Class will tell ... unfortunately

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.