Mike Gardner: Video: CNN's Evans and Novak, Governor Mario Cuomo on Anti-Italian Slurs in 1986

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

Before I get into Italian slurs, I’m going to get into why Mario Cuomo never ran for president. Even though chances are had he ran, he probably would’ve won the Democratic nomination for president in 1988 or 1992. A big reason why Governor Cuomo never ran for president, or at least a big rumor why he didn’t run, had to do with his perceived connections with the Italian Mafia in New York. Especially in New York City and perhaps around New York State as well.

And when Cuomo ran for Governor of New York and perhaps reelection as well, those same charges came up and perhaps not just by Anglo-Saxon Republicans. Who perhaps had supporters at least who were less than enthusiastic about Italian-Americans in general. As far as what Governor Cuomo said about one of his opponents and “he made his bones with the Democratic organization in New York”, I don’t know if that is true or not.

But I don’t doubt it because Mario Cuomo dealt with anti-Italian bigotry as an Italian-American throughout his political career and perhaps his whole live even in New York. And New York City which is supposed to be one of the most inclusive and progressive cities in America. But once you move upstate in New York and out of Manhattan in New York, the upstate part of the state resembles Central Pennsylvania culturally at least. And a lot of New York City outside of Queens and Brooklyn looks like Connecticut. Very Anglo, preppy and quite frankly snobby and bigoted.