The mobsters in “The Godfather” trilogy and the food served in many Italian-American restaurants don’t accurately reflect Italian culture, according to Casa Italiana di Las Vegas. For example, popular offerings in America such as fettuccine Alfredo and chicken Parmesan are not traditional Italian dishes, said Claudia Costantino, marketing director for the southwest Las Vegas-based club.

“We want to fight the stereotypes; there are a lot of stereotypes about Italians, Italian culture and Italian food,” Costantino said. Among those stereotypes: that Italian men are linked to organized crime, as depicted in some popular American films and TV series.