Irish Joke’s on Him, Reagan Says

VENICE, Italy — President Reagan warmed up for a taping of his weekly radio address Friday by relating an Italian-Irish joke, unaware that his remarks were being overheard.

At the recording session, Reagan commented that he was going to tell “my gondola joke.”

The President’s first few comments could not be overheard, but it appeared the story concerned a gondolier who was singing a popular Neopolitan song as he piloted his boat through the canals.

The rest of the joke went like this:

“And the Lord said, ‘I wonder what would happen if I took away 25% of his brainpower,’ ” as the gondolier was singing ‘O sole mio (Oh, my sun).’

“So the Lord did and the gondolier sang only part of the song, ‘O sole, O sole.’

“The Lord said, ‘Hey, I’ll take half of it away,’ and the gondolier’s song was shortened to ‘O so, O so.’

“Finally, the Lord said, ‘What will happen if I take all of his brainpower away?’ and he did. And the gondolier suddenly switched his tune and sang, ‘When Irish eyes are smiling.’ ”

The audience of broadcast technicians laughed, and Reagan said, “See, I can tell that, being Irish. I can’t tell ethnic jokes except if they’re Irish now.”

He laughingly added, “In fact, I can’t go to Ireland any more.”