Slurring Italian Americans

THE ISSUE: The Post’s cover depicting the Cuomo family as the Corleones from “The Godfather.”

The Conference of Presidents of Italian American Organizations found The Post’s cover on Wednesday extremely insulting to all Italian Americans (“Godbother,” Aug. 14).

Three of the finest men of our background — Andrew, Mario and Chris Cuomo — were portrayed with distorted facial features as being gangsters in a very cruel ethnic stereotype and slur.

As a right-wing newspaper, you may wish to criticize their political views. But would you dare dish out such old and tired ethnic slurs and outright misinformation in reference to any other group? Is this a newspaper or a comic book?

Italian Americans are loyal citizens of this country with strong family values and a strong work ethic, who unfortunately have been subjected to this distorted stereotyping.

New York City has the largest population of Italian Americans in the United States. In New York state alone, we represent 15 percent of the population. That’s a lot of readership The Post is insulting. We await an apology. Aileen Riotto Sirey President CPIAO Manhattan

Not satisfied with mocking Cuomo’s righteous indignation over a heckler’s ethnic slur, one of The Post’s reporters quoted a scrofulous mob associate. However, what truly rankles is the frontpage headline “Godbother: Chris Cuomo fury at ‘Fredo’ insult” and accompanying photo.

Such blatantly anti-Italian intolerance is vile in the extreme and gratuitous beyond measure. Moreover, it desecrates the memory of Mario Cuomo, a great and noble American. Rosario Iaconis Mineola