A towering figure in the realm of Italian American studies, Richard Gambino, the visionary founder of the first such academic program in the United States, has passed away at the age of 84. Gambino, a respected professor of educational philosophy at Queens College, leaves behind a rich legacy of scholarship, advocacy, and cultural transformation.

In 1972, Gambino penned a searing essay for The New York Times Magazine titled "The Italo-American: New Stereotypes for Old." The piece served as a clarion call against the pervasive and damaging stereotypes of Italian Americans as either buffoons or Mafiosi. He traced these caricatures to a persistent "nativistic American mentality" that sought to diminish and marginalize the contributions of Italian immigrants and their descendants.