• Rebel Girl and the Godfather: New York City's Italians and the Fight for Civil Rights - Paperback
Rebel Girl and the Godfather: New York City's Italians and the Fight for Civil Rights
Rebel Girl and the Godfather: New York City's Italians and the Fight for Civil Rights

    Rebel Girl and the Godfather: New York City's Italians and the Fight for Civil Rights - Paperback

    $32.60
    In stock!
    People are currently viewing this
    Select The Options Above
    Description

    by Jeffrey Louis Decker (Author)

    The story of how an Italian American housewife and community organizer battled a Brooklyn Mafia boss and political activist for the hearts and minds of a white working class in revolt.

    This is the true story of a rivalry between a pair of improbable social justice crusaders--Mary Sansone, an Italian homemaker, and Joe Colombo, a Mafia boss--set against the backdrop of Brooklyn's racial and ethnic feuds of the 1960s and 1970s. From her basement kitchen, Mary Sansone launched the Congress of Italian American Organizations, a social-action coalition operating multimillion-dollar programs on behalf of the Italian poor. From his office suite high above Madison Avenue, Joe Colombo defied omertà to commandeer the Italian American Civil Rights League, an audacious anti-defamation organization that convinced thousands to join sidewalk pickets and mass demonstrations. When, around 1970, Mary and Joe's paths finally cross, they battle each other for the hearts and minds of a white working class in revolt. This book challenges stereotypes of the docile Italian wife and the parochial Mafioso by recasting these actors as a rebel girl and a renegade wiseguy. It offers an alternative history of the 1960s and 1970s, when it was presumed that white ethnics living in urban America were predisposed to responding to the civil rights movement with backlash and the women's movement with scorn.

    Author Biography

    Jeffrey Louis Decker is a professor in the English Department at UCLA.

    Number of Pages: 360
    Dimensions: 0.81 x 9 x 6 IN
    Publication Date: September 01, 2025
    Add to Cart Select The Options Above

    Reviews

    Exceptional Support and Clean Code

    I was impressed by how fast the support team responded to my questions. Even as someone with basic coding knowledge, I found the theme incredibly easy to work with. The code is well-organized, and everything runs smoothly.

    — Lucas M

    Small Business Owner (Electronics Store)

    Reliable Theme with Excellent Customer Service

    After trying multiple themes, I finally chose Wokiee — and haven’t looked back. It’s reliable, modern, and easy to customize without coding. What impressed me most was their support team: fast, helpful, and willing to assist even with third-party issues. That level of service is rare!

    — Sophie N

    Owner of a Home Decor Store

    Beautiful Design and Great Flexibility

    Wokiee is hands down the best Shopify theme I’ve used. The design options are stunning and fully customizable. I was able to build a high-converting store without any external developers.

    — Rachel L

    Fashion Brand Founder

    Top-Notch Support and Regular Updates

    The customer support team is incredible — helpful, responsive, and very professional. They’ve helped me resolve everything from layout tweaks to app integrations. Plus, the theme is regularly updated with new features.

    — David P

    Shopify Consultant

    Amazing Customization Options"!

    Wokiee gave me full creative control over my store’s layout and visuals. The theme’s design blocks are so flexible that I could create something truly unique — without touching a single line of code.

    — James T

    Handmade Goods Seller

    High-Quality Theme with Professional Code

    You can tell Wokiee was built by pros. The code is clean and optimized for performance. No bloated features — just what you need. My store loads fast and looks great on all devices.

    — Anna V

    UI/UX Designer