I always thought it was kind of funny that Italy was famous for new-world and relatively recent concepts. Tomatoes definitively didn't exist in the old world before 1500ad and la Cosa Nostra only emerged in the 18th century, in the same vein as the Bow Street Runners in the UK.

Of course pasta existed before tomatoes were available, as in things like Bolognese sauce, but it's still a strong association.