Mt. Vernon extremely run-down (New York, Mount Vernon: crime, neighborhoods, schools)

[7 Wishes]

Growing up in Mt. Vernon (1970s) I had so many classmates with Italian last names I honestly thought until I was older it was the largest white ethnicity in the US :-)

[roskybosky]

Me too! I remember seeing a pie chart of US religions, and the biggest chunk was 'protestant.' I was astonished. Where were they? I just assumed the whole world was catholic, with a few jews.

When I moved to Dallas in 1980 and I told people I was from NY, they repeatedly said, "Oh. Lotta Jews there..." I had no idea we had more than the usual allotment of Jews, but apparently word spread to Texas. It just goes to show we are all in our own little fishbowl.

[roskybosky]

Some of the writers on the
'Sopranos' are from Mt. Vernon. David Chase is from Mt. Vernon. So, we can't blame this mafia drama on any other group. Plus it was a brilliant story-fantastic TV. For many years I had a theory that the Jewish producers in Hollywood were in love with the macho Italian type (that doesn't take any crap from anyone,) because their own stereotype (as men) was rather bookish and non-threatening. You also always hear that the Jewish culture is matriarchal. I don't know if this is true, but so many Italian characters on TV, and in movies are from the same mold, pushing women around, shooting everyone, that I thought, maybe it's a welcome relief for the Jewish guys out there who never get a chance to see themselves that way. Can you see a guy in a yamulke whacking the candles off the sabbath table with a baseball bat? Kinda hard to visualize

[green_mariner]

Didn't "Puffy" Combs and Denzel Washington live in Mt. Vernon during their childhood?

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by roskybosky

Some of the writers on the
'Sopranos' are from Mt. Vernon. David Chase is from Mt. Vernon. So, we can't blame this mafia drama on any other group. Plus it was a brilliant story-fantastic TV. For many years I had a theory that the Jewish producers in Hollywood were in love with the macho Italian type (that doesn't take any crap from anyone,) because their own stereotype (as men) was rather bookish and non-threatening. You also always hear that the Jewish culture is matriarchal. I don't know if this is true, but so many Italian characters on TV, and in movies are from the same mold, pushing women around, shooting everyone, that I thought, maybe it's a welcome relief for the Jewish guys out there who never get a chance to see themselves that way. Can you see a guy in a yamulke whacking the candles off the sabbath table with a baseball bat? Kinda hard to visualize

I'm a bit confused here. David Chase is Italian, not Jewish. Or is that what you meant? By the way, Michael Imperioli (who played Chris Moltisanti on the show) was also born in Mt. Vernon and essentially my generation (one year older than I), but he moved to (I believe) Brewster when he was a toddler.

[JeRrYcRaCk]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

Didn't "Puffy" Combs and Denzel Washington live in Mt. Vernon during their childhood?

yea even tho diddy doesnt like to admit it. all u ever hear him rep is harlem every 5 mins meanwhile he grew up in mt vernon.

[ShouldHaveLeft914]

Originally Posted by rubygreta

Visit the north end and you will fine some of the finest residential streets in Westchester County.

Not really.

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by ShouldHaveLeft914

Not really.

If I were to show you a picture of say the homes around Mt. Vernon High School (not talking about the school itself, just the homes around it) or some on say Central Parkway and then show you a picture of homes in Bronxville, I bet you could not tell which is which. Yes, the residents of the former are a lot more diverse but just looking at the homes they pretty much look the same.

[jcampo13]

Originally Posted by Forest_Hills_Daddy

I don't know about Italian immigrants being fairly well to do. Most of the Italians who migrated to the US were poor in their country, from the southern part of italy - Palermo, Naples, Sicily. Italians from wealthier parts like Milan, Verona and Venice hardly immigrated.

Honestly, this post could not be more wrong. Significantly more people migrated from Northeast Italy than other regions in Italy and they were very poor. Veneto is a historically poor part of Italy (the rich being a small minority). The difference is that northern Italians migrated to Brazil and Argentina while southern Italians migrated to the USA and Canada.

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by jcampo13

Honestly, this post could not be more wrong. Significantly more people migrated from Northeast Italy than other regions in Italy and they were very poor. Veneto is a historically poor part of Italy (the rich being a small minority). The difference is that northern Italians migrated to Brazil and Argentina while southern Italians migrated to the USA and Canada.

I think it's fair to say that FHD had migration to the USA in mind. After all, that's the context here. And he's right.