SINGAPORE: From art to cuisine, sport and fashion, Italy has made countless important contributions to popular culture. So it’s hardly surprising that some Italians may be frustrated when one of the country’s least desirable exports is used as a marketing gimmick.

Italy’s Ambassador to Singapore, Dante Brandi, was far from amused about an Amoy Street restaurant called Gotti Italiano promoting a mafia-themed party in March. He wrote on Facebook: “Naming your club after an infamous criminal family and catching clients with a ‘Hip Hop Mafioso’ night is certainly not illegal, but - allow me to say - is definitely of a dubious taste.”