I was watching House M.D. and it showed two Italian brothers who were gangsters and involved in illegal activity. Like a crime family, Godfather type.
So, I know where the stereotype originates from. Italians came from Italy to the shores of America as migrants in the last century and were able to make a life of their own, but a small sliver (I think) of the community did involve themselves in not so legal activities. I thought it was the thing of the past that Italians were disproportionately involved in Criminal activities and I had though they got mixed in the American melting pot and probably are not disproportionately involved in crimes anymore. So, is the stereotype of Italian gangsters still true to this day (I know probably to a lesser degree?)
I must say I am not white/American/Italian or anyone who has anything to do with these groups. I have never seen an Italian in real life and I don’t hold any prejudices against or for them.
Reminder that House started in 2004, 19 years ago.
Im not an expert but I dont really think that the stereotype still holds up, like in a “A pizza restaurant in NY?, definetly a front for the Mafia” or knowing an Italian and immediately thinking they’re mobsters.
The great families in the US had a huge downfall starting at the 70s, and by the 90s they were no longer the big classical Mafia families.
Some of them crashed because of internal struggle, others by the preassure of their greed, and others just went legal.
Also the gov cracked down hard on racketeering and mobster activity.
The Mafia concept has evolved and they moved to other types of illegal activity.
But I think that most people when they think about Italian mobsters, they think about the Godfather, Al Capone, and the golden age of the prohibition and the 50s.