POPE KEEPS THE MARSHAL’S BATON

The Pope affair is unpleasant for everybody. It is unpleasant for American citizens of Italian origin who don’t want to be represented by an individual who was found guilty of fraud against his business partners and was labeled an imbecile by the judge. It is unpleasant for the Italian government, which, for the sake of decency, has been forced to stay away from Italian American official events where he plays host. It is unpleasant for those American citizens who have a sense of what is proper and see this individual welcomed and honored by the city’s political and Catholic authorities. I hope it is also unpleasant for Pope himself who has been chastised three times by the New York Times for security fraud and for cheating on a city contract for the supply of road salt.

And, finally, it is unpleasant for those who have to report these events and provide an interpretation that, par force, must cast reproach on everyone involved. It would be much more pleasant to write in full conscience that American democracy selects its representatives among the most virtuous individuals; that the editor-in-chief of the most important (or, at least, the least insignificant) newspaper in Italian language in the United States is a shiny example of culture, refinement and financial probity; that none of the highest apostles of the Catholic Church kneeled in front of local politicians; and that the so-called Italian community has such a keen sense of its own individuality among all the other foreign-origin communities of Greater America that it can deny support to people who misbehave. It would be ideal, but it is not the reality.

The scandal erupted on October 9, 1961, when the New York Times reported that neither the consul general of Italy in New York nor any other official representative of the Italian government would participate in the October 12 Columbus Day parade and the following official banquet. The official host of both events was Fortune Pope, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Progresso Italo-Americano. The reason for breaking with a very long tradition was the sentence Pope and his brother were still serving while on probation. Two days after that report, on October 11, an editorial (an article that expresses the opinion of a newspaper’s editorial board) appeared praising Italian authorities (ambassador and consul) for showing a better sense of integrity and dignity than New York’s politicos such as Governor Nelson Rockefeller[1] and New York Mayor Wagner, who were explicitly mentioned. The article also mentioned the verdict against the Pope brothers and remarked the inappropriateness for elected officials to associate with parolees.

The origin of Fortune Pope’s power lies primarily in a series of errors committed over the years by the various Italian governments in the Liberal, Fascist and Christian Democrat eras. Italian authorities have convinced Italian Americans that the Popes, first the father and now the son, represent Italy abroad and that being mentioned in the Progresso is the best route to obtain favors and honors from the Italian government. It so happens, in fact, that Italian government representatives after arriving in New York look for quick personal triumphs. When they realize how hard it is to penetrate the higher American circles, they content themselves with lesser honors, usually brokered by the Progresso Italo-Americano. In the Italian community vanity abounds and in recent times there is also an abundance of rich people. Moreover, in America it is common for the rich to spend money to look good in public. From this mentality came the banquets at the Waldorf Astoria that would pump up Italian ministers and undersecretaries in visit to New York, ignorant of the difference between decent people (there are many among the Italian Americans) and enriched lice. Pope sells back to the Italian governments the power that derives to him from being accepted as the go-between with Italian Americans and government officials. From a pure perspective of realpolitik, it has been a terrible investment for the Italian government but a great one for Pope. This series of errors could have ended when President Giovanni Gronchi was on a state visit to America in 1956, the first Italian head of state ever to do so. His should have been a visit to the American people. Instead, it turned out to be a visit to the Italian American friends of Pope.

This year the dinner offered by the Columbus Committee, and the Columbus Day parade the following day, were a great success for Pope. Even though we don’t believe the numbers printed in his newspaper (one hundred thousand marchers and one million spectators) it is a fact that the public’s participation was enormous—and that the New York Times didn’t hold anyone back. Is it indeed possible that the Times may not be the most popular newspaper among Italian Americans?

In the major American cities the mixing of organized crime and politics is a tradition that started well before Italians arrived here. Italian gangsters eventually absorbed and perfected the lesson learned from the local criminal elements. There is, though, a peculiar aspect that is unique to the Italian American community, namely the tolerance for organized crime. Italians stood by when it was being imported, while it was growing and until it adapted itself to America and began to prosper. None of the Italian-community leaders ever spoke against it and there is no record of a single judge, politician, journalist or even a priest of Italian origin who mounted a campaign against Italian criminality. Anglo-Saxon journalists, pastors, politicians and cartoonists in New York, to the contrary, did wage anti-crime wars against their own kind before Italians arrived.

The marshal leading the October 12 Columbus Day parade was Fortune Pope. In front of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, on Fifth Avenue, he bowed in front of Cardinal Francis Spellman[2] who was waiting at the top of the steps that lead up to the portal. The cardinal responded with a gesture and a smile. If we consider the fact that—as a high Catholic authority explained to me— Fortune Pope is officially excommunicated because he is divorced, one may ask what the meaning of that salute is. The English report says: ”He waved,” which means the cardinal moved his hand in the air to salute him. Was it a blessing? A scolding? (“Ah, bad boy. That was a big one that you did. But this time I'm going to let you get away with it.”) Or was it electoral complicity? Who knows? Maybe a clarification from such a high authority would be welcomed by the many who, in Italy, suffer because they don’t have the Catholic Church’s permission to divorce. Or, is divorce now a preferential title, necessary to merit the friendship and protection of a cardinal? A little later, further down the avenue, Fortune Pope left the parade and climbed onto the viewing platform where the authorities, including Governor Rockefeller, were standing. Here he was warmly welcomed. When Rockefeller left the platform, Pope managed to get his picture taken with Mayor Wagner.

To this day, October 16, nobody has complained.

Obviously, this does not mean that all Italian Americans or all New Yorkers approve of Pope. It simply means that the great majority is not concerned with it, probably doesn’t know and certainly doesn’t care. I bet that maybe only one out of every ten thousand people had an understanding of the objections raised by the New York Times. In America parades are public events for the happy sheep that participate: they are eager to march because this is part of society’s norms and also a source of fun in these collectivistic times. In the last few years the Columbus Day parade has become an event for all newcomers from every corner of the world who have contributed to America’s fortune. The participants are high school students, city employees, union members and political-club members. Some show up only because they can’t avoid it. This year there were also political adversaries of the mayor, such as Lawrence Gerosa.

The official banquet was also a great personal triumph for Fortune Pope. When the American anthem played everybody stood up. When the Italian anthem[3] played, everybody continued their conversations sitting down, Pope included. Was this pre-ordained? Was it just a mistake? Was it maybe a warning and a reminder to the Italian government as to who is really in charge? Many expected that after his guilty sentence Pope would retire from public life, at least for some time. After all, he is immensely rich and has no public office. Many recommended a low profile as the best strategy for a time, after which he could reemerge in the circuit of banquets, photo-ops and ceremonies that so please him. That’s not the way it went, and to tell the truth, he was right. Pope knows the life of the largest American city better than I do. He knew he had the governor, the mayor and the hand-waving cardinal in his vest’s pocket. He probably thinks he also has in his pocket the various Italian ministers of foreign affairs, and he probably bets they will soon fire the consul who defied the laws of American cities. The rumors from his circle are that the consul’s absence was just a personal pique. I can testify, however, that it is not true and that the ambassador agrees fully with the consul. In Pope’s newspaper there was no mention of the New York Times reports. Its readers only read, in a few lines, that he was found guilty on a technicality. What they know is that at the banquet he received a warm applause; that he got to sit next to the governor; that the mayor shook his hand and that the cardinal waved at him. As I said before, Fortune Pope is right and we are wrong because we are ignorant of the unwritten laws that rule American democracy in the biggest cities.

Are these the same laws that also govern older and more venerable institutions? Who knows?

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A spokesperson for Cardinal Spellman informed the press that the gesture toward Mr. Pope was not “a blessing.” What was it then? And what did his smile mean?

New York, October 22, 1961