De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, Pelosi to join 'Paisans for Kamala' call
"The Sopranos" stars Lorraine Bracco and Steve Buscemi along with Alyssa Milano, Robert De Niro and more are coming together to give Vice President Harris's White House run an Italian-flavored boost.
Organizers describe Sunday's "Paisans for Kamala" as an "unique virtual dinner event" to support the presidential bid that will "bring together celebrities and political leaders to discuss the importance of the 2024 election while sharing family recipes and cultural traditions."
"We're going to share a collective experience of who we want to vote for and why — and I'm good with that. I think it's great," Bracco told ITK in an interview ahead of the "Paisans" — Italian slang for "friends" — event.
Other prominent Italian American figures expected at the virtual meetup include Marisa Tomei, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), John Turturro, former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Broadway star Patti LuPone, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Anthony Scaramucci, "The Walking Dead" actor Melissa Ponzio, former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), comedian Paul Mecurio, Jim Messina and Lisa Ann Walter.
The event is one of several fundraisers that have been organized by different demographic groups supporting Harris's run. A "Win With Black Women" call attracted 40,000 participants, while an effort dubbed "White Dudes for Harris" raised more than $4 million in July.
De Blasio said in a statement, "Italian Americans have always been at the forefront of standing up for justice and equality," and that the Zoom gathering would support Harris "in typical Italian style — around a big family dinner table."
Bracco voiced her support for President Biden and said she "would've voted for him if he was on a stretcher," before he exited the White House race in July. But the Academy Award-nominated performer praised Harris, saying, "I love she's young. I love she's a woman. I love she's a prosecutor."
"I don't want to say the shiny penny, but we need something new. We need a f‑‑‑ing change," the "Goodfellas" actor said.
Asked if there will be a certain feeling of camaraderie among Italian Americans joining forces to support Harris and vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Bracco replied with a big laugh, "We're all loud and we like to eat."