Your Content is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published.

Italians in Philadelphia have had it with the ongoing Italophobia that resulted in the unwarranted theft and destruction of Mario Lanza flags in his own park, Your Content has learned.

Attorney Robert Petrone reports this week, the flags in South Philadelphias Mario Lanza Park bearing the esteemed Philadelphia tenors face were replaced with flags with a cartoon bird on it.

- Advertisement -

It has come to the attention of the Italian-American residents of Philadelphia that Mario Lanzas image has been removed from the flags adorning the park that is named in his honor. reads a letter drafted by Petrone to city officials.

We the undersigned are appalled that this was done without consideration for the community, during a time when we are in great pain at the recent and repeated removal of the likenesses of Italian-American icons all over the city, including (1) the removal of the statue of the first and only Italian-American mayor of Philadelphia, Frank Rizzo, whose administration as Chief of Police integrated the police force by putting both African-American and Caucasian officers together in the same squad cars and promoting the first officers of color to administrative positions, (2) the boxing up of the statue of the first civil rights activist of the Americas, Christopher Columbus, at Marconi Plaza, and (3) the obliteration of the names of Columbus and many prominent Italian-Americans at the base of the Columbus monument at Penns Landing.

Despite that misguided historical revisionists have slandered Mayor Rizzo and Christopher Columbus of lateslander that has been debunked categorically of lateno such slander has ever been levied against Mario Lanza.

- Advertisement -

There can be no other reason for the continuation of this course of conduct than blatant Italophobia. Petrone continued.

That Friends of Mario Lanza Park, entrusted as stewards of the park and its contents, would be so insensitive to the community in this regard, is unforgivable. Our community demands that Mario Lanzas likeness be restored immediately.

Protect Independent Journalism

Your Content is a nonprofit newsroom that produces nonpartisan, evidence-based journalism to expose injustice, corruption and wrongdoing.

Spearheading the news revolution for Americans across the nation, Your Content has brought a voice to those the media failed to acknowledge.

This story youve just finished was funded by our readers and we hope it inspires you to make a gift to Your Content so that we can publish more reports like this one that holds people in power to account and produces real change.

Your donation will help us ensure that we can continue this critical work. We are busier than ever covering stories you wont see anywhere else.

Originally posted here:

Lawyers Say Philly Officials Are Partaking In 'Italophobia' By Allowing Antifa to Target Them - YC