An open letter to the Mayor: I’m the person who offended everyone at the February 2 City Council meeting with my “anti-Italian” slur. What I said was — and it’s a fact — a longtime Hoboken resident swindled me out of money in 1998, several hundred dollars’ worth; then told me that she could do whatever she wanted because she is an Italian woman in Hoboken. Why is it so offensive for me to try and hold her accountable for this ridiculous statement? Also, another woman, Councilwoman Castellano, on the day after Election Day, went on News 12 NJ and said “The 4th Ward voted for a hispanic rather than an Italian” There is a mentality among old-time Italian Hobokenites that they “own” the city, and that the rest of us need their permission to live or visit here. Permission is generally granted to those who grovel. I find this attitude sickening and disturbing. I feel entirely justified in trying to take them to task for this absurd mentality. I remember walking by an Italian social club in Hoboken a few months ago and seeing several of its members “hanging out” in front of their building. They were complaining to each other about the local Latin population (too many), and how they didn’t like seeing any “fags” coming around. (Their word, not mine. I am a gay man.) Mr. Mayor, I will not play politically-correct games. If Italians in Hoboken feel that they are entitled to make stupid remarks like this, they will have to answer not to me, but to the rest of the world. If you can respond to this without going on and on about the TV show Sopranos, as you did in response to me in City Hall the other night, I’d be most interested. I hear that Sopranos is quite well done, though I’ve not yet checked it out. But the content of a fictional TV show is not the issue at hand. Stop avoiding the issue! Anyone who takes offense to this letter but not to the remarks of Mrs. Castellano and the others, is bringing hypocrisy to new heights –and that includes you, Mr. Mayor. Everything I’ve quoted in this letter is something I’ve heard with my own ears and not hearsay. David Nahmod