Italian-Americans vs. Buonismo: ‘Balbo Must Fly On’

(Chicago) It’s the afternoon of July 15, 1933, when 24 Savoia-Marchetti S.55 hydroplanes descend on the smooth, flat waters of Lake Michigan, before the city of Chicago. They have just completed one of the greatest feats in the history of aviation by flying in locked formation from Rome to the United States, proving that the Atlantic Ocean is no longer an obstacle.

Leading the 115 officers is a man who will become a hero to the Italian-American community: Italo Balbo. The jubilant crowd greets him with myriad Italian and American flags. To commemorate the endeavor, they erect an ancient Roman column etched with his name. Rome meets Chicago. The two countries have never seemed so close. No one could have imagined that 84 years into the future, some bloggers and anti-racist activists would have thought to protest to bring down the Balbo monument, calling it a symbol of fascism.

But unfortunately, the world is strange and full of people who are hell-bent on rewriting the past in a politically correct rendition. Though fortunately, in Chicago, the Italian-American community is one of consequence. It is among those communities that literally built the city and today can even decide without much issue whether or not a mayor will be re-elected. We met with Dominic DiFrisco, president emeritus of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, along with his grandson Dominic Gianni, Enza Raineri and Lissa Druss, in a dining room at Gene & Georgetti, an Italian restaurant that’s been open in Chicago since 1941.

These four are the lifeblood of the city’s Italian community. They see an essential piece of their history in the Balbo monument. “When I found out that someone wanted to knock down the Italo Balbo monument,” said DiFrisco, “I called my grandson and told him that I was ready to go to jail to stop it. From that moment, our entire community has risen up in its defense. For us, it’s really such an important symbol of identity and pride.”

A symbol, according to DiFrisco, that doesn’t stand for anything negative. Rather, it legitimizes the alliance between two peoples. “The Italo Balbo monument is a fundamental part of our history, erected to celebrate the flight of the Italian hydroplanes that landed during the Century of Progress fair in 1933. It was a sort of global exhibition to celebrate the 100 years since the city’s establishment. We have to keep in mind that at that time,” continued DiFrisco, “Chicago was full of newly-arrived Italian immigrants who saw that accomplishment as a symbol of pride. It was a badge of honor to wear in a new and difficult country.”

The city’s Italian residents, however, were not the only ones to react warmly. “Americans themselves,” explained the president emeritus of the JCCIA, “were astounded by Balbo’s accomplishment, and even the political leaders of the time expressed admiration for Italy. Although some say that at that time there was fascism, we have to acknowledge that Italy was an internationally respected country. And the words of Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and even Gandhi are there to prove it.”

Today, however, a large part of the monument’s protestors are unaware of its history. “Those who want to remove the Balbo monument,” says DiFrisco, “are nothing but ignorant. They are people who don’t know their history and they want to rewrite it as they please. It really all started with the campaign to discredit the legacy of Christopher Columbus, stating obvious absurdities, like how he had a role in the slaughter of the American Indians. And now they’ve moved on to Balbo, adding to the madness. Though thank God these people are a small minority. The majority of the people of Chicago have not supported their protests.”

After some months of controversy, the situation seems to have progressed toward a positive solution. “Fortunately, our representatives Enza Raineri and Lissa Druss,” explains DiFrisco, “managed to have a productive meeting with the mayor and stop the monument’s removal. Though we had to agree to change the plaque that today says ‘gift from Fascist Italy’ to ‘gift from the Italian people.’ Sure, it’s a compromise and not a resounding victory, but the important thing is that Balbo’s name remains as a symbol of friendship between Italy and Chicago.” DiFrisco was thus able to fulfill a promise: “When I stood up in defense of Balbo, I started getting many, many letters of support. But there’s one that I remember well,” he says. “It said, ‘Dear Mr. DiFrisco, I was a little girl when Balbo came to town, but I was there, in a sea of tricolored flags with my mother and father, who cried while waving the Italian flag. Do not allow them to remove this piece of history.’ How could I fail to grant her request?”