Jonathan Carter, the Green Independent candidate for governor, began airing a television commercial Monday that questions - with what some consider anti-Italian slurs - whether John Baldacci, the Democratic candidate, can be trusted.

Casino gambling in Maine? You got a problem with that? And you think John Baldacci will stop it? Sure he says he's against it now, but he voted for it in the state Senate. He even co-sponsored the bill. And now he's taking money from casino backers. You wanna roll the dice and trust Baldacci? If he flipped he can flop, bada-bing bada-boom, know what I mean? Jonathan Carter hates the idea! Always has. No casinos. We ain't gonna be Vegas or Jersey. Not now, not ever. Never. In other words, fuhgedaboudit!

Text of Jonathan Carter TV Ad

The 30-second commercial aired on all three major network affiliates in Portland on Monday, Columbus Day, the holiday honoring the Italian explorer. The commercial is narrated by a man with an accent meant to be reminiscent of Italian-Americans, said Tom Fusco, Carter's campaign manager. In the ad, the announcer uses several phrases made popular by the HBO organized-crime drama "The Sopranos."

The ad takes Baldacci to task for supporting an Indian casino in Calais a decade ago when he was in the state Senate, but opposing one in York County now.

"If he flipped he can flop, bada-bing bada-boom, know what I mean?" the announcer says. Bada-bing, a common expression on "The Sopranos," is the name of the strip club featured in the show.

The ad ends with the announcer saying, "We ain't gonna be Vegas or Jersey. Not now, not ever. Never. In other words, fuhgedaboudit" - a staple of Italian-American caricature.

Fusco, who is of Italian heritage, said the ad "is certainly not geared at anything ethnic, trying to make it an ethnic slur on John."

"Honestly," he said, "I thought it was pretty funny."

Fusco said that the point was to remind people that casinos - which Carter, like Baldacci, opposes - "don't bring healthy environments."

He said the ad "is just reminding people that there is a connection. There's a connection between casinos and an increase in organized crime, and I'm the first one whenever somebody says, 'Oh, that's a mafia thing,' there is no mafia in this country. Mafia is Sicilian.

"But there is organized crime," Fusco said. "There is John Gotti. There was Carlo Gambino and the rest of them. And there's a lot of Irish people who are involved in organized crime. But when you mention . . . organized crime, what do you think of? You think of the Irish? You think of the Jewish? I mean, one of the most successful organized-crime people was a Jewish man. He was very quiet behind the scenes, but extremely powerful, even in the time when . . . organized crime was pretty much Italian."

Consequently, Fusco said, "you're not going to have somebody with a Jewish accent trying to remind people of some of the side things" related to casinos. "You're not going to have someone with an Irish accent, because for most people in this country, when you talk about organized crime, the first thing that comes to their mind are Italians, good, bad or indifferent, it doesn't make a difference."

Baldacci said he has not seen the commercial, but has heard the audio, and is disappointed.

"You're running to be a public servant, you have to take what comes with the territory, and in this instance I am just very disappointed that people have resorted to this kind of attack," he said. "It's a very disappointing level in the campaign, but in no way does it represent or reflect the views of the people of this state."

He dismissed the contention that he might allow a casino if elected.

"I said I'm opposed," he said. "I said I'm opposed. I said I would veto. It's in print. It was just in the newspaper yesterday."

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Peter Cianchette, the Republican candidate for governor, said he has not seen the ad. Cianchette is of Italian heritage.

By Monday night, Casinos No!, an organization opposed to casino gambling, issued a statement distancing itself from the ad.

"The use of ethnic or racial stereotypes has absolutely no place in the casino debate, be it toward Maine's Indian tribes or Italian-Americans," the statement said.

Dennis Bailey, president of the public relations firm that handles Casinos No! work, also is a consultant to Baldacci.

Irene D'Angelo, the president of the Italian Heritage Club in Bangor, said she was appalled when she saw the commercial.

"I just find it offensive," she said. "I find it scandalous and offensive. . . . What is bada-bing bada-boom?"

She said that "it is inappropriate as a means to be argumentative with an opponent," and questioned whether, if Carter wins, he will take Italian-American constituents seriously.

"Somebody should win who's going to take care of all of the people," she said. "I don't think running for governor should be a joking issue."

Manny Alfano, a spokesman for the Italian-American One Voice Coalition in New Jersey, said such ads taint the electoral process.

"That's horrible," he said. "It paints Italian-American political leaders or anyone with an Italian name with the same brush, that we're all connected in some way."

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