Spaghetti bootlegger and former New York governor Mario Cuomo finally saw “The Godfather” after a decades-long boycott, the New York Times reports.
Cuomo, who has boycotted the book and film since its 1972 release because of its negative portrayal of Italian-Americans, finally saw the movie at Fordham University Law School’s film festival over the weekend.
The former governor once refuse to use the word “mafia” and discouraged reporters from using the term.
“Every time you say it, you suggest to people that organized crime is Italian,” he told reporters back in 1985 between mouthfuls of spaghetti and meatballs. “It’s an ugly stereotype.”
“You’re telling me that Mafia is an organization and I’m telling you that’s a lot of baloney,” he said at the time, as he poured wet concrete over the corpse of mob boss Paul Castellano.
But Cuomo finally admitted over the weekend that “The Godfather” is “great, if you’re referring to artistry,” and even brought in a notepad to take down some tips.
After the screening, Cuomo said that mafia movies and TV shows like “The Sopranos” deliver an immoral message.
“I’m against the death penalty, except for people who make bad movies,” he added, then took a package of two dead fish addressed to Michael Bay to the FedEx store down the street.