From Guappo To Guido

“You dirty Wop”. Them’s fighting words to any Italian/America. Calling an Italian/American a Wop is the equivalent of using the N word for an African/American. When this word is used I cringe, for example when President Nixon used it to describe Judge Sirica during the Watergate investigations. However, I also cringe when folks, both Italian/American and otherwise, tell me the derivation of the word Wop. I have heard many otherwise educated people tell me that it means, “Without Papers“, meaning that when the Italians came over they would pin the letters WOP on them to indicate that they were undocumented. This is pure folk etymology which is defined in Wikipedia as the following, “ Folk etymology in its basic sense, refers to popularly held (and often false) beliefs about the origins of specific words, especially where these originate in "common-sense" assumptions rather than serious research”. http://wikipedia

This “without papers” has three major flaws as I see it. First of all “papers” were not introduced until 1921 and the use of the word “Wop” certainly predates that. Secondly Italians were not the only ones that immigrated to America and so they probably were not the only ones after 1921 to come in illegally. Why would only Italians have the words WOP written on them? Thirdly, I have never seen a picture of anyone, let alone Italians, with the words WOP written on them. Wouldn’t someone have documented this if it were true?

What is more than likely true is that the word “Wop” derives from the Neapolitan word “Guappo” which was a term that was used in Naples and Campania to describe a boy, usually connected to the Camorra, a Neapolitan organized crime group. My father told me this 50 years ago and it still makes sense today. The Neapolitan dialect chops the end off of words so that “Guappo” became “guap” and the article in front would sound like “u” hence the word “u guap” morphed into “Wop“. English speakers mimic the “u guap” sound and referred to all Italians as “Wops”.

In Spanish “guapo” means a good-looking, flashy male. Spain ruled Southern Italy until 1860’s and its Capital was Naples. Because of this, I am sure that many Spanish words are in the Neapolitan dialect.

Wikipedia says the following about a “Guappo”:

“It is a historical figure in the Neapolitan area, distinguishable by his smart or overdressed dandy-like appearance, his unusual pose that serves to draw attention to him, and the particular care he lavishes on his body and face” Remember this definition, it is very important.

Since the late 1880’s and the early part of the 1900’s Italians and particularly Neapolitans came to this country in droves. They lived in what we could call Italian ghettos. These areas were full of “guaps”. In fact, they came to define the Italian/American culture. I came of age in the 1950’s and although I did not live in the Italian section of town I knew many people who did. It was full of this type of individual, both male and female. Every non Italian that I knew thought that this was “Italian”. Many times I was told that I was not like “them”. I remember my mother telling me very clearly, “I don’ta care who you marry, but no bringa homa one of thosa types” I knew just what she meant. They were “Wops”, I was Italian.

In the 70’s and 80’s a new name was given to this ever shrinking, but overtly visible group, “Guidos”. The above mentioned definition remained the same only the name was changed. Watch “Saturday Night Fever”, “My Cousin Vinny” or “True Love”, these were the quintessential Guidos. That is until “Jersey Shore” came along. This show gave Guidos a new dimension. These are Guidos on steroids, both figuratively and literally. Also, in egalitarian America the female version of Guidos were introduced, “Guidettes”.

What’s the big fuss? This group has been with us since the first Neapolitans landed on these shores. This is just the line from Guappo to Guido. Well the big fuss is that we Italian/Americans thought we had made it in this country, that we had arrived, and in many ways we have. Two on the Supreme Court, The Speaker of the House, plus many, many others in high places. This was supposed to be a Post Guap/Guido period in our history. But no, with the general dumbing down of America, television producers had to tap into the very lowest rung of our society, hence “Jersey Shore”. Just like the mafia image, they are a subpart of our culture and we will have to accept it, but not glorify it.

As in most things Italian/American there is a direct connection to Italy. Anyone who thinks that “Guidos” and “Guidettes” are an American phenomenon has never been to Naples. The only difference is the language, as the above definition is true for both groups.

How does one differentiate a Guido from a normal Italian/American? The first give away is the leather jacket, then the open collared shirt (even in winter), the chains around the neck, the jelled hair and of course the ever present Cadillac Escalade. If you ever run across one give them a fist pump for me.