Not only did the New York Giants rise to the top yesterday as winners of the Super Bowl ... but our own Commission for Social Justice (CSJ) won a victory by convincing Mr. Gordon Medenica, Director of the New York State Lottery that the "Ba Da Bling" scratch off lottery game advertisement aired on radio and television implied stereotyping of several cultures - most especially the Italian American. CSJ President Stella Grillo said "Demeaning any ethnic group under the guise of entertainment or fun is not amusing and certainly not conducive to the purchase of a lottery ticket." CSJ President Grillo was advised by Mr. Medenica that the advertising of "Ba Da Bling" would be off air Monday, February 4th! Also, New York Post reporter Todd Venezia had interviewed Stella Grillo with regards to this issue ... and below is a copy of the article which appeared today in the New York Post on page 12. Kudos to the CSJ and to CSJ President Stella Grillo. How fortunate the Order Sons of Italy in America is to have this special commission working for the entire Italian American Community and the community at large. Remember this the next time you are asked to make a donation to the Commission for Social Justice. This is one of the things that OSIA does for you!! Here is the article by Todd Venezia, New York Post: February 4, 2008 -- The state lottery has apologized for a series of TV ads for a new $3 million scratch off game called "Ba Da Bling" that feature a group of Sopranos-like mob characters rapping, glaring and talking in Brooklyn accents. The ads have drawn the ire of Italian-American groups. One even lodged a complaint with the lottery commission, saying that the state-sponsored ad insulted their ethnic group. "Here we go again, the traditional stereotype of the Italian-Americans, they belong to the mob," said Stella Grillo, a representative of the Sons of Italy in America's New York chapter, who made the complaint. "I know a lot of people are saying you are overly sensitive," she added. "But Americans have become more sensitive to most racial groups, and it should apply to Italian Americans." The ad has run on television in New York City and across the state for months. It's shot in the style of a typical rap music video with performers singing about the "Bada Bling" game to the tune of Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)." After a group of rappers and dancers finish their part of the spot, a group of actors resembling mobsters come out and strike tough-guy poses while singing about the game. One closely resembles the Tony Soprano character on the hit HBO show, while another looks a lot like Paulie "Walnuts." The mobsters in the Sopranos run their murderous schemes from a strip club called the "Bada Bing." The actors in the ad also talk in thick accents, declaring that you have "tree chances to win." "The vernacular they use, 'tree' chances - if I was from Brooklyn, I would be insulted," Grillo said. The ads are scheduled to stop airing today, although the game will go on. The game costs $10 per scratch-off card, and players have a chance to win various prizes up to $3 million. The odds are about 1-in-4 of at least winning something. The lottery said they didn't mean to insult anyone, and they sent a letter to Grillo that contained their apology. They also said that they have not gotten many complaints.
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