I'm from the Philly area and I've noticed something really strange about blacks. If I'm talking to some a pool hall or playing cards with them I've noticed when I give them my name I get a response like Oh yous a Italian huh? so I say yeah (I'm 75% Italian but have a very Italian name), than it's like everything is all cool. If I say I'm just white they I get responses like Oh dis whiteboy sweet put money on the wood etc etc etc...   Now this is my question - Why do hold Italians in such high esteem when they are white also? They are so dumb :rofl  I think it is because the Blacks have a fascination with mafia culture and try to emulate it in their gangsta rap and culture and associate Italians with the mafia because Hollywood likes to project that image of the Italian-American, unfortunately. Also, maybe because when Italians first started immigrating to America they were discriminated against and had to live in ghettoes and stuff like that so maybe they feel they have more in common with them than with WASPs.