Cannoli-Slinging Italians vs. Hoity-Toity Gentrifiers in Stereotypical Showdown
There was a time when Italians lived in Manhattan's "Little Italy." A long time ago. Now, it's just an area called "Nolita" full of rich people and expensive "boutiques" and the Gawker Media offices, and the only real Italian connection left is the annual Feast of San Gennaro, a horrible week-long street fair featuring fried food and seedy carnival games and lots of the same crappy vendors you see at every street fair in NYC, which represents the "true spirit of Italy" about as much as Chef Boyardee.
The good news is that stereotypical elitist wealthy boutique owners and stereotypical hot-blooded cannoli-hawking Italians are finally locked in a battle over the stereotypically awful San Gennaro festival! The Soho types want it shortened."I have cannolis frying in front of my store!" says the stereotypical Asian boutique owner who doesn't even know how to make cannolis. The Italians are outraged! The New York Post is expertly stoking the fires:
"You can't understand the emotion we have — the anger — when we feel we're being attacked," said John Fratta, president of the Little Italy Restoration Association
Oh, I bet we can understand it in a perfectly stereotypical manner. It's like the Billy Batts scene from Goodfellas, right?
*Stereotypical Italian phrase for 'Fight!'*
