"When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie, That's Amoré"

Another stereotype of Italian-Americans is that of the romantic. This myth might stem from Elizabethan drama and poetry, including the works of Dante and Petrach. Also, Romeo and Juliet, the most famous love story of all time, takes place in Verona, Italy. In addition, Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year, was created by St. Valentine in Rome and his willingness to marry soldiers despite a decree banning it by the Emperor Claudius II.

The Modern cinematic portrayal of the Latin lover was pioneered by Italian-American immigrant singer and dancer, Rudolf Valentino. His name even connotated romance and old Italy, and dresses created by the designer of the same name reminded women of love and sensuality. Valentino continuously brought grace, elegance, and romance to the screen. Later examples of the Latin Lover include Frank Sinatra (aka "Swoonatra) and Dean Martin, who made young women fall in love with their silky voices. They were the original heartthrobs: The Elvis Presleys, Paul McCartneys, and (I hate to say it) Justin Biebers of their time.

Other examples of romantic Italians include Cher and Nicholas Cage's characters in the film Moonstruck and John Travolta's character Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever.

These films both portray Italians as passionate and overtaken by emotion, but this behavior is even further exemplified in the 2007 romantic comedy, Everybody Wants to be Italian. The movie follows a fishmonger named Jake trying to win back an ex-girlfriend. After two friends set him up on a blind date with a beautiful Italian woman, Jake becomes convinced that such a woman would never consider dating a non-Italian. What results is Jake’s crash course in learning to embody an Italian Romeo to impress the girl of his dreams. The film’s characterization of Jake as a clueless man searching for love in his imitation of Italian culture exemplifies how heavily people have come to associate Italians with romance; so much so that they feel they have to change their ethnic backgrounds to attain a worthwhile date.