The Alioto family may be the closest thing that North Beach has to royalty. Some of old Joe Alioto's progeny certainly strut around like they own the joint, anyway, elbowing their way in, imposing their wants and needs in places where they're neither wanted nor needed.
One of the minor princesses, Michela Alioto-Pier, is using her juice as District 2 supervisor trying to get Tommy Lasorda kicked out as grand marshal for the upcoming Italian Heritage Parade. She's placed a resolution in front of the full board asking that he be disinvited as grand marshal. Lasorda's crime? Being the former manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the ancient rival of our beloved, currently moribund, San Francisco Giants.
You've gotta love this dame's sense of sportsmanship.
Anyone who knows me can tell you what I think of Los Angeles generally and the Dodgers specifically. But Alioto-Pier is acting like an idiot, and her silly tirade is an embarrassment to a city that prides itself on being worldly and sophisticated. Tommy Lasorda may bleed Dodger blue, but he's been a great ambassador for a great game. A much greater game, I might add, than the one Alioto-Pier is playing down at City Hall. Lasorda also made the Giant-Dodger rivalry a lot of fun. We could use a little of that fun right now.
I hope Lasorda rides in the parade on Oct. 12. I, for one, will be cheering him.
Of course, Michela's is but a minor Alioto. Now, Angela -- there's the real deal.
As I write this, many of the town's Roman Catholics are down at the Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, bestowing a blessing on the Porziuncola, a meticulously rendered replica of the original chapel in St. Francis' hometown of Assisi, Italy. It's quite amazing. The Vatican has even sent some brass over here for the blessing. Angela had a huge hand in making this dream a reality and should rightly be applauded for it.
However, other aspects of Angela's behavior related to the Porziuncola, the proposed St. Francis Piazza and the neighborhood around the corner of Grant and Vallejo streets have been, shall we say, less admirable. Angela has her chapel and she's hell-bent on getting that piazza, which would mean closing Vallejo Street between Grant and Columbus to traffic. It's an idea that is generally supported in the neighborhood.
Apparently, though, Angela feels like she's got ownership rights that extend to the entire block, including the iconic -- and iconoclastic -- Caffe Trieste. Since the piazza idea has gained traction, she's been hanging around a lot, pushing people around and generally harrassing the cafe's regulars, who probably don't fit too well with her grand vision. Coincidentally, she's also been dating the Trieste's owner, and for both their sakes I can only hope it's true love.
A number of cafe patrons have been bullied by Angela, who's pretty good at pushing people around. One friend was harassed into moving his illegally parked truck so Angela could take the illegal spot for her grand Mercedes. She accused another guy of being a drug dealer, only to have a police officer set her straight. She belittles the cafe's hard-working baristas and her boyfriend, who no one would ever mistake for employer of the month, seems to think that's fine. In short, her behavior around the Trieste has been nothing short of thuggish.
Then there's the little matter of Francesco Rocks, Angela's religious trinket store that now occupies the space that, until recently, housed a hardware store. It's widely known that Cole Hardware, one of the better businesses of this type in town, wanted to take a lease there. The landlord is reportedly holding out for a bar or restaurant (because it's more lucrative and North Beach, after all, is an "experience sector" and not a neighborhood). Angela, meanwhile, ponied up for a short-term lease that will give the landlord some cash while he cools his heels, while providing her with someplace to flog her religious icons. She's paying far less than Cole Hardware would have and it's a good thing that she is. I imagine it's hard staying afloat selling only a few crucifixes every day.
Another little problem: Francesco Rocks is effectively an extension of the nearby shrine, making it a 501C3, a religious organization. That being the case, what's a political placard pushing her nephew's candidacy for District 3 supervisor doing in the window? Religious organizations are supposed stay out of politics, so Angela's store is in violation of its status.
In short, the area around Grant and Vallejo is becoming more like an outstation of the Inquistion every day. However Angela's working her mojo, I have the feeling St. Francis wouldn't approve.
Comments
Ding, ding, ding!
How dare Michela! Tommy is an Italian San Francisco icon. Thanks for letting us know. How can we best protest her action.
Indeed, Cole Hardware could have served a much wider portion of the neighborhood.
I live a half a block away from the Shrine, and I cannot even describe to you the noise they've been making at this event. You don't know what hell is until you've heard Angela Alioto's croaky, shrieking voice blasting out of an immensely loud sound system all morning.
They've blocked off not only the street in front of the church, but the entire 500 block of Vallejo Street, for no apparent reason. I can only think they thought they'd have overflow crowds at this event (LOL) so they have a huge flat-screen outside the tent, with the aforementioned ear-rattling sound system blasting up the hill and nobody is standing outside the tent watching or listening. Except those of us in our homes, who are being forced to listen to every lame speech and every off-key musical "performance."
Noise-wise, the North Beach Fair is a prayer service compared to this. They started at 9:30 this morning in order to wake up the entire neighborhood, and haven't stopped since. I've called the Shrine and the cops to ask if for the love of God and St. Francis and the terrified pigeons and parrots would they please turn their sound system DOWN???!!
I got an answering machine at the Shrine, and the cops said they've been getting complaints but there's nothing they can do, it's a "Sanctioned Event."
Angela's son just lost my vote for Supe. Any family that puts on such an obnoxiously loud awful brouhaha, and arrogantly ignores the quality of life of the neighborhood doesn't have what it takes to understand their constituents.
Correction: I meant Angela's "nephew" just lost my vote, not her son.
Tony L: I am shocked, shocked, shocked by this revelation! Evidently, St. Francis Shrine and the newly minted "Knights of Saint Francis of Assisi--(hey there are female "Knights " in this newly created organization), has ignored several diplomatic requests to remove the offending sign. Our Founding Fathers (and their Supportive Active Spouses) had it right when they separated Church & State--there is almost nothing more volatile. As counsel to the Saint Francis Piazza Association, which is a strictly secular organization, headed up by Poet Laureate Lawrence Ferlinghetti, I (and we)am/are acutely aware of keeping church and state in their separate realms. I will say that AA has created a beautiful replica of the original chapel in Assisi--she deserves much praise, it is an extraordinary achievement by Angela, but as is human nature, such religious fervor can step over the line as has evidently occurred here in this case as reported by you.
And, on a related matter, Tommy Lasorda should be welcomed to the Italian Heritage Parade--what foolishness to not welcome a man who has been such a great ambassador to America's pastime. As founder(ok with a little help from my friends) of the North Beach Merchants ASssociation, Tommy L. is most welcome in North Beach--and he has his own winery--all the more reason to welcome Tommy with open arms to our community!
Tony G.
To: Tony Long
Good column on the Aliotos. Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?
From: Ernie Beyl
This ought to give those who were thinking of putting yet another Alioto in a position of power as District 3's supervisor pause for thought. Do we really think it is a good idea to have two Aliotos
on a 11 member Board ? One at a time is plenty.
Alioto = Corruption. We have known this for decades now. Please, no more Aliotos in public office!!!
We can boo Tommy Lasorda when he wears the Dodgers uniform, but recognize his contributions to the sport and the community at large.
I wonder if Joe Alioto Jr. disagrees with his sister on this lame proposal. I have yet to hear him take any public position different than his sister.
Joe Alioto Jr. says he's not running on his family name in District 3, but he would be a blip in the D3 race if his last name wasn't Alioto.
And it's amazing that Alioto Jr. continues to lie by saying he was a "former criminal prosecutor." The guy spent a summer in between law school years as a summer clerk at the Alameda DA office.
That experience doesn't make you a "former criminal prosecutor." It makes you a "former summer law clerk."
It's like saying I did a summer internship at the State Dept. and was a "former diplomat." Or I spent a summer interning as a hospital so I guess I can put on my resume that I was a "former doctor."
Joe Alioto Jr. has very little record to stand on in District 3. What's he done to improve District 3?
alioto family is long drawn out olden italian (aka mafia politicos) family name that keeps to their own kind and promotes their siblings upward mobile defending nobody. plus, grand marshalling the columbus parade is a gas-laugh. read howard zind's historical book. columbus didn't discover america. but he did whack every tribe along the way to get to america only to find out there were already inhabitants there to which he gladly whacked them off as well with gusto and crowned himself Discoverer of America.
Joe Alioto's brilliant idea for North Beach is tax breaks for landlords who rent to certain types of businesses - which the landlord may or may not pass on to the tenant. Sounds a lot like trickle-down to me. I think we've been trickled on enough, thanks.
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