Giuliana Rancic has a message for Italian-American youth.
“Don’t ‘Jersey Shore’ us,” the E! host and reality star warned at Saturday’s National Italian American Foundation gala at the Washington Hilton.
Rancic, the mistress of ceremonies for the evening, said Pauly D should not be considered a role model. (Coincidentally, Pauly D was in D.C., on the other side of town, doing DJ duties at Fur). However, Rancic made it clear she was the perfect role model to emcee the organization’s annual gala.
While she was growing up in Bethesda, Rancic’s mother made her volunteer for the event.
“So Saturday morning I threw on my Ann Taylor pantsuit and I drove downtown with my mom right here to the Hilton. My job was to hand out programs to the guests,” she recalled. “I met Bill Clinton before he was president [and] I followed around Al Pacino for the night,” she added (showing an interest in celeb-stalking at a young age). Having gone from volunteer to emcee and from Italian immigrant to E! news host is “proof that the American dream for Italians is still alive and well,” she said.
Rancic wasn’t the only boldfaced name at the black-tie affair. Danny DeVito also was on hand and was relatively well behaved. (Years before he caused a stir by jumping on Bill Clinton’s lap). He shushed the crowd at one point. And, peering over the podium, he awarded film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis the Italy Friendship Award.
Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito also attended. Though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn’t make it to the big event this year, she was spotted on Friday dining at Cafe Milano at the same time as DeVito and “Sopranos” cast member Joe Pantoliano.
