“Tonight, you sleep with the pici.”
Whenever a race or nationality is mentioned, someone will take offense somehow.
I see what you did there. 
Damn, I wrote out a whole answer to this that was going to make me unpopular (even more so). Not sure about the backgrounds and living situations of the people involved, but I do think there’s a disconnect between a generation of Americans that sees discrimination against Hispanics and black people and basically laughs out loud at any Irish or Italian stereotypes because it’s borderline unfathomable that they ever faced discrimination. That being said, I don’t think the example in the OP is a huge deal and most Italians I know are plenty good at perpetuating the mafia myth (myth?). Still, it’s not 100% groundless.
Speaking as an Italian kid, a lot of us play into the mafia jokes by mentioning our “Uncle Vito” or “Cousin Guido” (and their skill at breaking kneecaps) when no such person exists.
Of course, there’s also the fact that most Italian-Americans do have somebody in their family tree that’s connected to the mob. As time goes on this person often takes the shape of a “cousin’s uncle’s brother-in-law who’s twice removed and remarried, etc, etc”, but these relations are out there.
And what terrible faith awaits those that cut their spaghetti with the knife?
Handcuffed to raditore and pelted with gnocci
Of all the ethnic stereotypes there are out there, this one has always made me scratch my head the most as to why people would be offended by it. It seems like most of the Italian-Americans I’ve known loved to play up their imaginary or real connection to the mob, let alone be offended by the suggestion. The mafia is often romanticized in the media. Who are all these people who take issue with it?
I mean, I would take that any day over the stereotypes for Asian guys … small-dicked, nerdy bad drivers who can’t speak English …
Here’s a good story: Rude Man Beaten, Pelted with Pasta. Has a nice Mafia flavor to it as well - two women assaulted this guy because he didn’t hold the elevator door open for them.