Pro-IIRA shirt has origins in Avoca
Wednesday, 04 April 2007
By L.A. TARONE
tarone@standardspeaker.com
The ad appeared on page 17 of Monday’s Standard-Speaker. “Show your support for the illegal immigration relief act,” its top line blared.
It was an ad for T-shirts that stated, “Illegal stops here!! Hazleton, PA.”
The ad noted a portion of proceeds would benefit the city’s legal defense fund, smalltowndefenders.com. It directed readers to the Web site exporttheimport.com, where the shirts could be bought for $16.99 plus $2 shipping and handling.
What no one seemed to know was who’s behind them.
There was even some guess the city itself was, as a marketing idea to aid donations to its legal fund.
It turns out the man behind the site and the shirts doesn’t live in the immediate Hazleton area. He’s from nearby Avoca.
Sal Acquisto said he and a handful of friends followed the case through the media and wanted to show their support.
“We had all these issues we talked about,” Acquisto said. “We said, ‘We’ve got to do something.’ With the ACLU getting involved, they will break these small towns. They come in with truckloads of money and we’re trying to help.”
Acquisto said smalltowndefenders.com will get $3 per shirt sold at first, though he said he hopes to increase that figure.
“We put our own money in, though I’m sure of the exact figure right now,” Acquisto said.
“After we cover our investment we’re going try to give more.”
Acquisto said the city had nothing to do with the shirt’s creation, but did approve to use the name of the city.
“We talked to Hazleton first; we didn’t just want to print the name ‘Hazleton, PA,’ without getting permission first,” Acquisto.
“So we talked to Mayor Barletta’s office and it thanked us for our support.”
Acquisto said he hasn’t done a lot of advertising.
“We’re not interested in making money, we’re interested in trying to help out and be a part of history,” he said.
Acquisto said sales have “started out slow” but are picking up.
“I just mailed one to Albuquerque, N.M.,” he said.
“Illegal has to stop somewhere and it will stop in Hazleton,” Acquisto said. “Hazleton will be the bullet against illegal immigration.”
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