Throughout history, the media has and continues to play an integral part in our perception of Italian-Americans. From politics to television shows to high-profile court cases, the influence of the media in understanding this ethnic community is evident as we explore the following stories. These depictions cost an Italian-American the 1969 NYC mayoral election, helped mold self-identities or reputations of Italian-Americans based on the lifestyles and characters we've watched on screen or at home, and have labeled a strong Italian-American community as racist and exclusive based on several isolated, high-profile crimes. These media portrayals are not always true and have sometimes been detrimental to the image of Italian-Americans, but no one can deny their cruciality in defining Italian-American culture as we know it today. 

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