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Italians protest school play on mobsters

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CHICAGO, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Plans by a Chicago suburban middle school to produce a play about mobsters has run into claims of stereotyping by a national Italian-American organization.

Drama teacher Matthew Myers of the Rotolo Middle school in Batavia, west of Chicago set off a national protest campaign by the Order Sons of Italy in America, who say his play, "Fuggedaboudit: A Little Mobster Comedy" is offensive.

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Dona De Sanctis, deputy executive director of the national organization told the Chicago Tribune the school has refused to pull the play, and defended the group's protest.

"No Jewish-American group, no African-American group, would sit idly by ... and let the so-called `Bada Bing players' put on `Fuggedaboudit,'" De Sanctis said.

It was a mother of an Italian-American student at the school who first complained, but she asked not to be named to spare her son any ridicule, the newspaper said.

The show's dress rehearsal is scheduled for Nov. 15, with shows on the 17th and 18th, and members of OSIA said they are considering demonstrating outside the school on those days, the Tribune reported.

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