“The Sopranos” stars Lorraine Bracco, Steve Buscemi, Alyssa Milano and Robert De Niro join forces to bring an Italian flavor to Vice President Harris' White House efforts.
Organizers said on Sunday,Kamala's PaisanThe “unique virtual dinner event” in support of the presidential election will bring together celebrities and political leaders to “share family recipes and cultural traditions while discussing the importance of the 2024 election.”
“We're going to share our collective experience about who we want to vote for and why. I think that's fine, I think it's great,” Bracco told ITK in an interview ahead of the “Paisance” (Italian for “friends”) event.
Expected to attend the virtual meeting include Marisa Tomei, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), John Turturro, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Broadway star Patti LuPone, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Anthony Scaramucci, “The Walking Dead” star Melissa Ponzio, former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), comedians Paul Mecurio, Jim Messina and Lisa Ann Walter.
The event was one of several fundraisers organized by various demographic groups supporting Harris' candidacy: A call to “Win with Black Women” drew 40,000 participants, while an initiative called “White Men for Harris” raised more than $4 million in July.
“Italian Americans have always led the way for justice and equality,” Mayor de Blasio said in a statement, adding that the Zoom rally was in support of Harris “in quintessential Italian style – around the dinner table with extended family.”
Bracco has voiced her support for President Biden, saying she “would have voted for him even if he was on a stretcher” before dropping out of the race in July. But the Oscar-nominated actress praised Harris, saying, “I like that she's young. I like that she's a woman. I like that she's a prosecutor.”
“I don't want to say shiny pennies, but we need something new. We need a hell of a change,” the “Goodfellas” actor said.
Asked if Italian Americans coming together to support Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, created a sense of solidarity, Bracco said with a laugh: “We're all loud, and we all like to eat.”
