Corzine: <i>Scusarlo!</i>

Jon S. Corzine, the former Wall Street executive seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate in New Jersey, has apologized for two remarks that played on stereotypes of Italian-Americans.

The two remarks were publicized Wednesday by Manny Alfano, chairman of the Italian-American One Voice Committee, who demanded an apology from Corzine for "ethnic slurs."

"I never intended to cause embarrassment. I never intended to offend," Corzine said Thursday. "I shouldn't have said what I am reported to have said, and if I did, I apologize."

Corzine said he did apologize to the people offended by the remarks. He stopped short of admitting that he made them.

Corzine, who said he is of Italian descent, offered the apology at a news conference at which he accepted the endorsement of a local union.

Assembly Minority Leader Joseph Doria, who attended the news conference, said the remarks being attributed to Corzine are a distraction created by Gov. Jim Florio's campaign.

When asked, Doria said he had no direct evidence linking the comments, which were reported by The New York Times on Thursday.

The first remark occurred several months ago at a restaurant in Newark, where Corzine was seeking the support of six prominent Italian-Americans.

Alfano said that upon being introduced to a lawyer named David Stein, Corzine remarked, "Who is Dave Stein? He's not Italian, is he? Oh, I guess he's your Jewish lawyer who is here to get the rest of you out of jail."

According to Alfano, the second remark occurred two weeks ago when Corzine met an Italian-American businessman and quipped, "Oh, you make cement shoes."

Steven Goldstein, one of Corzine's two campaign managers, said the candidate "never, ever" uttered the alleged reference to the "Jewish lawyer." Stein, the lawyer in question, said he did meet with Corzine four to six months ago but does not recall the comment in question.

As for the balance of the statements attributed to the candidate, Goldstein said, "Jon Corzine never intended to offend anyone by his remarks. He believes he should not have said something like this and he apologizes for it."

Corzine, the former chairman of Goldman Sachs, is locked in a hard-hitting primary battle with Florio for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J.

One in four New Jersey Democrats has Italian roots, including Florio.

Alfano, who lives in Bloomfield, said Thursday that he is not a supporter "yet" of either Florio or Corzine. He said he went public with Corzine's statements to defend Italian-Americans, not to score political points.

"I'm sorry, but this constant barrage of mob movies, the Sopranos (television show) ... people think they can say anything to Italians and we're not going to be offended," he said.