Manos wrote that flag-wavers thought they were more American than he was, and
 that only a Cuban could disapprove of their display.

 BY AMY DRISCOLL

 The decisive moment for Tom Manos came the day he drove past a ``pro-USA''
 rally, gave the group a thumbs-down sign and a protester shouted at him: ``Go
 home!''

 Manos -- born and raised in Miami, descended from Irish, German and Greek
 ancestors, married to a Cuban-American woman -- generally steers clear of
 politics. The 40-year-old corporate lawyer dabbles in music, has two kids and a
 full life.

 But on that day last week, as the protesters turned their ire on him, Manos knew
 he could no longer sit silently by as ethnic tensions triggered by the Elian
 Gonzalez case tore apart the city he loved.

 ``I wanted to put my money where my mouth is,'' he said.

 So the man who once wrote a Spanish-language song called Adios, Fidel!
 plunked down $9,500 to place a full-page, open letter to the Cuban-American
 community in Sunday's Herald.

 ``I think it is important that the Cuban Americans in Miami understand that not all
 `Anglo' Americans are against them,'' it began. ``In fact, most Anglos with whom I
 associate have a deep respect, appreciation, and empathy for Cuban Americans
 and the immense contributions they have made to our great city and culture.''

 Manos, who is not a rich man, said the expense was ``a stretch'' for his finances.
 Several friends have pitched in, he said, but he is shouldering the bulk of the
 costs.

 The letter, which continues 12 paragraphs, discusses Manos' experience at the
 pro-USA rally: ``I gave a thumbs-down sign as I drove past them, showing my
 non-support for their insensitivity, and was the recipient of hateful screams such
 as `go home,' and `go back to Cuba.' . . . It defies logic how these flag-wavers
 somehow think they are more American and have some superior right entitling
 them to tell other Americans to leave, and think that only a Cuban could
 disapprove of their display.''

 Response to the letter has been overwhelmingly positive, he said. By Tuesday, he
 had received about 400 letters, emails and phone messages.

 ``It was a conciliatory type of thing, and it did what it was intended to do: It made
 a lot of people feel better,'' he said. ``A lot of people said, `Thank you for saying
 what I was feeling.' ''

 But he has received five death threats and 10 letters laced with obscenities.

 ``My wife is proud of me, but she's afraid of those kinds of things,'' he said.
 ``Maybe it's naive, but I'm just not. I have the right to speak up.''

 It is not the first time the Miami lawyer has wound up in the spotlight. A decade
 ago, in 1990, the ex-musician wrote a song, Adios, Fidel! that won a strong local
 following. A friend helped him translate the English into Spanish rhyme, and he
 sang it himself.

 A sampling of the lyrics:

 Thank you, Fidel, for the Latin food

 Thank you, Fidel, for the many pretty girls

 You threw the best people out, and they grew up here

 You stole a lot from your own people

 But you gave a lot to me.

 Today, Manos says his latest foray into the public eye has given him a sense of
 accomplishment, that he has done his part to help bridge the cultural gaps in the
 community.

 ``I had always felt there were underlying currents of prejudice, but when they
 came out in such a huge way, I couldn't believe it,'' he said. ``This was my way of
 saying, `Hey, not everyone feels like that.' ''

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald