I’m going out on a limb saying it did help Italian Americans. Let’s face it; America has a love affair with mob shows since way back to the “Untouchables” if old enough to remember.

Many may disagree and say it has hurt, but in what way I’d have to ask. I think we all can pretty well separate hard working honest Italians from those who live a life of organized crime just as every nationality has those that would embarrass the good.

But Italian mob shows are not an embarrassment in the least if you were to take a poll. I think what you’d find is a captive audience of these shows. The Godfather for instance, a movie that lives on forever, is a prime example of how much viewers clamor for in the way of Mafia type shows.

Why are all these types of shows a hit, and why do we look for more? I think it’s because they show normalcy in the lives of the characters as they portray a loving family type of life, also how they take care of less fortunate (with tainted money of course) folks who look up to many of them mob leaders for getting something done in a run down neighborhood.

For some reason watching these guys whack a rival is pure entertainment to some and to others a reminder of just how ruthless these lovable characters can be. I’m not saying there are thousands that would love to see these shows banned forever, but they would only be replaced by other shows that exhibit violence, sex, crime, and other less civilized actions.

However, the main difference is that most other shows just would hold an audience like a good old fashion mob show. For some reason we take these guys into our hearts in such a way that we don’t care much about the dark side they represent. It’s pure entertainment unless we happen to be on the receiving end of a mobs attention.

So how could a show like the Sopranos hurt Italian Americans when it’s obvious millions are clued to the show every week and can’t wait for the next? I myself am relieved it’s ended because now I don’t have to worry anymore that it will come to an end. But to be sure, I could have watched this show till all the characters grew old and grey.

As an Italian American, I’ve found that I have received more positive attention as a result of these shows. It’s almost as though simply looking like I belong in one of the scenes, I get a certain amount of unwarranted respect and the feeling that people want to be around in my company as a result of these shows.

This is not hurting me in the least, but some may take the attention as unwelcome because they resent getting noticed as one belonging to a nationality that they feel is not anything like what they portray in these mob shows. I say it’s something to get over and not let it get under the skin.

We know that with every race, color, or nationality, there are those who would bring down a good image, but in the case of Italian mob shows, I can’t think of anything negative to say about them as they represent a very small segment of the Italian population, and most are intelligent enough to know that this is not the true ways of Italian Americans.