Not too many folks in the USA have roots from that region.

Depends on what Italian neighborhood you go to. There are quite a few Italians from the Veneto region in and around New Haven Connecticut, where most of my relatives remain, not so many in New York City.

But that’s beside the point, nothing I said can be remotely construed as denigration. If you think my little jest is Slanderous against Italians, you muct really hate Rosemary Clooney and Dean Martin for the libelous Mambo Italiano.

Get a sense of humor!