Mayor de Blasio, Gov. Cuomo wade into controversy in city's Columbus Day Parade

[question everything]

Source: NY Daily News

A torrent of boos rained down on Mayor de Blasio as he walked in the Columbus Day Parade in Midtown Monday.

Some New Yorkers at the celebration of the city’s Italian-American heritage were irate that de Blasio is considering removing the iconic statue of Christopher Columbus at Columbus Circle.

Outside St. Patrick's Cathedral, a man wore a "Not My Mayor" shirt. A woman alongside him yelled: "Hey, over here," a woman yelled to the mayor. "Ba fongool!"

Another man yelled: "Save the statue, or you're German!"

(snip)

Gov. Cuomo, who also walked in the parade, waded into the controversy by saying it shouldn't be a choice of honoring the Italian explorer or Native Americans. "It's not an either or-it's both," Cuomo told reporters before marching. "Of course we should honor the indigenous people. They were abused by many leaders."



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/de-blasio-cuomo-wade-controversy-city-columbus-parade-article-1.3551735

[BigmanPigman]

1. It's pronounced "va" not "ba" fangool/fanculo in most of Italy.

My Italian grandmother taught me that since she would yell it whenever she would watch Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
http://slangcity.com/ask_ac_archive/fongool.htm

[7962]

2. One of my older business associates would use it & I used it in front of my Italian mom

THAT was a bit of a mistake, as I had never asked my friend John just what the translation was. I just knew he used it when he spoke of people that pissed him off!

[IronLionZion]

3. "Save the statue, or you're German!"

I doubt Germans saved many statues from the third reich.

I've heard this term used in the Sopranos and Mafia movies:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=vaffanculo

[phleshdef]

4. I wonder if that was the point of the comment, considering modern day Germany.

You know like how honoring the Nazis is pretty much a crime in Germany, let alone done in the public square.

[IronLionZion]

5. Bill De Blasio is German-Italian

He has both types of immigrant grandparents. I believe the Italians were trying to disown his Italian half for a lack of pride or something. Cuomo is also Italian. It seems some Italians like to toss out Italian insults at any Italians who show insufficient pride in Columbus Day. That was also in the Sopranos when Meadow was being liberal about indigenous peoples day.

[leftynyc]

6. Are they going to insist

on changing the name of Columbus Circle. Where does the madness end?