CNN’s Chris Cuomo had an Orange County, California, restauranteur on his program Friday night so he could verbally flog him for flouting COVID laws. It didn’t go well for the CNN anchor.
Instead of scoring points against his opponent, er, guest, the lesser Cuomo, known as Fredo for you Godfather fans, invoked the legendary film in his attempted takedown of fellow paisan Tony Roman.
Roman owns Basilico’s Pasta e Vino in Huntington Beach.
Roman has been a rebel throughout the COVID pandemic, believing that mask mandates, shutdowns, and pressuring or compelling people to get “the shot” are anti-American.
He has put up signs proclaiming that only people who can prove they’re un-vaccinated may come to his restaurant.
There is no such thing, of course, which is why Roma told a fauxraged Fredo that he had “failed the IQ test.”
Basilico’s Pasta e Vino in Huntington Beach put this sign up this week. pic.twitter.com/sliC7ZYHPM
— PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) July 27, 2021
Naturally, Roman’s actions, which also included a billboard that revised a famous line from The Godfather — “Leave the mask, take the cannoli” — met with Cuomo’s disdain as well.
Basilico's: pasta e vino (e COVID? Maybe. Who knows?)
OC restaurant appeals to LA anti-mask crowd with ‘Godfather’-inspired billboard – Orange County Register https://t.co/mPbUv69i4L— Jonathan Aul (Vax'd. You?) (@mudshark58) October 1, 2020
Naturally, Cuomo saw a tribal aspect to this, tsk-tsking, “Of course it has to be an Italian guy and he’s using The Godfather.”
OK, Fredo.
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Roman thought he’d try to explain things to Fredo.
See, what you’re not getting – you’re failing the IQ test – what you’re not getting which I expected – is that this is not an anti-vaccine stand. It’s a freedom stand. That’s what you’re not getting.
Cuomo eventually parried with “the whole reason this is happening is because people won’t protect themselves, Tony, I mean, what are you thinking?”
Bad move, Fredo.
It turns out, Tony had been doing a lot of thinking about this.
Then why did you leave your house when you, when you had COVID? I mean, you had it, and you left your house. It’s been documented.
Cuomo, caught on video being confronted by a man who called out the CNN anchor in public while he’d told viewers on CNN that he said he was under quarantine, called him a liar. “Documented my ass, it’s been documented.”
The only surprise was that he didn’t challenge Roman to take it outside or something. But don’t worry, he came close later, as usual.
Cuomo: I just want you to be safe.
Roman: Oh, you care about me all of a sudden.
Cuomo: I just don’t know why you think it’s a good move.
Roman: We should ask your brother about protecting people, right? I mean …
Cuomo (interrupting): Well that’s his job and if he doesn’t do it well people won’t vote for him.
Eventually, Roman tried to explain to Cuomo that his effort was about the freedom not to be compelled to wear masks and coerced into getting shots: “I’m pro-freedom and anti-tyranny.”
But Cuomo wouldn’t accept the freedom argument, of course, and went to the place of all losers: the ad hominem.
Chris Cuomo: “You’re pro-freedom but people can’t wear masks…Honestly, you sound like an idiot.”
Tony Roman: “And so do you.”
Chris Cuomo: “Only for having you on the show.”
Boy, oh, boy Fredo, you got him!
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