I knew my daughter Maria had just moved into an Italian neighborhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, when I saw the giant Virgin Mary shrine on her neighbor’s porch. 
But any lingering doubts, if I had them, would have been expelled by the multiple expressions of ethnic pride one sees just walking down the street.
From the dual flag home displays 
to the bus-stop signposts; 
from the bakery awnings 
to even the fire hydrants, 
one sees the green, white and red of the Italian bandiera, signifying the fertile plains, the snow-topped Alps, and the blood spilled in the fight for independence and unification. The older Italian people now share the neighborhood with gentrifying young hipsters, of course, but their presence is still most definitely felt.
Just when I was verging on getting too choked up about my people, however, I spied this display at the Giglio Boys Club of Brooklyn. No comment. 
Gigi's Italia 