US vs. Italy: An ear-splitting pride in the old country from North End fans

Outside Café Graffiti in the North End yesterday, dozens of men, women, and children chanted, cheered, jumped, and sang, ``Italia! Italia! Italia! " in an ear-splitting chorus of national pride.

They live here, but when it comes to the World Cup, they root for the old country: Italy.

``My country is the USA, but my heart lies with Italy when it comes to soccer," said Camille Ciampa , a writer from the North End who was wearing the team's national color, blue.

``My blood is Italian."

``My roots, my family, my father," said Melinda Gioia , 50, a North End restaurateur, explaining why she was wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the word ``Italia" in big blue letters.

When the United States took the field, another chorus erupted, from a smaller crowd: ``USA! USA!"

Many here wore a T-shirt that showed a soccer ball and the US and Italian flags: ``My country," read the words beneath the stars and stripes; ``my heritage," went the saying beneath the Italian tricolor.

``I was born in America, but I come from Italy, so I'm torn between the two," said Luigi DeMarco , 35, the owner of Café Graffiti, who created the design.

``I'm not sure who to root for," DeMarco said.

And when the game ended in a 1-1 tie, some said it was just as well.

``Hopefully," said Gianfranco Pisano , 20, of Lynnfield, ``They can both advance."

MICHAEL LEVENSON and STEPHANIE M. PETERS