In the world of social media, individuals and organizations get carried away in the search for likes in their bid to execute marketing strategies and campaigns.
The recent establishment to find itself in hot soup is a Singaporean-Italian restaurant that had a mafia-themed event scheduled for last Friday.
In response to the event, “Hip Hop Mafioso,” the Italian ambassador to Singapore Ambassador Dante Brandi blasted the establishment, calling its references “dubious in taste.”
“It is not Italy’s pride to be associated with the mafia. Dear Gotti SG, the mafia is not what my country is proud of. People have died and suffered because of it, and—most importantly—people have died and are still dying and suffering to fight it.
“Naming your club after an infamous criminal family and catching clients with a ‘Hip Hop Mafioso’ night is certainly not illegal, but—allow me to say—is definitely of a dubious taste,” Ambassador Dante Brandi stated in a Facebook post directed at the Gotti Italiano restaurant.
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The Chinatown restaurant Gotti Italiano, which is situated on Amoy Street in Singapore, recently posted a Facebook advertisement for their event, dubbed “Hip Hop Mafioso.” Tupac and Snoop Dogg, two American hip-hop artistes, were featured on its promotional poster.
Brandi then referred to a “real Italian hero,” Judge Giovanni Falcone, whom he described as having sacrificed his life to fight the mafia.
“I genuinely believe the world can be spared from your additional literature on the subject,” he added before signing off his post.
The restaurant has since apologized in a comment under Ambassador Dante Brandi’s post.
“We deeply appreciate your perspective and understand the concerns you’ve raised regarding our branding and event names,” said Gotti Italiano, adding that its team has taken down all social media posts promoting the event.
“We are committed to ensuring that our present and future branding and promotional activities will be mindful and respectful of Italian culture and history.”
The mafia theme suggests the tales of the infamous Gambino crime family in New York City that was led by an American crime boss John Gotti, who goes by the name “Gotti.” He was found guilty of five murders, conspiracy to commit murder, racketeering, and extortion in 1992, among other offenses. In 2002, while incarcerated, he was found to have throat cancer.
Veteran diplomat Brandi, 52, has held positions as deputy executive director for Italy at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, chief of staff of the Italian embassy in Washington, DC, and head of the embassy’s economic-commercial office in London and began his posting in Singapore on September 1, 2023.
He also holds the role of Italy’s Ambassador to Brunei. In addition, he was appointed to the Italian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2018.