I read this morning that Michael's boyfriend is Vito Cammisano, a Texas native and fellow University of Missouri alum who was on the school’s swim team. And according to todays New York Daily News,
"The hunky 23-year-old is the grandson of the late Mafia boss William (Willie the Rat) Cammisano — who reportedly got his name for the way he disposed of bodies — and the son of Gerlarmo (Jerry) Cammisano, 60, who followed in the family's shady business and ended up doing prison time for running a Kansas City-based gambling ring, according to records."
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Hey, Mike ~
I wrote to my b/f (who is from Missouri) and a couple of other friends about this, this week.
Yes, Vito was a capable student athlete (a swimmer); he's cute as a button; and he DOES come from a pretty scary family. (I told my friends the usual jokes, about that.)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2626327/Meet-Michael-Sams-swimmer-boyfriend-Vito.html
But, Mike, I said to my b/f, and all my friends: I agree with THIS ARTICLE, from the
Daily Beast ~
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...e-mafia-gays-and-michael-sam-s-boyfriend.html
No one should be judged (as the Alpha and the Omega) for what his parents, or grandparents, have done. By all accounts, little Vito was a decent student and athlete, and very well-liked by all his fellow-students, and athletes. He had the courage to come out at school, and was loved and accepted by everyone at his university, for doing so. I guess that took a lot of courage. Especially coming from a background where being gay (or loving someone inter-racially) is not always held in the highest esteem. . . .
At some point, all of us need and deserve the freedom to make our own choices in life. And to try to do good things. Now, it may turn out that Vito IS a bad guy, in fact: but I think (from the little we know) he has so far shown great bravery, and maybe he is a GOOD GUY, after all??? I hope I am not super-naïve in saying so, but haven't ALL OF US, as gay people, had to take that step of faith, to do what we thought was right, in terms of our own deepest feelings, and MAKE A BREAK, and DARE to disappoint our family and friends???
I hope that thoughtful gay people (especially) will give Vito the latitude and ROOM, to be a good person, and live a good life, and love the one he loves - despite the bad things some of his relatives have done. . . .
My Great-Uncle Charlie was an Ulsterman, and an Orangeman. He hated Catholics. Not to the point of violence, but surely to the point of wickedness. When his daughter married a Roman Catholic, he declined to attend the wedding, because he had taken an oath never to set foot in a Roman Catholic Church.
But. . . look at me. One of my best friends is a Roman Catholic priest; my niece and nephews are Roman Catholics; and my best friend on here is James, who is a Catholic Irishman - exactly the kind of fellow Uncle Charlie said he wouldn't like me EVER to like! Well, I didn't take my Uncle Charlie's views on life to heart (I had a good Mum and Dad, and wonderful Grandparents, too, and that helped) ~ but I hope no one would ever take my old relatives' bad ideas, and bad deeds, as the proof I could never do (or think) anything
better.
So, I think, we ought to do with Vito. Until we learn something catastrophically different, about him. Everybody deserves a chance. And the ONLY way cycles of prejudice and hatred are EVER broken, is if people DO take matters into their own hands, and THINK and DO THINGS, in a kinder, more loving, way. Maybe Vito deserves a chance to do this, too.
"A" XOXOXOXOXO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYisnhDMiIw
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