‘Ethnic Fraud’ Charged in S.F. Promotion Plan

A program to promote non-Anglo city firefighters has resulted in charges of “ethnic fraud” as some workers claim to be minorities to get ahead and others complain that they are wrongly categorized as Caucasian.

As a result, affirmative-action and Civil Service officials are considering requiring firefighters up for promotion to prove their ethnic background--information that might be posted in order to uncover deceit.

Firefighter Lt. Lawrence Giovacchini is one worker who has benefited from the San Francisco Fire Department’s affirmative-action policy.

In April, Giovacchini was placed on a promotion list for captain and then successfully applied to change his ethnic classification from Caucasian to Hispanic.

Giovacchini, whose father is Italian and whose mother is Spanish, said in his application that he was “unaware of the significance of being 50% Hispanic (Spaniard).”

“If the city is going to give me an advantage for being Hispanic, that’s fine,” said Giovacchini, now an acting captain. “I’m proud to be a Spaniard and I want to be recognized as a Hispanic. The culture has always been a part of my life.”

Some Latino firefighters complained, saying that Giovacchini’s ethnic switch after 16 years in the department is an example of how the affirmative-action program, designed to correct past discrimination, is being undermined. The department had 1,013 Anglo firefighters and 214 minorities as of June 30.

“For someone to be an Italian for 40 years and then become a Latino in the 41st year is blatant opportunism,” said Capt. Pete Roybal, a Latino firefighter. “It’s not a coincidence that people like Giovacchini are now coming out of the woodwork.”

In November, Roybal formally challenged the Hispanic designation of Capt. Thomas Santoro, taking his complaint to the Civil Service Commission.

The commission ruled that Santoro’s birth certificate was sufficient proof that he was not Hispanic, but was of Italian ancestry.

Santoro, an acting battalion chief, may appeal in the civil courts. He faces demotion and possible discipline if a department probe reveals that he purposely sought to pose as a Latino to get promoted.

Under federal guidelines, Spanish-Americans from European ancestry--such as Giovacchini--can consider themselves Hispanic.