About stereotypes and prejudices .... stereotypes that there are saddled usually are: messy, lazy, rowdy, eat pasta, eat pizza, but the most annoying, at least for the Italians with the brain in his head, is mafia. It 'no use fooling the Mafia exists, unfortunately, is a reality and mentality of our country difficult to uprooted us and with which we must deal every day.
But what I noticed living here in England is that the Italian restaurants and pizzerias use the Mafia, its icons and characters from the films that made it famous as symbols of Italy. Then find pizza godfather, images that recall the mob in Sicily and, last but not least, once in a pizza parlor I found a poster that says this pizza is "an honorary member of the Italian Mafia."
Well I would say that some of our compatriots abroad is not a good advertisement to Italy if you also consider that these compatriots have, for obvious reasons, more contacts with the locals. Ma ..