Joseph Bruno's Blog, page 54

Book Review – Sonny Girard’s Mob Reader.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mob tales from a real mob insider!, September 14, 2012

http://www.amazon.com/Mobsters-Gangs-...

By  Joe Bruno Sr. “Fiction and Non Fiction author” (Sarasota, Florida) -

(REAL NAME)


Amazon Verified Purchase – (Duh — I actually bought and read this book))

This review is from: Sonny Girard’s Mob Reader (Kindle Edition)

So you want to know about the mob? Well, this is the book you must buy if you want an intricate understanding of mob business from one of the great mob authors of his time, or any time, for that matter.

Whether Sonny Girard is weaving a tale about mob rat Joe Valachi, or talking about veteran mob-buster cop Joe Coffey, readers can be assured they are getting an inside look at the machinations of the mob and their pursuers from somebody who was in the trenches – fighting back.

And for under five bucks – fuhgeddaboudit! – this book is a legitimate steal, even if most of the characters in Girard’s book aren’t legitimate, and sometimes they do steal.

Don’t forget, buy this book, but leave the cannoli. It’s the right thing to do.

If you don’t, I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.

Look into my eyes and you’ll know I’m not kidding.

Free Kindle Copy of “Mob Wives Fuhgeddaboudit!”

This is a present for my  loyal blog readers.

The first 50 people to contact me will receive a free Amazon Kindle ebook copy of my new book “Mob Wives – Fuhgeddaboudit!“

Just sent me your name and  email address at: jbruno999@aol.com and  I will “gift” you a free copy of my book, which makes a mockery of the program Mob Wives.

If you don’t have a Kindle; not to worry. You can download a free Kindle app to your computer. Just go to the page my book is listed on and click on “Available on your PC,” on the upper right hand side of the page, and you can download the free Kindle app to your computer for free.

A free ebook just for asking.

What’s not to like?

Matty ‘The Horse” Iannello’s Eulogy – From Sonny’s Mob Cafe by Sonny Girard-http://www.sonnysmobsocialclub.com/

 

The following is reprinted from Sonny’s Mob Cafe by Sonny Girard.

R.I.P. MATTY THE HORSE

By

Sonny Girard

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0091UNCFA

Matty The Horse

“Matty the Horse” Iannello died on Wednesday, August 15, 2012.  He was buried quickly, which made the media have to catch up some time later.  Of course, all the stories will be about Matty’s decades as a mobster.  They’ll talk about who sponsored him into his mob family, how he controlled a number of homosexual bars, and about his brushes with the law.  What they won’t mention is the kind of man he was, which made me think about how much many of us, nowhere near as well known as he was, had in common with him away from the life we all chose, with those we loved and those who loved and continue to love us.  Yes, Matty the Horse, mobster, will be portrayed ad nauseam by those who write about those things, but, since none of them knew him and can only cash in on the public information they trade in by regurgitating it.

However, there is one person who knew Matthew Joseph Iannello best; the man who just called him Dad.  That person, Matthew Joseph Iannello, Jr., delivered the eulogy at the service for his father.  For me, it is one of the most beautiful I’ve come across, and, even though I’d only met Matty Sr. a few times over many decades, it is one that I identify completely with.  Here, for all of you to see what a man, not a mobster but the man behind that term was:

 

EULOGY TO MATTHEW “MATTY THE HORSE” IANNELLO

WRITTEN BY Matthew Ianniello, Jr., 8/15/2012

 

My Father, Matthew Joseph Ianniello, was born June 18th 1920 and was married to my Mother, Beatrice May Ianniello, who he loved dearly for 46 years.

Our mother passed a year and a half ago, and ever since that day my father’s health got worse and worse.  So it must by true that when one parent passes the others pain is so bad it expedited their own passing.

I am not going to give a long eulogy so I will get right to it.

I don’t think most of you know what a unique individual my father was.  For someone from his generation he was way ahead of his time…

I would like to tell you to a few things you might not have known about my father, so here goes:

Did you know he would not let his sisters, Laura, Viola, and Angie walk by a social club on Broom Street in Manhattan in the 30s to go to the candy store because he did not want boys from the social club sitting outside looking at them.  So, they had to walk an entire city block to go to a candy store fifty feet from their front stoop.  Talk about protective…

or

How he sent 95% of his Army pay to my Grandmother during World War II…

or

How he won the Bronze Star for stopping friendly fire in the Philippines…

or

That he went to Fordham University for one year but stopped going to help his mother and father take care of his brothers and sisters…

or

How he was behind bringing the Beatles to America…

or

That he fought for women’s rights so they would have the right to sell Liquor in the late ‘40s…

or

That he was friends with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley, and some of the most powerful people in the United States…

or

How he assisted the FBI during the search for Eaton Paetz in The early ‘70s…

 

People never really understood that our father was more brains than brawn.

He had a way of listening like no other and never coming to a conclusion until he heard both sides.

He always told me a coward dies a thousand deaths and a hero dies but one and how he used to say they won the battle not the war.

It seems like my father was always rooting for the underdog.  And as most people know he never complained. It was unbelievable how he was so calm under adverse situations.

 

What I will miss most:

I will miss him yelling every Christmas Dinner, “Where’s Matthew?”  Find Matthew.

I will miss going to the liquor room in our basement and doing the inventory with Tom Brady and my Dad, which, by the way, was done on a monthly basis.

I will miss the BBQs and swimming parties with all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

I will miss coming home at 4 in the morning seeing him reading the NY times in the kitchen.

I will miss the Sunday dinners with him and the rest of the family.

I will miss him singing in Italian to me.

I will miss my mother and father having some of the most classic arguments of all time over the smallest issues. Betty knew how to get a rise out of him.

I will miss cutting the prosciutto in the basement with him.

I will miss just asking his advice.

 

I remember in 1982 how I used to pray to God to please let my father see me graduate Valley Forge Military Academy and I will never ask for anything again. I graduated.

Then I used to pray to please let him see me graduate college and I will never ask for anything again.  I graduated.

Then I asked Him please let him see me get married and I will never ask for anything again. I got married to my incredible and loving wife, Jaclyn.

Then I said, “Let him see me have children and I will never ask for anything again.”  I have three beautiful children, Alex, Chloe and Matthew.

Then I prayed to God to let him be ok after open heart surgery. The surgery went fine.

So, thirty years after I asked for my first prayer, God answered many more of my prayers.  So I don’t want to mourn his death; I want us to celebrate his long life.

 

So, God, I have just one more prayer:

Thank you from my wife Jaclyn and my three beautiful children, Alex, Chloe, and Mathew for all of these extra years…

Thank for giving my mother, my siblings, and my aunts and uncles all of these extra years…

Thank you for giving all the friends of the Ianniello family all of these extra years…

Thank you.

  Dad, I will never forget you.

You were my rock, my mentor, and best friend; you loved me unconditionally.

I will miss you forever.

Editors’ Note: I grew up in the same Little Italy neighborhood as did Matty Iannello. He was a true gentleman.

 

Love,

Your son,

Matthew.

 

PS: I will see you in Heaven…hopefully not soon…and take care of Mommy.

http://www.sonnysmobsocialclub.com/

 

Matty ‘The Horse” Iannello’s Eulogy – From Sonny’s Mob Cafe by Sonny Girard.

The following is reprinted from Sonny’s Mob Cafe by Sonny Girard.

http://www.sonnysmobsocialclub.com/

R.I.P. MATTY THE HORSE

By

Sonny Girard

Matty The Horse

“Matty the Horse” Iannello died on Wednesday, August 15, 2012.  He was buried quickly, which made the media have to catch up some time later.  Of course, all the stories will be about Matty’s decades as a mobster.  They’ll talk about who sponsored him into his mob family, how he controlled a number of homosexual bars, and about his brushes with the law.  What they won’t mention is the kind of man he was, which made me think about how much many of us, nowhere near as well known as he was, had in common with him away from the life we all chose, with those we loved and those who loved and continue to love us.  Yes, Matty the Horse, mobster, will be portrayed ad nauseam by those who write about those things, but, since none of them knew him and can only cash in on the public information they trade in by regurgitating it.

However, there is one person who knew Matthew Joseph Iannello best; the man who just called him Dad.  That person, Matthew Joseph Iannello, Jr., delivered the eulogy at the service for his father.  For me, it is one of the most beautiful I’ve come across, and, even though I’d only met Matty Sr. a few times over many decades, it is one that I identify completely with.  Here, for all of you to see what a man, not a mobster but the man behind that term was:

 

EULOGY TO MATTHEW “MATTY THE HORSE” IANNELLO

WRITTEN BY Matthew Ianniello, Jr., 8/15/2012

 

My Father, Matthew Joseph Ianniello, was born June 18th 1920 and was married to my Mother, Beatrice May Ianniello, who he loved dearly for 46 years.

Our mother passed a year and a half ago, and ever since that day my father’s health got worse and worse.  So it must by true that when one parent passes the others pain is so bad it expedited their own passing.

I am not going to give a long eulogy so I will get right to it.

I don’t think most of you know what a unique individual my father was.  For someone from his generation he was way ahead of his time…

I would like to tell you to a few things you might not have known about my father, so here goes:

Did you know he would not let his sisters, Laura, Viola, and Angie walk by a social club on Broom Street in Manhattan in the 30s to go to the candy store because he did not want boys from the social club sitting outside looking at them.  So, they had to walk an entire city block to go to a candy store fifty feet from their front stoop.  Talk about protective…

or

How he sent 95% of his Army pay to my Grandmother during World War II…

or

How he won the Bronze Star for stopping friendly fire in the Philippines…

or

That he went to Fordham University for one year but stopped going to help his mother and father take care of his brothers and sisters…

or

How he was behind bringing the Beatles to America…

or

That he fought for women’s rights so they would have the right to sell Liquor in the late ‘40s…

or

That he was friends with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley, and some of the most powerful people in the United States…

or

How he assisted the FBI during the search for Eaton Paetz in The early ‘70s…

 

People never really understood that our father was more brains than brawn.

He had a way of listening like no other and never coming to a conclusion until he heard both sides.

He always told me a coward dies a thousand deaths and a hero dies but one and how he used to say they won the battle not the war.

It seems like my father was always rooting for the underdog.  And as most people know he never complained. It was unbelievable how he was so calm under adverse situations.

 

What I will miss most:

I will miss him yelling every Christmas Dinner, “Where’s Matthew?”  Find Matthew.

I will miss going to the liquor room in our basement and doing the inventory with Tom Brady and my Dad, which, by the way, was done on a monthly basis.

I will miss the BBQs and swimming parties with all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

I will miss coming home at 4 in the morning seeing him reading the NY times in the kitchen.

I will miss the Sunday dinners with him and the rest of the family.

I will miss him singing in Italian to me.

I will miss my mother and father having some of the most classic arguments of all time over the smallest issues. Betty knew how to get a rise out of him.

I will miss cutting the prosciutto in the basement with him.

I will miss just asking his advice.

 

I remember in 1982 how I used to pray to God to please let my father see me graduate Valley Forge Military Academy and I will never ask for anything again. I graduated.

Then I used to pray to please let him see me graduate college and I will never ask for anything again.  I graduated.

Then I asked Him please let him see me get married and I will never ask for anything again. I got married to my incredible and loving wife, Jaclyn.

Then I said, “Let him see me have children and I will never ask for anything again.”  I have three beautiful children, Alex, Chloe and Matthew.

Then I prayed to God to let him be ok after open heart surgery. The surgery went fine.

So, thirty years after I asked for my first prayer, God answered many more of my prayers.  So I don’t want to mourn his death; I want us to celebrate his long life.

 

So, God, I have just one more prayer:

Thank you from my wife Jaclyn and my three beautiful children, Alex, Chloe, and Mathew for all of these extra years…

Thank for giving my mother, my siblings, and my aunts and uncles all of these extra years…

Thank you for giving all the friends of the Ianniello family all of these extra years…

Thank you.

 

Dad, I will never forget you.

You were my rock, my mentor, and best friend; you loved me unconditionally.

I will miss you forever.

 

Love,

Your son,

Matthew.

 

PS: I will see you in Heaven…hopefully not soon…and take care of Mommy.

 

“The Guineas Show” is Now Banned on Youtube

 

 

Thanks to the vigilant opposition of Italian American groups like the Sons of Italy and the Italian American Civil Right League, the disgraceful and stereotypical “The Guineas Show” has been removed from Youtube. This was after the show had already been removed from Blip TV.

http://www.amazon.com/Mobsters-Gangs-...

You would think that this last blow to the producers of “The Guineas Show” would make them quit, but that seems not to be the case. In answer to the outrage displayed by Italian Americans throughout America, the producers of “The Guineas Show” agreed to appear on a left-wing progressive radio show called “The Steve Gelder Show” to state their case why “The Guineas Show” is not offensive to Italian Americans.

After the producers, Ray St. Clair and Debra Scotti (whom I will forever refer to as “Dumb” and “Dumber”) said they were Italian Americans themselves and in no way found the terms “Guineas” offensive, they launched into a diatribe stating that “Guinea” was no more an offensive than the term “Guidos,” which is constantly mentioned on the TV program “Jersey Shore.”

I’ve never watched “The Jersey Shore” and have only heard bad things about the show, but in my opinion, the word “Guidos” is not as offensive as “Guinea.” But even if it was, you should never justify your bad behavior by pointing to the bad behavior of others.

Then Dumb and Dumber said things  on the radio show that were downright absurd. They pointed out the fact that the name “Guinea” is a legitimate surname, and that millions of people have the last name “Guinea.” But they conveniently forgot to mention that the last name “Guinea”, in fact,  originated in the country of Guinea, and the surname has no connection to Italians except as a slur.

The rest of the radio show (as far as I got) was one nonsensical comment after another by Dumb and Dumber, and everything they said was backed up by Gelder, who should also be ashamed of himself for defending the indefensible. Gelder said an Italian American group representative at first agreed to appear on this show, but at the last minute pulled out and sent a letter by the group’s lawyer instead.

I applaud this Italian American group and their lawyer for not lowering themselves to appear on a radio program where they would have to verbally combat people who are either oblivious to the fact they are incorrigibly wrong, or who know they are wrong, and want to figuratively spit in the face of people who represent the very Italian Americans whom they have  slandered.

The fact is, we won, and they lost. Their horrible show has been banned from Blip TV and now from Youtube. So there’s nothing else to gain by engaging lowlifes who have nothing more to lose. This confirms  the old saying, “Quit while you’re ahead,” and Italian Americans are certainly ahead of the game concerning the banning of “The Guineas Show,” if they have not already earned an outright slam-dunk victory.

Dumb and Dumber also had the nerve to send me the link to the radio program, as if to say, “Here, see not everyone thinks ‘Guinea’ is an offensive term.”

I was so angry at their impertinence, I wanted to send them a pointed email, but I decided not to. After all, we are the  winners and they are the  losers, so what’s the point?

However, where there’s money to be made certain people would make a pact with the Devil to do so. As a result, there’s a good chance Dumb and Dumber will continue to try to market their repulsive show.

D & D – go ahead and make our day. In case you haven’t noticed, we are all watching.

My Daughter Nancy Cason of Syprett Meshad Chosen for 2012 Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star List

Nancy Cason

June 26, 2012 – Sarasota, FL – Syprett Meshad attorney Nancy E. Cason has been named to the Florida Super Lawyers Rising Stars list as one of the top attorneys in Florida for 2012. Eligible members for this recognition comprise fewer than 2.5% of lawyers in the state.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, and independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.

Nancy E. Cason joined Syprett Meshad in 1998, and is now a managing partner at the firm. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from University of South Florida in Tampa, and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, where she graduated with High Honors. Cason was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2002, and has since been admitted to practice in federal court before the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Her practice primarily focuses on real estate law and commercial litigation.

An active member of the Sarasota community, Cason is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Sarasota County Bar Association and is a Past President of the Young Lawyers Division of the Sarasota County Bar Association. She is also a member of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers and the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Group. Cason volunteers her time to many non-profit organizations by serving on various non-profit committees throughout the year, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Girls Inc.

Syprett Meshad was established in 1967. The firm, with a staff of 24 including attorneys, paralegals and other professionals, is located at 1900 Ringling Boulevard and provides legal representation in the practice areas of real estate, personal injury, family law, litigation, business and corporate law. For more information, call 941.365.7171.

###

Press Release Media Contact:

Grace Carlson, APR, LEED Green Associate

(941) 362-3011 or

Grace@CarlsonEcoMarketing.com

 

“The Guineas Show” is banned on Blip TV But Is Still On YouTube

http://www.amazon.com/Mobsters-Gangs-...

 

Due to actions initiated by this writer, and through the help of John Fratta, who used his connections in the Sons of Italy, the apparatus was put into motion to stop an atrocity called “The Guineas Show” from defaming Italian Americans. As a result of pressure put on the state of New York by several Italian American groups, the following letter was written by the Chairman of  the New York State Commission for Social Justice and sent to the director of “The Guineas Show” and to Blip TV, which originally showcased “The Guineas Show.” As a result, “The Guineas Show has been banned from Blip TV.  

This letter, in part, stated:

 

Action Against The Guineas Show Series

                                                             http://nyscsj-osia.org/guineas.html

A series of videos entitled “The Guineas Show “are available for viewing on the Internet. Both the name of the series and the episodes are highly offensive to Italians and Italian-Americans.

You must be aware that the word Guinea is tantamount to using the N____ word, the use of which has become a civil rights issue, as they are both inflammatory terms. I notice that this series comes under the heading, “It ’s a Human.’” This is neither amusing nor it is entertaining.

Shows, television series, movies, and other media sources would not malign any other ethnic group, race or religion, especially where the characters speak in poor or community based English. The same courtesy should be extended to Italian Americans, so that Italian American children, teens and families can feel proud of their heritage and not be left open to ridicule by their peers. The series, Amos and Andy, was long removed from the air because of ethnicity.

Your ridiculous series would lead one to believe that Italian Americans are all about pizza, meatballs, food and poor English, yet Italian Americans can be found in very prominent positions, including the Supreme Court of the United States. Let ’s take it one step further; Italians were very instrumental in the civilization of the world and the development of this country. Yet we are the most maligned ethnic group!

If this series was meant to be funny, it is not.

The Guineas Show, presented on Blip TV, was brought to the attention of the Commission for Social Justice (CSJ) , The Order Sons of Italy in America. The CSJ immediately contacted other Italian-American Organizations and many social network users requesting their support in having the video removed from Blip TV. Also, members and friends of the CSJ posted comments on various forums protesting the offensive nature of the video and voiced their complaints to the producer of The Guineas series. Thanks to a tremendous show of solidarity by many concerned Italian Americans, the video has been removed from Blip TV.

However, the video series was uploaded to YouTube where it is still being shown. YouTube viewers can flag videos such as The Guineas Show, that violates the “You Tubes terms of service.” The flagged videos are reviewed by YouTube personnel and may be removed at YouTube ’s discretion.

Please join us in posting a flag against this offensive video.

Directions on how to flag “The Guineas Show” videos:

Once you go to the YouTube site, www.youtube.com you must sign in if you have an account or sign up (subscribe) to YouTube if you don ’t have an account (there is no charge to subscribe to YouTube). Note that on the first YouTube page on the upper right hand side is an area to click to Create Account or to Sign In.

The YouTube company has even created a tutorial video entitled Flagging on YouTube: The Basics and in this video they state “We don ’t permit speech that attack or demeans a group based on certain characteristics .”

After the sign in onto YouTube, search for one of The Guineas Show videos. Click on the flag button located just below the video. There are four things necessary to complete the flagging process:

Indicate the type of flag (promotes hatred or violence)

Indicate the category (national origin)

Add a comment

Click on the Submit video for review button to complete the process

There is strength in numbers and if a large group of us make our feelings known, this video hopefully will be removed from the Internet entirely. “

 

All people who rally against racial stereotypes, not just Italian/Americans, should do exactly what this letter requests; go straight onto Youtube and search for each individual episode of “The Guineas Show.” (There are more than a dozen.)

I followed the directions of the letter above and I was able to state my case emphatically that “The Guineas Show” must cease to exist.

I spotted the small flag under each video. I clicked on the flag.

I selected “harmful or abusive comments. “

Then I selected “promotes hatred or violence.”

Where it said “Please indicate what the hate speech was about” I selected “National Origin.”

A complaint box appeared and In this box I wrote:

“Having a show called “The Guineas Show” is just as in sensitive and inflammatory to Italian/Americans, as it would be to African/American if these producers featured a show with the “N” word called The N****R Show.” This video should not be allowed on Youtube or on any Internet site that cares about the stereotyping of any segment of the American population, or the population of any foreign country.

This is simply wrong, and obviously the producers of “The Guinea Show” care only about the profit motives, and not the feelings of the Italian/American population in the United States.

Due to the work of the Sons of Italy, the Chairman of New York State Commission for Social Justice wrote to the director of the series and also to Blip TV, which originally aired this show. As a result, “The Guineas Show” was banned from Blip TV. There is no reason why it should not be banned from Youtube too.”

Readers can copy and paste my comment, or they can create comments of their own.

Either way, we must speak out against hateful speech targeting Italian Americans, or any other racial group, or national origin.

This is America – the land of the free and the home of the brave. We should all act brave and do what we can to stamp out discrimination, no matter who is discriminated against.

It’s the right thing to do.

 

Joe Bruno on the Mob – Movie Review – The Sinatra Club

 

Right off the bat I must say, this is one of the most annoying, most ridiculous mob movies I have ever seen.

"Mobsters, Gangs, Crooks and Other Creeps-Volume 1 – New York City"

“The Guineas Show” Insults all Italians and Italian-Americans

I wrote the following letter to the producers of a disgrace called “The Guineas Show.”

Murder and Mayhem in the Big Apple – From the Black Hand to Murder Incorporated: Joe Bruno, Marc Maturo, Nitro Covers: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

Sweetbay Employee Insults an Italian/American

On July 26, 2012, I had a horrible and demeaning experience at a Sarasota Sweetbay grocery store, which compelled me to do something I have never done before: write a letter of complaint, which I sent  to Sweetbay headquarters in Tampa, Fl.

The text of the letter is below:

"Mobsters, Gangs, Crooks and Other Creeps-Volume 1 – New York City"

To Whom It May Concern:

I’ve lived in Florida since late 1995, and never have I encountered an employee of any store, let alone Sweetbay, who has been so insulting.

On July 26, at approximately 2:30, I was in the Sweetbay at 2881 Clark Road in Sarasota. I went to the slicing cold cuts department and asked for a half a pound of prosciutto, which the man before me had just ordered.  I noticed the man had pronounced the Italian ham like an American would. But when I asked for the cold cut, I pronounced it like an Italian, or an Italian/American would  – “proshoot.”

The counter woman said, “You mean ‘prosciutto.’”

I said yes, but where I come from in Little Italy in New York City we call it “proshoot.”

I said this with a smile, not like I was not correcting her, but just making small talk.

She snapped at me, “Well, you’re in Florida now – not in New York – and that’s the way we say it down here.”

I thought she was kidding, but then I pointed out to her that we also pronounce capicola – “gabagool,’” and mozzarella – “Mootsadel.”

She then pointed out a man next to me who was wearing a shirt with “Michigan” on the front.

She said, “That’s where I come from and there we say it the way they say it here in Florida.”

That’s when I realized she wasn’t kidding and was just being nasty.

I said, still smiling, “I’m sure if you went to an Italian neighborhood in Michigan, the Italians would say it the way I say it.”

She snarled, “I don’t go into Italian neighborhoods.”

The woman cut the prosciutto and handed it to me. I told her a wanted a pound of German baloney.

I said, again still smiling, “We pronounce baloney like everyone else does.”

Then I asked her if when she went to a French restaurant wouldn’t she like to  pronounce the French food like the French do.

She said, now seething, “I don’t go to French restaurants.”

While she was cutting the baloney, I heard her say something with her back to me. It sounded like, ”Pretty soon I’m going to start throwing things.”

I couldn’t swear they were her exact words, but it was pretty close to what she said.

She gave me the baloney and asked if I wanted something else. I did, but I said no, not wishing to be insulted anymore.

I started  to leave the store – seething –  but I turned around,  went to the customer service area and asked for the manager. The manager wasn’t there, but the assistant manager was called. I told him what had transpired between me and his surly woman employee.

The assistant manager was sincerely concerned. He apologized profusely, and even offered to give me some of the food I ordered free. I told him I was not there  to get free food, but that I sincerely doubted I would ever shop at Sweetbay again.

And at this moment, that’s exactly how I feel.

It was obvious to me the woman at the cold cuts counter either doesn’t like people from New York, or she doesn’t like Italians or Italian/Americans, or maybe all three.

If I were an African/American and I complained to the local chapter of the NAACP, you can be sure there would be pickets outside the  Sweetbay store at 2881 Clark Road in Sarasota.

This kind of prejudicial actions by any store employee should not be tolerated, no matter what nationality the customer is. I was insulted, not just personally, but I also  felt she was insulting my Italian heritage.

I guarantee you if this type of behavior is continued at Sweetbay, your  chain store will wind up like Albertsons and Wynn Dixie – almost extinct in the state of Florida.

Joe Bruno