My friend's family were from Sicily. All parts of Italy have different types of Italian food based on locality. They very seldom ate pizza. They didn't like it. As far as the noise and family interaction. I didn't say there wasn't drama - it kind of comes with the Italian territory. I remember my friend's younger brother being chased by grandma wielding a dog's choke chain. Grandma tried to nail him with the choker chain and he ducked. Instead of hitting him, she hit the side of a huge fish tank installed above the fireplace and took out the side panel on the tank. That was fun - fish and water all over the front room. Wooden spoons also seem to be a favorite weapon as well for unruly kids. There was no such thing as quiet. I just got used to it. I did love how they would all come together when a family member was in trouble. You did not just deal with one, you had to deal with the whole family. They definitely had each other's back.