlo (Monaco), Nice (France), and Corsica. It's very interesting that even over international borders, people voluntarily fall into a similar cultural category. When I say Nice, I mean REAL "Nizzardi" native to the rightful "Italian Nizza." Also, when I say Monte Carlo, I mean REAL "Montecarlesi" (?).

In closing, we will not recognize any changes in Lega Nord policy in this area. We tend to recognize the old "Kingdom of the Two Sicilies" as a "Nation." This would include Abruzzo to Sicily. We recognize the old historical "Roman State" and everything north of it as "Padania." This would include Ticino, Nizza, and Monaco, and Savoia. We do not recognize any "central Italy" or "modern Etruria." To us, a Roman, a REAL Roman-descended person, is as good a Padanian as a Venetian.

Italian Cinema

Over the weekend I watched 'A Fistful of Dollars' (1964) and 'For a Few Dollars More' (1965). Of course, they were two of the famous "Spaghetti Westerns," or the Italian made movies depicting the "Western" genre of American film. Probably the most famous of this sub-genre was 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' (1966). Quite a number of these films were produced during that time period.

All three stared Clint Eastwood among others. They were filmed in Andalucia, Spain, which has similar terrain to the American southwest, and similar architecture to Mexico. The story lines and characters were basically simple, but refreshingly unpredictable. There was a surprising amount of good humor cleverly mixed in. Also, the music! Can't forget that mood setting music.

It's funny, but the Italians seemed to view Americans and Mexicans as basically Spaniards and Anglo-Saxons, which isn't the full truth, but that made little difference in terms of the quality of the movies. The "Mexicans" were portrayed by mostly Spanish and some Italian actors, and the "Americans" by American, Austrian, and Italian actors.

Recently, I also watched the Italian movies 'Crime Boss' (1972), 'L' Avventura' (1960), and 'Bay of Blood' (1971). 'Crime Boss' was a gangster genre movie staring Telly Savalas, probably copied after the American genre, but probably not copied from 'The Godfather,' which was released the same year. I didn't think that I would even like this movie, but I loved it! 'The Valchi Papers' was another Italian gangster movie released that same year. 'L' Avventura' was a movie that I found very enjoyable in it's simplicity, and was a romantic movie which featured a lot of "tough love!" lol 'Bay of Blood' was a horror movie that I was really enjoying, but I didn't get to finish it due to being "bugged." You know how that goes. It seems every Italian movie has at least one real Italian beauty.

The horror genre has always been popular in Italian cinema. When I say popular, I mean in the English speaking world as well. Anna Falchi has been perhaps the most famous Italian "scream queen." While I'm on the subject of horror films, I remember when I was a young child, watching all those English "Hammer films." They were really good. I remember I was about six or seven and I stayed up late one weekend to watch "Creature Features," a local weekly horror program. The movie was 'Twins of Evil' (1971), another Hammer film. I guess they forgot to cut out a nude scene. Well that was a totally different time in America, I had never even seen a nude female before, or even thought about one! So needless to say, I was shocked. I thought I was in big big trouble! lol I kept quiet and managed to avoid becoming the next victim of my mom's "wooden spoon."

Anyway, all of these films were well made and had a certain quality to them that I simply cannot explain in words. 'Il Postino' was okay, but I really like the older Italian movies. Most of them were produced in Rome, and also Torino. Many of the well known Italian actors seem to have been from the Rome area. I'm too lazy to look up the names, but the directors in all of these movies were well known in their genre, and the actors appeared in many films.

We are going to have to eventually just simply purchase several hundred of these films and allow them to be checked out. It's amazing the resources online about many genres. The Internet Movie Database is probably the best place to start, and also Wikipedia is superb as well. There's one "Spaghetti Western" site that has it all! Wikipedia has that link under that genre, and many others.

Angelfire Glitch Destroyed PAL Website

Due to a system glitch at Angelfire, the PAL website was destroyed. Another one has replaced it (see link on blog). It seems as though no matter how many times we experience disasterous losses of data, we never truly 100% learn our lession as individuals. Our pc can crash at any time, and that's a fact. The best simple way of saving data is those little hard drives that fit into the USB port. You can only place them in or out is when the pc if off. Other than that, it's a great way to do simple periodic saves. Save those bookmarks too! I had my pc crash a couple of months ago, and lost every password and scrap of info for my bookmarks.

I have lost several family members in recent years, and have personally experienced a major health crisis from living in a toxic building. I think we also need to put things in perspective. It's just "stuff," and that's all. It still is reasonable to state that if you put a lot of work into something, that it can be frustrating to have it torn down, and to lose irretrievable data, images, etc.

It almost reminds me of the movie 'The Terminator,' when the guy from the future talks about how artificial intelligence was "trusted to run it all." We do depend a whole lot on the internet, files, documents, html code, etc. Probably too much. It's better to just keep things simple, but... easier said than done.

PAL Should Desire "Subgroups"

As you probably already know, there are already numerous regional and provincial Northern Italian cultures spread around the world. First, it should be pointed out that Northern Italians didn't emigrate in any large numbers anywhere until the late 1800s to the 1950s, or even up to 1960. The peak was in the early twentieth century. This migration was to South America. There's a great irony in that the Southern Italians migrated to America and Canada, while the Northern Italians migrated to Argentina, Uruguay, and Sau Paulo (in fairly sizable numbers as well).

[above: "Bergamask" folk musicians]

In particular, there are large numbers of Lombardian heritage societies and clubs in Argentina. So, if you can imagine the sense of community that say Americans of Sicilian descent have in Brooklyn, Chicago, or Philadelphia, then imagine a similar sense of community in Buenos Aires for example. Argentina is a beautiful, albeit underachieving, nation filled with Spaniards, Italians (Lombards, Venetians), Germans (and Austrians, Swiss), and British Islanders (including English, Welsh, Irish, Scots), so therefore very different than Mexico or Puerto Rico. I dream of a day, very soon, where you and me can plan a trip to Buenos Aires, or Melbourne, or Toronto, and be received by people who would treat us like family... and of course we could do the same in return.

It's not just Lombardians, but other regional cultures as well (Tuscans, Piedmontese, etc.). One example of a provincial culture with a very strong sense of identity are the Bergamaschi (Bergamo Province in Lombardia). Perhaps it's something in the water, but these people have incredible passion! When the soccer teams from Bergamo and Brescia play, they practically riot! The Bergamaschi nel Mondo ("Bergamasks in the World" in English) have clubs all around the world (but not America). It's amazing the closeness they feel for each other, even after emigrating. They take a lot of group pictures, and you can really sense the close-knit feeling of family and extended family. I find it interesting that there's such a prominent Bergamaschi nel Mondo, but no "Bresciani nel Mondo" anywhere, for example.

I would strongly encourage any of you, to just go ahead and create some regional, or even provincial, society. It would also go hand-in-hand with research you may be doing. It could be a lot of fun, as you can connect with a lot of people all over as well. Make a name, but probably Anglicize it with society, circle, association, etc. At virtualitalia.com, you can see that there are some in the Bay Area who have done this.

I think I mentioned in past writings that there is a branch of the Northern League party called "Padani nel Mondo." The only activity that I have heard them do overseas is in Argentina. Consider taking that step. Just kick the idea of a name around, and you may be surprised that you could really develop something. It would be more than "Joe Blow's Blog," as your name would be associated with it's name. Lets say, for example, that you descended from "Lucchesi." You could call it "Lucchesi nel Mondo of the Bay Area," or the "Lucca Circle of Northern California."

It's a shame that there isn't a Lucchesi or Genovesi society in California, or even a Lombardian one in Missouri (St. Louis once had a "Little Lombardy" district. With my obligations here, I wouldn't be able to do it right. In other words, with everything I'm planning to do, this endeavor would require a "double set" of everything. I would rather someone else do it, and I would assist them in any way I could, and any of the rest of you as well. I would like to make a "Clan Rondoni" website, or a "Bresciani nel Mondo" club, and I could go in other directions as well, but you can see that it's difficult to duplicate each activity in this way. Anyway, something to think about.

Israel and Padania

Just the other day, I was reading an article published by Xinhua (China) entitled 'Italian economy needs 300,000 immigrants a year: welfare minister.' I had known for many years that Italy was being swamped by a large number of legal and illegal immigrants, but this comment and similar comments by Prodi have really blown me away! Do Westerners ever think that Globalist politicians are EVER wrong about anything??

Italy, as a whole, has remained basically "Italian" for literally thousands of years. All the tales of mass migration have proven, via mtDNA evidence, to be vastly exagerated, especially during Roman times. Some amateur researcher poked around a few ancient Roman graveyards a few years ago and proclaimed that the vast majority had Oriental (Turkish) names. Since that time, no genetic linkage of any type of significance has panned out, yet often the wild claims continue. There are those who believe that America is collapsing and they need to somehow "prove" that it's "just like the fall of Rome!" The demographics all around the Mediterranean where totally different during ancient times anyway.

Northern Italy, in particular, has remained unchanged ethnically for a very long time. Now, suddenly, just in the last several decades, Italian Globalist politicians (in any number of parties) have convinced the public that they absolutely NEED to open their doors to the third world and and endless number of people. Part of the problem is that Italy, like all Western corporatocracies, is in the money making business. They want more and more people to pay more and more taxes. Also, the old excuse is used that they NEED third world labor to pay into the system so Italians can retire and have something to live on. That Italy's population is old. Hey, they've said the same thing to Japan for about twenty years now, that "who is going to pay for the elderly?," "the Japanese population is old," and that "Japan must start to import immigrants workers." Guess what, Japan is still FINE.

It is true that Italy's birthrate is one of the lowest in the world. How did THIS happen?? Anyone over thirty can probably remember many references growing up about the traditional large Italian family! Well, lets back up for just a moment. When American women first entered the workforce in great numbers, our birthrate was still quite high. It's a combination of a lot of additional factors, and has spread all throughout the West.

European states still have some degree of sovereignty, so why don't they just go ahead and make this issue a number one priority? Australia did this a number of years ago, and it worked very well!! They created many incentives, and the people responded with a major "baby boom." I really just have always gotten the impression that Western governments during the past half century have not had the political will to truly solve the most pressing problems. I never could understand the apathy of modern Europeans. Couldn't Germans and Italians, especially seeing what was happening in London or Paris, have told the bankers, who put the EU together, that they didn't want any part of it?

Italy does NOT need all those people. I am descended from the "Camunni," and ancient Italic tribe. Their history goes back 8,000 years! The Jewish people only go back 5,000 years! It's very difficult to phathom that an immigrant from India, Nigeria, or the Philippines belongs in Italy. Italy is a very small place. Why can't ancient cultures just be left alone? If all the talk about "Multiculturalism" is true, doesn't the world need "base cultures" to feed it?? Also, Italy is densely populated with 56 million or so packed into an area smaller than California. What would be so bad about a 20% reduction? One thing is for certain, no government should be in the money making business. Why do they have to "manage a global economy?" How about just leaving people alone for once!

Israel is considered to be a "Jewish State." In other words, a Nation FOR the Jewish people ONLY. The Palestinians are segregated, and it's a Jewish Nation for all practical purposes. They allow foreign workers, only after they sign a sworn statement that they will not have sexual relations with Israelli citizens, and that's a fact! They only allow Jewish immigrants, and marriage between a Jew and a non-Jew is illegal. Palestinians have died outside of hospitals, because they cannot use the same hospitals as Jews.

Why couldn't "Padania" be a "Padanian Homeland?" Jewish people have a homeland, so what's the difference? Padania was virtually 100% "Padanian" up until WWII. Borders actually meant something in Europe right up to the 1980s. Why couldn't it be protected as a place where one of the most, if not the most, attractive, creative, artistic, and cultured peoples can live and thrive? Japan has proven that a unicultural state can work, and work extremely well. Japanese could EASILY migrate to America in large numbers, but they don't want to. They love living in Japan. It really works for them. Why is there such a difference between one-culture states like Israel or Japan, and Italy or Germany?

In 1999 General Wesley Clark, then in command of U.S. troops in Serbia, remarked to a CNN reporter, "There is no place in modern Europe for ethnically pure states. That is a 19th-century idea, and we are trying to transition into the 21st century, and we are going to do it with multi-ethnic states." Why is an American General making demands that Europe cannot maintain it's identity?? Lets not kid ourselves here. He's telling Italy that it SHALL NOT remain Italian!! There are a lot of odd things happening, and American and Europeans BOTH, have been almost completely out to lunch!

Mazzei and Meucci

Filippo Mazzei and Antonio Meucci are two significant Italian-American figures in American history, both of Tuscan descent. Mazzei was a physician and businessman, who lived in the American colonies before and during the American Revolution. A friend of Thomas Jefferson, some of the contents of his letters became key parts of the wording in the American Constitution. Antonio Meucci is often credited, both in Italy and among Italian-American institutions, as the inventor of the telephone.

I'll just make this brief. In all likelihood, Meucci didn't invent the telephone. Intrinsically, "patents" are vastly overrated and prove nothing. He may very well have been right up there with the top minds in that particular area of research, but that doesn't mean he invented the telephone. You can take one single invention and produce twenty different patents from twenty different people! My educated guess is that he didn't invent the telephone. There are scores an scores of inventors from Northern Italy in particular, and there is no need to demand that Meucci was the inventor of the telephone. It has been hard to get at the truth in this issue because of tremendous bias, both for and against.

Filippo Mazzei, on the other hand, is vastly, vastly underrated! Although an aristocrat, he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He did far more than given credit for! It wasn't just some letters, but he tirelessly recruited regiments from Piedmont, from his native Tuscany, and elsewhere. He traveled throughout Europe, promoting the American revolutionary cause. He also served as an agent, purchasing arms for Virginia during the Revolutionary War. He was a true revolutionary! Upon his eulogy, Thomas Jefferson credited him with being one of America's founders.

Globilization Policed by Guilt

I would like to thank "insubria87" for his posts in the PAL Yahoo Club. I just wanted to comment on two of the articles that he had posted recently, which I thought went hand-in-hand, and applied dramatically to the future of America, Italy, and the entire world. Actually, the message archive on Yahoo is down currently, but I will just go by memory. One news item was regarding Italian center-left leader Romano Prodi, a well-known frontman for the bankers who are behind the EU and UN, who has openly stated that Globalization is inevitable, and that we must embrace it. It is true that very powerful entities like the World Bank are full steam ahead with this grand plan.

There are an endless slew of inconsistencies. I will just name a couple. One is that the U.S. government, with our tax dollars, funds 50 million abortions in the third world each year. This has gone on for over 20 years, and you can do the math. Regardless of what anyone's position is on abortion, isn't it inconsistent to abort all those children while promoting almost daily "saving the world's children" at the same time? If famous Irish musician Bono is so deeply concerned with the world's children, why has he not mentioned this policy? Second, global warming. Depleted uranium dust, being dropped by the tonage in Iraq, and with a shelf life of about 22 billion years, is also a major environmental concern, as one speck of it can fry your insides. This is an eco-disaster of epic proportions! Why doesn't Al Gore mention this? Where's the media? When he ran for Vice-President in 1991, Gore promised time and time again that the very first thing he would do is meet with a panel of experts to find new sources of environmentally friendly energy. In 8 years, he did nothing of the sort. In fact, he was part of the power structure which killed the electric car. Everyone should see the new documentary 'Who Killed the Electric Car?' Where's the Hollywood crowd on this issue?

The other story posted on the club message board was a story from Italy regarding the struggles of Italian immigrants to America a century ago, and how it relates to the massive influx of third world immigration to Italy today. Italian immigrants, overwhemingly from Southern Italy, did not have it any worse than any other non-English speaking European immigrants of that time period. Irish immigrants, who had arrived earlier, for a host of reasons, acutally were treated worse overall. Anyway, these two issues are apples and oranges! As far as whether a flood of immigrants from every corner of the world should be allowed to enter Italy, well, I can't answer that for you. I'm just stating facts and posing questions here. Personally, I think every people need an exclusive homeland of their own, just like Israel, although I don't agree with their methodology. The World Bank has actually demanded that countries like Russia (who are planning on building up their own population from within), to accept more immigrants from the third world. Regardless of your position on that, is it unreasonable to be concerned with this type of "Global Authority," on ANY issue! The CEO's of American-based transnational corporations, who have abused people and the environment around the world, not to mention our national economy and sovereignty, will never see the "World Court." What if a mad dictator or group took over this global authority some day? Who would stand against them??

PAL on Track Again

I apologize for my absence during the last many months. I have endured some very serious personal problems which I'm hoping are finally behind me. It will take me some time to get my life in order again. I promise that I will be committed once again to our project together. Feel free to e-mail me at brixia_fidelis@hotmail.com, rather than the yahoo e-mail, which seems to be stuck on my system. Also, I want to sincerely extend that invitation to Padanian kindred in Argentina, Australia, and anywhere in the world.

I did mean what I said in the previous post. The Torino Games brought out an undercurrent of astonishing connections with Northwest Italy in particular. I think that we truly have lost our way in many regards. Genova, Lucca, and other areas were so very important to us at one time, and to the Bay Area and up through the Napa and Sacramento areas. We built this area, and spilled our blood for it as any trip to the National Cemetaries will reflect, and yet have been pushed aside somewhat in recent decades.

I would like to go into further detail on a number of items, but they may not make sense right now, as the plan is more elaborate than what it may seem at the present time. Check back for much more frequent updates.

Padania, Buenos Aires Province & Northern California

Last evening, I was viewing some old postings from the Lega Nord message board. The PAL was listed as one of their topics. It was clear that most of the posters were poking fun at some of the perceived "ideology." We don't have any political idealogy, as we're not a political group! I guess it was a form of "Italian humor," making fun of new things that are introduced.

I know that the "Padani nel Mondo" (Padanians in the World) wing of the Northern League has indeed reached out to "Padanian-Argentinians." This brings up the issue of how one should deal with those who we (as individuals or groups) would like to reach out to, and the methodology of doing this. I feel that many Italians and Padanians, or even Europeans for that matter, have a "Parent-Child Complex" when it comes to dealing with those around the world who are descended from their nation(s). Something like "Oh, they're trying to be Italian."

Of course, we're not "Italian," "Padanian," or "European!" Geeez. I was born in San Francisco! My parents were born in Ironwood, Michigan. Gimme a break! We are indeed "here." Once I even had a "Keyboard Commando" accuse me of "trying to effect politics in his county." LOL Pleeease! Naturally we would like to connect with Padanians, Padanian-Australians, etc.

If you want to connect with someone or something, just say so. We don't have to fall all over someone. I'm not going to twist anybody's arm. So to answer that queston: No, I don't "want to be Italian" in any type of nationalistic standpoint. We have our national problems here, like the North American Union or NAFTA Superhighway that nobody wants, and has not been put up for public debate. But socially, YES, we DO want to connect with "cousins" overseas. Definitely.

One of the "unpadanian ideas" that was made fun of was that "Rome" and "Romans" (in a modern sense) were "Padanian." In fact, with recent changes in the political aparatus of Lega Nord, even Tuscany is questioned as being "part of Padania." Again, the "Parent-Child Complex." After all, doesn't a parent always have a little advantage over even their grown child? LOL They really seem to have that attitude. We're not in the Lega Nord party, nor are we in the same social setting as they are. We don't really have distinctions between Ligurians, Tuscans, or Venetians. The millenium+ long border between "Naples & Sicily" and the Northern Italian states and Roman state was in "southern Lazio."

Also, they all seem to hate the government in Rome, in the same way that American dissidents hate the government in Washington D.C. They seem to totally disown Rome. But that's the government they have a grievence with, NOT the Roman people!! So, in conclusion, that "social-cultural structure" doesn't even apply to us.

Lastly, Lega Nord symbolically leans heavily on Nordic Lombard or Celtic roots. Well, I respectfully disagree. To me, the soul of North Italy is the Etruscans and other Italic tribes, which I refer to just as "Etruscan." Someone told me, and I can't confirm or deny this, that there were only about 30,000 Lombards who invaded Italy, a relatively small number. The Kingdom of the Lombards was significant in that it tied together, in an administrative sense, virtually all of "Padania." So somehow I view it as being a "Padania" where the symbolic flag is Lombard, but the soul is Etruscan.

I should end by pointing out that we DO have some allies in Lega Nord, but they were not really able to defend us in this particular debate due to the nature of the hard-nosed political debate. The hard liners want it both ways. They want to tease us that we're "trying to be Padanian," while at the same time holding us up to their own social and political standards! However, you don't have to tell me, "communication, communication."

Torino 2006 Aftermath

[The following is an entry from our old blog, which I wanted to move here]

During the Torino games, I saw many connections come to the surface, past and present, between Torino/Northwest Italy and Northern California. With so much attention focused on Torino, many non-sports related articles were featured, with links between the two areas. I felt that it was too bad that we couldn't take more advantage of this event, to tie us all together closer. To let them know we're here.

When American skier Julia Mancuso of Truckee, California, of Padanian descent, won the Gold medal in the Woman's Giant Slalom, the local Italian fans cheered for her like she was one of their own. A few days ago, Sefano Bagnasco of the Lega Nord Party acknowledged the Padanian-American League. Hopefully, this will begin a process of mutual contact which will grow into the future.