Controversy Over Assemblyman's 'Sopranos' Apology Continues

They say with the Watergate scandal it wasn't the crime but the cover up that undid Richard Nixon's presidency.

And now, as "Soprano-gate" unfolds at the California State Assembly, it appears it wasn't Assemblyman Don Wagner's initial comments that got him in hot water, but his apology for them that did.

Wagner, a state assemblyman from Irvine, is under fire from the National Italian-American Foundation for , and then apologizing "to all Italians who are not members of the Mafia and engaged in insurance scams."

Wagner defended his remarks as a sincere apology, but nearly came to blows with Assemblyman Warren Furutani, D-Gardena, over the alleged slur. The exchange was telecast on the California Channel and posted on Youtube.

The video showed other Assembly members physically separating the two on the floor of the Assembly last Wednesday.

The leader of the western branch of the National Italian-American Foundation, Jeffrey M. Carpaccio, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the Orange County Republican's comments were "shocking'' and "reinforced a negative generalization about an entire community."

Assemblyman Mike Gatto, who is an Italian American and represents the North Hollywood area, issued the following statement:

“I was not offended by Mr. Wagner’s reference to The Sopranos, which is just a TV show. However, I was angry at the wording of his so-called apology. His statement implied that there is only a small subset of Italian-Americans who are ‘not in the Mafia and not involved in insurance fraud.’ I believe it was an unfortunate choice of words and an unnecessary distraction on a day where we have much graver issues to consider.”

Gatto also told the Sacramento Bee that he and Wagner spoke after the incident.

"He came and talked with me afterward, and he still does not seem to understand why it came out so wrong," Gatto said. "I told him to watch the tape."