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.
It is actually a minor theme in The Sopranos about the role of the Italian Mafia today.
Basically, the Mafia grew up in poor immigrant communities where the immigrants suffered some mild racism. Over time, the immigrants became integrated into American society. There are some stereotypical Italian-American industries like hospitality and construction, but it isn’t out of place to see successful and educated Italian-Americans in all fields.
After the RICO trials gutted the Mafia, what was left didn’t have power they used to have and a lot of the smarter Italian-Americans could go into legal careers. This has caused a really bad brain drain for the Mafia, making it less effective and powerful.
There is still a Mafia around, but it is a shadow of its former self.