Talk:Vincent Schiavelli

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The reductionist causal association of Vincent's pipe-smoking and his death is misleading. This is an assumption motivated more by the current anti-smoking zeitgeist than by evidence. Unless you 'know' for certain, please remove it. Thank you. --Paleo1114 —Preceding undated comment added 11:59, 26 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

"Ironically, both Schiavelli and his Ghost co-star, Patrick Swayze, died at the age of 57 from cancer." How is that ironic? 220.240.44.176 (talk) 12:58, 23 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Someone might want to mention that he was the voice of Pigeon Man in the Season 1 Hey Arnold episode of the same name.JayyTeaa (talk) 04:10, 23 March 2011 (UTC)[reply] 

This article is seriously lacking any mention of Schiavelli having Marfan syndrome, and his activism in support of Marfan research. I don't have time to add it myself, but the National Marfan Foundation has an article about his passing, since he was their honorary co-chair. You can find the article here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.91.70.120 (talk) 13:26, 9 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Whoever said there is no such thing as a Sicilian ethnicity is ignorant. Here is an exact quote from the article on Sicily:

"The people of Sicily are often portrayed as very proud of their island, identity and culture and it is not uncommon for people to describe themselves as Sicilian, before the more national description of Italian.[55] Despite the existence of major cities such as Palermo, Catania, Messina and Syracuse, popular stereotypes of Sicilians commonly allude to ruralism, for example the coppola is one of the main symbols of Sicilian identity; it is derived from the flat cap of rural Northern England which arrived in 1800 when Bourbon king Ferdinand I had fled to Sicily and was protected by the British Royal Navy.... Throughout history Sicily has rulers from a variety of different cultures, each of whom has contributed island's culture, particularly in the areas of cuisine and architecture. Sicilian people tend to most closely associate themselves with other southern Italians, with whom they share a common history. Of the ethnicities outside of Italy itself, Sicilians and other southern Italians tend to associate most closely with the Albanians and Greeks, especially due to the Magna Græcia and Greco-Roman cultures. This is exemplified in the saying "una faccia, una razza", meaning "one face, one race", a phrase sometimes use in reference to each other.[57] The island of Sicily itself has a population of approximately five million, and there are an additional ten million people of Sicilian descent around the world, mostly in North America, Argentina, Australia and other European countries. Like the rest of Southern Italy, immigration to the island is very low compared to other regions of Italy because workers tend to head to Northern Italy instead, due to better employment and industrial opportunities. The most recent ISTAT figures show around 74 thousand immigrants out of the total five million population; Tunisians with 14 thousand make up the most immigrants, followed by Moroccans, Sri Lankans,and other Eastern Europeans.[58]"

Sounds like an ethnicity to me. They have a distinct culture, a distinct identity, a distinct cuisine, a distinct language (Sicilian is no longer considered a "dialect"; it is now considered a language based on Italian in the same way that Dutch is based on German, and with its own dialects), they have distinct physical characteristics, and they are geographically separated from the mainland of Italy. The mere fact that they fall within the larger nationality of Italy is as meaningless as the fact Italy and France fall within the land mass of Europe. And no, Vincent's decision to call himself Sicilian was not a "choice between him and his publishers." Vincent was my cousin, and I can say from firsthand experience that he genuinely considered himself Sicilian, both in his writings and in his personal life. Your implication that this was some kind of gimmick or shtick on Vincent's part is an assumption of appallingly arrogant and bigoted proportions on your part. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dmacewen (talk • contribs) 20:56, 15 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

When I get a chance, I may edit this text. It's important to note that his role in the film "Man on the Moon" was him helping re-create the Simka/Latka wedding scene from Taxi. He re-played the role he played on the old Taxi episode, as the priest. Taniwha 19:05, 28 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

This is a silly debate. We're talking about Schiavelli's ethnic background. There is no such thing as Sicilian ethnicity, as distinct from general Italian ethnicity. Calling him a Sicilian-American is like calling

• There is no such thing as Sicilian ethnicity, as distinct from general Italian ethnicity. Assertion, and POV one at that.
• ...like calling
  Tasmanian
  -American Tasmania did not have a separate distinct cultural, historical, and linguistic identity, so that example is irrelevent.
• ...but as far this encyclopedia is concered Oh? Where did "this encyclopedia" talk about it? Do you have his phone number so I can ask him? Or maybe you meant
  this
  ?
• ... but that is not what we're talking about here. Empty statement. In fact, I'd call it dangerously close to begging the question.

Using this logic, there is no difference between Americans and Native Americans. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.231.118.194 (talk) 17:39, 23 May 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Schiavelli himself called himself "Sicilian" or "Sicilian-American", as in his memoirs, Bruculinu, America: Remembrances of Sicilian-American Brooklyn, Told in Stories and Recipes (

[1]

Bottom line:

• There is a distinction, linguistically and culturally, between "Italian-American" and "Sicilian-American", and asserted by the members of the group among others. See page 34 of Bruculinu, America for an illustrative anecdote.
• Schiavelli considered himself a member of the latter, writing at least THREE books exploring the subject.
• What the late Vincent Schiavelli called himself, as far as I'm concerned, trumps some vague handwaving on the issue.

So you're right, it is a silly debate -- though not in the way you intended that sentence to mean. --Calton | Talk 02:43, 30 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Well, a few things to be said here.

• You say: "What the late Vincent Schiavelli called himself, as far as I'm concerned, trumps some vague handwaving on the issue." I have never doubted that Schiavelli was a staunch defender of his specifically Sicilian heritage. There are good reasons why he should have done so. But that kind of cultural identification does not make Wikipedia policy. While there may be certain social distinctions between Sicily and mainland Italy, for the purposes of biographies on Wikipedia these are not considered separate places. Essentially, whatever Vincent Schiavelli has written about himself or his family in this regard is irrelevant (and I mean no discourtesy or disrespect when I say that).
• It is policy on Wikipedia biographies to name all countries the subject has been a citizen of.
  • Sicily is not a country, it is a part of a country called Italy. It is not possible to be a citizen of Sicily but not of Italy.
• It is policy on Wikipedia biographies to refer to the subject's racial background where appropriate.
  • "Sicilian" is a geo-social identity, it is not a racial identity. There is no "Sicilian language" (wrong, see Sicilian language), or "Sicilian culture" (there is in fact a category called Sicilian culture - no Sicilian culture - do you actually know what you are talking about? there is in fac or "Sicilian people" article here (there is also a category of People of Sicilian heritage). As you yourself point out, whether a person was considered within his own neighborhood as Polizzani, or Palermitani, or Calabrisi or Napolitani, to the outside world they were Italian. To Wikipedia, they are Italian also. Enrico Caruso would never be described as "a Neapolitan-American".
• Thanks for the link to Sicilian-Americans. Unfortunately for you, it only proves my point. Click on the first few names, and what do we find:
  • Armand Assante had an Italian father
  • Charles Atlas was born in Arci, southern Italy (no mention of Sicily)
  • Frank Capra was an Italian-American, not a Sicilian-American
  • Castellano was Italian-American
  • Joe Dimaggio
    was Italian-American

But it's not all good news.

• Alan Dale's father came from Abruzzi, Italy, whereas his mother came from Messina, Sicily. This is a case of very sloppy writing, because a person who knew nothing about this part of the world would think that Italy and Sicily were separate countries. That needs to be fixed right away.
• Mimi Aguglia was born in Catania, Sicily - although there is no claim she was "a Sicilian-American"
• Iron Eyes Cody was the son of Sicilian immigrants - but again, he's not described as "a Sicilian-American".

Conclusion: As far as I can tell, referring to Vincent Schiavelli as "Sicilian-American" is the only such case on Wikipedia. What makes him so special that he's outside the rules that apply to everybody else? It's absolutely OK to talk for pages about his Sicilian heritage. What is not OK is to call him "a Sicilian-American".

• PS. Let's keep this courteous, eh. It ill behoves my fellow Wikipedians to be prickly, particularly at this time of love and peace. JackofOz 06:14, 30 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Let's try to make this simple enough for you to understand. The existence or non-existence of Sicily as an independent country is irrelevent and immaterial: the existence of a culturally separate category of Sicilian-American" is. It exists; I've demonstrated with published sources it exists; and I've demonstrated with published sources that the subject was -- and considered himself to be -- part of that category. Whether any editor has seen fit to add this to other articles is also immaterial.

And I repeat, handwaving assertions fail to convince (It's absolutely OK to talk for pages about his Sicilian heritage. What is not OK is to call him "a Sicilian-American". Uh, why? Just because?). --Calton | Talk 06:32, 30 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Why are you so damn nasty, man? This is absolutely uncalled for. Talking (twice now) about "handwaving assertions" will get you nowhere. Saying things like "Let's try to make this simple enough for you to understand" is offensive. It's as if your point of view is the only one worth having, and anybody who thinks differently is mentally deficient. That's not the way Wikipedia works, mate. I'm having just as much trouble getting you to see my argument, but I'm not resorting to that kind of personal abuse. Let's have a debate where there's no aggressiveness going on, or I'm outta here. I've talked about Wikipedia policy above, but you've not responded to most of the things I said. JackofOz 07:03, 30 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

JackofOz, it's a buddy here; please don't trust Carlton (i think he's a "noglobal"). However u gotta know that Calabria and Sicily are both southern regions of Italy. Therefore Sicily is ethnically typical about Italy; Sicily was the Naples Realm in the past, so he's not distinct from Italy at all. The "Sicilian-American" birth as he said does not exists. Trust me. Calabrian and Sicilian are both Italians; Check the map, Sicily is the region located after Calabria Region. Also the Sicilian "Language" is only known as Dialect, because it's not taught in any region, not even Calabria and Sicily; though there's somebody issued about that topic, so don't pay attention to 'em. We're right! Nobody can tell them these things here (about "Sicily vs Italy"), he doesn't have rights afterall ! Don't make anybody hothead to post fakes or nonsense arguments, Admin. See ya.

Thank you very much. At last, some sanity. JackofOz 23:48, 30 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Calton, when somebody disgrees with you, this does not mean that they are "reading-impaired". You have a long way to go before you become a nice guy. Start immediately. JackofOz 00:05, 31 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

No problem. JackOz, can i suggest something friendly to you, please? Ban the retarded there, please; before he makes some vandalism. Or just prevent his unauthorized nonsense-editing. Thank you so much. A buddy.

Calton, you still don't seem to understand that Wikipedia has a set of agreed standards for referring to nationalities in biographies, and users are expected to abide by them - otherwise, what's the point of being part of this project at all if you're just going to make up your own rules as you go along? A person could have written books claiming to be a Calathumpian Martian, but that doesn't mean we should refer to them as such. The way Vincent Schiavelli described himself and his background in his own books was a matter between him and his publishers. The way we describe him and his background in his Wikipedia biography is a matter for Wikipedia policy to determine. That policy says his national background is described as Italian, not Sicilian. We can certainly make reference in the article to the fact that his family were specifically from Sicily. I don't know that I can say it any clearer than that. JackofOz 02:23, 6 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

As there have been no objections to the above, I take this as concurrence. I've made the appropriate change yet again. JackofOz 22:17, 9 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Calton, asking people to "pay attention" is not what this ought to be about. That sort of language assumes that whatever you have to say is the final truth. Well, I'm sorry to disillusion you on that score. For the record, I have "paid attention". I have read your arguments, I have understood them, and I respect them - but I continue to disagree with them, for the simple reason that they not the way things are done here. Our rules and policies are there for a purpose, and if you disagree with them it's open to you to institute change, but it's not open to you to simply flout them. Three days ago, I went to the trouble of explaining, yet again, on Schiavelli's talk page why I believe it's not OK to do what you insist on doing. After three days with no response from you, I made the change I foreshadowed. Now, you've just reverted me because I haven't been "paying attention" to your argument - yet you have given my argument no consideration whatsoever. At the very least, courtesy would demand that you engage me in discussion about this, not just ignore me and revert me time and time again. This is a collaborative effort, not the work of any individual. JackofOz 01:11, 10 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Well, despite your claim, I certainly didn't receive any response to the above. (If you can show me where a response was posted, I will retract that. Otherwise, your claim remains on the record as an untruthful statement). I already told you that I gave your previous argument serious consideration, and found myself in disagreement with it. So any suggestion that I "ignored" it is completely untrue. The only arguments that have been ignored here are mine. You continue to hold that "Schiavelli's own books" are sufficient reason to describe him as "Sicilian-American" - despite me having told you twice now that whatever way he describes himself in his books has no bearing on Wikipedia. You cannot continue to argue that line, it is of no merit. I don't expect to agree with me, just as I have disagreed with you, but I do expect you not to resort to childish and inappropiate language such as "blithered", and "hand waiving" (that makes 3 times now; it seems to be a favourite phrase of yours, I've noticed you've used it against other editors you disagree with). And I do expect that any editor worth his/her salt would be prepared to debate their contributions, not just damn any others who hold a different point of view. If your arguments have any merit, they will withstand the queries and objections of others, so just what is it you are afraid of, Calton? I'm posting this on Schiavelli's talk page so others can have their say on the matter. I've displayed more than sufficient courtesy by keeping this between ourselves up till now. I regret that my courtesy has not been reciprocated, but I live in hope. JackofOz 03:48, 12 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with JackOfOz. There is no separate ethnicity called "Sicilian-American". It's a geographic, not national or ethnic, designation.

JackO'Lantern 08:34, 13 January 2006 (UTC)[reply

]

I agree also with JackOfOz. My mother is from Italy but has never told she was from her home town. She is from Italy. Frankly its disgusting people trying to enforce their views of someones nationality (nation being the operative word). This is another example of the idiotic pedantic people wikipedia seems to breed. --202.81.18.30 02:17, 4 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

• • • • With respect to Wikepedia's policy, Sicily is part of Italy and has been since 1861. Any Sicilian citizen is an Italian national. HOWEVER, this does not mean they are ethnically Italian. Sicilians are Italian in citizenship, but Sicilian in identity, ethnicity, culture, history, and language. These facts cannot be disputed.

And this is the great debate! Like the Basques, Catalonians, and other European peoples, Sicilians are part of a "nationless state." However, due to their unique situation, were granted "autonomy" in 1946 by Rome. I believe this "autonomy" is the reason why the Associated Press and other news organizations have begun to use "SICILY - Palermo" as the header in news reports, versus "ITALY - Palermo." Such autonomous state are recognized across the globe, and treated as such. Oh, but according to some Wikepedians, there's no such thing as being "Sicilian", right!?

To dispute another fact previously stated, Sicilian IS in fact a language, and is listed in Ethnologue. Again, disputing previously made erroneous statements, the Sicilian language IS in fact taught in the schools, as was made law by the Sicilian Parliament a decade ago. This is not to be confused with the fact, Sicilian is NOT recognized by the Italian government as are the other languages in Italy. Again, this matters little since Sicily is an autonomous state and can set its own educational policy.

Finally, to continue with the known fact of a 'Sicilian identity' Sicily has had basically the same red/gold flag since 1282! Modified slightly over the years, it was most recently officially recognized within the last decade as part of a Sicilian Parliamentary law that states all public offices, palaces, courts, municipal buildings, and schools MUST fly the Sicilian flag in full view!

While I respect the current policy of Wikepedia, perhaps it should be changed. Autonomous governments are quite an exception to the matter. While all of you are correct in saying a Sicilian person is an Italian citizen. A Sicilian is not ethnically Italian. A Sicilian is historically Sicilian, ethnically Sicilian, with ancestry coming from Europe, Asia, and Africa. A Sicilian is linguistically Sicilian, and has his own identity. 150 years of relations with Italy means very little when imagining the entire scope of Sicily through the ages.

Even though I can make my points, and argue the facts over and over again, it will have little bearing. While I hope all of you have learned new things about why Sicilians are different from, and not Italian, in so many ways, this does not effect the policy of Wikepedia. Instead, I am going to focus my efforts on having Wikepedia revisit this topic, and suggest that they treat the "identity" and "ethnicity" of autonomous peoples differently.

Cheers --VingenzoTM 19:33, 17 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

This debate has now taken on a life of its own, and is no longer just confined to Vincent Schiavelli. I think it needs to be held in a more appropriate place - not sure where, though. JackofOz 00:07, 18 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Fellow Wikipedians,

After following much of the debate here, I decided (as a Sicilian) to share with you some of my own comments, thoughts, opinions, and knowledge on this matter. The alleged first settlers of Sicily were called Siculi and Sicani but no one knows from where these tribes originated. The oldest artifact ever recovered in Sicily was an ornamental, cross-like pendant, found in San Cataldo. It is believed to be a remnant of the "Siculi" (or Sikel) civilization. Today a sample of it can be viewed in the Museum of Syracuse. The original design dates back to about 1300 years Before Christ.

However, we do know the origins of the first recorded colonizers of Sicily, Carthage and Greece. Seafaring Phoenicians (from Lebanon), founded Carthage, and later colonized western Sicily. In eastern Sicily, the Greeks founded their first colony (Naxos) in 750 B.C. The Phoenicians bought with them their alphabet, making Sicilians the first European people to use one. At one point, Syracuse was the largest Greek city in the world, even larger than Athens herself.

After the Punic Wars, Sicily found itself as a Roman province, beginning in the 2nd century B.C. The Roman occupation of Sicily was the longest, and lasted nearly 700 years. In this time, the Latin language slowly absorbed and replaced all others.

In 440, Sicily fell into the hands of the Vandals, Goths, Ostrogots, and the Vandals once again.

By 535, the Byzantines briefly occupied Sicily, and at one point, Constant II established his capital in Syracuse.

By 827, the Arab Muslims ('Moors') settled in Sicily at Marsala (Marsah el Alì) after the Byzantines retreated to Asia Minor. They divided Sicily into three zones, with Palermo as the capital. During their three centuries of rule, they bought with them great riches of science, mathematics, literature, philosophy, astrology, arts and mores. They built water projects still in functional use today. They also introduced citrus fruits and other crops to Sicily, as well as influencing and expanding the local language spoken in Sicily. The three zones eventually turned into rivaling factions and their fighting led to their end of power in Sicily by 1060.

In 1072, the Normans took Palermo, under Duke Robert of Hauteville. He eventually made his brother Roger the Grand Count of Sicily. After his death, his son Roger II eventually took the throne. With the death of his cousin William, Duke of Puglie, Roger II annexed all of peninsular southern Italy to his empire. He was now head of the Kingdom of Sicily and he chose Palermo as the site of his court, making the city once again a Sicilian capital.

In 1191, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV of Hohenstaufen ruled as King of Sicily.

In 1266, the Angevins and Charles I of Anjou conquered the Kingdom of Sicily.

In 1282, the Aragonese and Peter I of Aragon ruled over the Kingdom of Sicily (also called "Trinakria"). At this time, peninsular southern Italy was severed from ruleship.

In 1479, the Spanish ruled Sicily under various kings.

In 1713, Savoy Victor Amedeo II of Savoy was made King of Sicily under the Treaty of Utrecht which ended the War of the Spanish Succession.

1714-1720, the Spanish captured the Kingdom of Sicily once again.

In 1720, the Austrians and Charles IV of Austria were awarded Sicily. Spanish aggression (and consequent control of Sicily and Sardinia) in the Mediterranean led to the War of the Quadruple Alliance, in which the British, French, Austrians, and Dutch declared war on Spain.

In 1734, the Spanish and Charles III of Bourbon Spain forced out the Austrians and became ruler of the Kingdom of Sicily.

In 1815, Neapolitan born Bourbon Spaniard Ferdinand IV of Naples (also known as Ferdinand III of Sicily) became ruler of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. This new kingdom is the unification of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples, per the Congress of Vienna. The newly crowned Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies dissolve the Sicilian Parliament and returned to Naples. He also abolished the Sicilian Constitution and the Sicilian legal system.

In 1860, Kingdom of Sardinia soldier Giuseppe Garibaldi conquered Sicily. He presented himself as a liberator to the Sicilians who endured centuries of harsh Spanish rule. He later declared himself dictator of Sicily in the name of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy.

In 1870, the Kingdom of Italy (ruled by the House of Savoy) was completely unified with the annexation of Rome.

In 1943, Allied Forces landed in Sicily. Before this happened, Benito Mussolini ordered all Sicilian politicians to the mainland to prevent them from siding with the Allies upon their arrival.

In 1944, American military brass turned over Sicily to Italian administration after turning down the idea of making it the 51st United State.

In 1946, the newly formed Italian Republic gave Sicily its own autonomous status. However, the Sicilian High Court was abolished (and transferred to the Constitutional Court of Rome), and the Sicilian President lost his power over the police. In this move, Europe's oldest Parliament (1130-1947) died in its judicial form, although the building (Palazzo dei Normanni) still stands. [see http://www.ars.sicilia.it]

After paying close attention to the history of Sicily, it is quite easy to see how the island has always stood on its own, independent of any foreign land called "Italy." Even more obvious is the fact that the concept, idea, and very name of "Italy" had not even existed prior to the mid 1800s.

Sicily is an island with a rich and ancient history. With a millenia of colonization, and centuries of foreign domination, Sicily has a history, culture, and language uniquely its own. With over 3,000 years of history, it is impossible to argue that any Sicilian would feel solely "Italian" based on Sicily's relatively young relations with Italy, that began only in 1860!

With that said, I ask you to think compare the situation with Hawaii and the United States. Someone from Hawaii may be a citizen of the United States. However, they clearly have their own ethnicity and culture. In the case of Puerto Rico and the United States, Puerto Rican citizens have their native Spanish language. Would a Puerto Rican or Hawaiian be condemned for exhibiting their cultural pride? Would a Puerto Rican or Hawaiian tolerate the belittling of their ethnicity by any American? These questions do not warrant an answer. They were queried to you so that you could more fully think deeply about this matter.

For those of you who say there is no difference between Sicily and Italy, I shall let the facts speak for themselves. No other part of Italy can claim to have the same history as does Sicily. Few other regions of the Italian republic have the Autonomous Status. Few other regions of Italy have ever had their own currency or national bank. The Sicilian School of poetry, was used as a model for the national standard, and the Sicilian language is studied and taught in Sicilian schools, in accordance with Sicilian law.

For those of you who do not, cannot, or simply will not believe the facts, then it is either out of bias or ignorance. And in that case, nothing will make you see things as fact, let alone from the respectful point of view of this Sicilian.

In closing, I would like to share with you Dr. Gaetano Cipolla's essay "What Makes a Sicilian" in the hope that after you have finished reading, you will have a greater, culturally enlightened, sense of what makes a Sicilian Sicilian, first, foremost, and always.

What Makes a Sicilian By Gaetano Cipolla

<copyright violation deleted, see otrs#2012062710000497 for more information>

This booklet has been published by Prof. G. Cipolla through "ARBA SICULA" a non profit organization, and can be had with a donation of $3.00 U.S. plus $1.00 S&H, by writing to: Prof. G. Cipolla, Modern Foreign Languages, St. John's University, 8000 Utopia Pkway. Jamaica, NY 11439. Tel. (718)990-5203 http://www.arbasicula.org --VingenzoTM 22:22, 17 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sicilian wikipedians are now quite accustomed to dealing with vandalism on articles related to Sicily and Sicilians, be that on

• I should add that all the languages of Europe have had an adjective to describe someone or something from Sicily for centuries upon centuries (even my Macquarie carries it). Why would one now deny that that adjective is a valid descriptor? Just as someone can be both Scottish and British, someone can be both Sicilian and Italian - it's hardly rocket science! I am surprised that a 5th generation aussie who makes a big deal about his celtic roots would deny a natural descriptor being used to someone with such a strong connection back to the island and autonomous region within Italy where his parents were born.
  ρ¡ρρµ δ→θ∑ - (waarom? jus'b'coz!) 03:02, 18 January 2006 (UTC)[reply
  ]

If I could just add my two cents, I would greatly appreciate this chance to say once and for all that there is such a thing as a Sicilian American. As it was so graciously pointed out before, Sicily has had a long and illustrious history replete with foreign powers who took control of the island many, many times. The vast majority of these powers did not come into mainland Italy and chose to only govern Sicily. I could go on for days about this issue because it is something I feel so strongly about. To deny Sicilians and Sicilian-Americans the right to call themselves just that would be an affront to the years of work I am putting into a Sicilian grammar book. In fact, Sicilian IS a language, and furthermore, Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy with it's own culture, unique customs, capital, flag, national anthem, and government. It is a slap in all of our faces to deny us our right to claim our heritage as our own. Italy in itself has only been a unified state since 1861.. how is it that the concept of being "Sicilian" has vanished since then? Isn't the time since 1861 a small timespan compared to the aeons of time Sicily has spent being under other countries' rule? Shame on you all for being so ignorant. Before you pass close-minded judgements which have no basis in reality, brush up on your reading material. User:audradefalco - User talk:audradefalco 17 January 2006 (UTC)

Note: when I refer to Italy and Italians, I refer to the inhabitants of the modern Italian republic, and all of its autochthonous citizenry.

1. Italians?

Outside of the literary tradition, there is no such thing as a unified Italian culture. All Italians are regionalists in one way or another, some being subtle about it, others very open. However they are all regionalist due to their culture, society and upbringing. Sicilians are not the only group of “Italians” that want to separate themselves. All Italians do. It is an Italian mental complex to separate themselves from “outsiders” – whether that be other families, other towns, other provinces, other regions, or other countries.

2. Linguistic question

Yes, Sicilian is a language. And so are Sardinian, Neapolitan, Tuscan, Emilian, Romagnolo, Venetian, Ligurian, Piedmontese, Insubrian, and Friulian. The Italian that you hear spoken today is based on the literary Tuscan of the 13th century. Even modern Tuscan differs from standard Italian! A foreign student of Italian would have trouble understanding a conversation between members of the older generation in Pisa or Livorno.

3. A history lesson…

All languages spoken in Italy are not dialects of Italian, but of Vulgar Latin. As time went on the upper classes retained some aspects of Classical Latin but the language of the common people changed over time and do to Italy’s geography it did not develop universally. Thus the local vernaculars developed and developed until one point where they could be considered separate languages. These were not truly written languages however that changed with the Emperor of Sicily, Fredrick II who founded the Sicilian School, a court-based school of poetics in the Sicilian vernacular. This School influenced the Tuscan School of Dolce stil novo which composed works in Tuscan and Tuscan poets translated the works of the Sicilian school into Tuscan. Sicilian is therefore parent language of Italian. Infact many scholars agree that had Sicily not have fallen under Aragonese and Castillian domination, that the national literary language of Italy would have been based on Sicilian and not Tuscan. But Sicily did fall under Spanish domination and with it came the Holy Inquisition that destroyed the Sicilian intellectual class thus impeding the development of the language.

Saluti distinti

Matteo BA Italian language and literarature

User talk:Matteu Festa

• Grazzi Matteu pû tò argumentu lumunusu, pricisu e chiaru - ju sugnu d'accordu cu tuttu chi dicisti. Salutamu.
  ρ¡ρρµ δ→θ∑ - (waarom? jus'b'coz!) 03:55, 18 January 2006 (UTC)[reply
  ]

Sicily is distinct from Italy only in the minds of certain individuals - ethnically, geographically, and encyclopedically they are the same place. Getouttahere hippies and noglobal who believe differently. I'm italian, from Panormus and i'm glad to be italian. Sorry for the actor Vincwent Schiavelli; i watched "Ghost", the movie, starring Vincent as evil soul. by Anon. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.50.191.178 (talk • contribs)

a headshot would be nice.

Yes, lose the sunglasses. Since he was "the man with the sad eyes", then need a photo showing his eyes! Pekoebrew (talk) 19:47, 4 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The article says he was born on 10 November 1948 and died on 26 December 2005, but it says he was 58. 2005 - 1948 = 57. Which is correct, the birthday or the age?--Jcvamp 02:17, 3 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This Should clear it up. I spent a lot of time with Vincent while he was writing the first of his cookbook/family histories Papa Andea's Sicilian Table. We spoke about many things during that time and I learned a great deal of my own heritage from him. But I can tell you that for most of Vincent's life he considered himself an American of Sicilian descent. Towards the end of his life he embraced his sicilian heritage and moved to the town of his (and my) origin Polizzi Generosa. Phil Vilardi [email protected] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.210.58.28 (talk) 18:29, 1 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

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