Newark's Italian Consulate To Close This Spring
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) - Arrivederci, Newark.
The home state of Frank Sinatra, Jon Bon Jovi and Frankie Valli is losing its Italian consulate.
The Italian government announced it will shut down the Newark office in March to help save money. A smaller vice consulate offering limited services will remain open in Trenton.
The news has angered many Italians here, including U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell. Pascrell says he's talking to the Italian ambassador to the United States, asking him to look for alternatives to keep the office open.
New Jersey has the nation's fourth highest number of Italian-Americans and second highest number of Italian immigrants.
Some Italian-Americans have complained that television shows like "The Sopranos" and "Jersey Shore" painted a skewed and negative picture of the culture and the state of New Jersey.
The Italian Embassy in Washington says the Newark consulate serves 4,000 people a year. It's being closed for administrative reasons amid a worldwide effort to save money at consulates.
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