As I was driving in the car with my nephew, he told me he wanted some of Grandma’s pasta but with no sauce. I said, “No sauce?! What kind of an Italian are you?” to which he replied, “I’m Italian?” I said, “Oh yes, you’re fifty percent. Sicilian actually.”

This short little conversation got me thinking about being Sicilian and yes, as those who know me well know, I do draw a distinction between Sicily and the mainland of Italy. So in good fun, here is a list I made up…

YOU MIGHT BE A SICILIAN IF…

1. You repeatedly get asked if your family is in the mob.

2. You like your pasta spicy and you refer to it as “sauce” – never “gravy”.

3. You draw a distinction between Sicily and Italy.

4. You wonder if any of your ancestors were actually in the mob.

5. Talking and yelling are synonymous.

6. Sunday dinner is at 3 in the afternoon.

7. Suo famiglia e tutto.

8. It would be painful to talk without the use of your hands.

9. You relate to The Godfather films on a personal level.

10. When you are asked if you’re Italian, you say, “I’m Sicilian.”

11. You had to shave in the first grade.