150 of These

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Beginning in December the Italian government will issue 150 EUR ($213) to each povero. Within the context of the program, a povero is someone who takes home less than 7,500 EUR($10,664) a year, therefore accounting for 13% of Italy. 150 EUR will be distributed a testa -- per head, so a family of four would receive 600 EUR ($853) a year.

The initiative, which will cost the Italian government 2 billion EUR, also plans to provide rent vouchers for renters earning less than 15,493.71 EUR ($22,030) a year, granting the renters an annual rent detraction of 300 EUR ($426.50).

To quell Italy's housing problem, in Italy known as gli sfratti -- the evicted, la Finanziaria plans to invest 550 million EUR over the short-term in low-income housing.

Luciano Pavarotti Dead at 71

"Remember me as an opera singer"

Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007)

Tornatore Mugged in Rome

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--Giuseppe Tornatore, the Sicilian-born cinematic genius who brought us Cinema Paradiso and Il Camorrista, has been mugged in Rome by three gypsies.

The thieves assaulted Tornatore, taking his iPod, cellular phone and wallet. Dealt a blow to the head, Tornatore fell and was found by a passerby who brought him to a nearby hospital on the Isola Tibertina in Rome. He is currently being treated for a trauma cranico--traumatic brain injury. The three criminals have been arrested by the polizia romana in a nomad camp on the outskirts of Rome.

Italy Watch wishes Giuseppe Tornatore, an artistic genius and inspiration to all to us, a speedy recovery.

Firenze Begins Crackdown on "Lavavetri"

NEW YORK--(Italy Watch)--In the pastoral provincia of Firenze, the lavavetri--window washers--are afraid. In the past few days Firenze began a crackdown, arresting 15 people on Aug. 28th, after the local government issued a directive the day prior.

Councillor of Security, Graziano Cioni, has come under fire, but affirms that the directive is not against "the poor", but rather an answer to "the arrogance and aggression that many window washers direct towards automobile drivers who do not pay them as much as they would like."

Prominent Italian intellectual Alberto Asor Rosa (not even a fiorentino, but a romano) criticized Cioni calling the new law a cialtronata--something that is good-for-nothing. Cioni hit back contending that Rosa doesn't even live among "the people" anymore. Cioni continued, stressing, "certain intellectuals don't even live in the cities anymore with the people. I, however, I live among the people and the citizens side with me."

The law remains in vigor, arrests continue to be made, with prison sentences lasting up to 3 months.