Italian-Americanisms? or regionalisms?

[sagehen]

Dale Coye writes:
>Ricotta-  pronounced /rih GAWT/-- with open o (cot/caught distinction is
>maintained almost universally by students here).
>
>Manicotti-- same thing /man ih GAWT/
 ~~~~
Pete Farruggio adds:
>The pronunciations of ricotta and manicotti are straight from Southern
>Italy, common to a variety of regional dialects (like Neopolitan, Sicilian,
>etc)
~~~~~~~
A friend ( 2nd generation Sicilian, & her family), raised in Brooklyn, says
/rih GAWTH@/.  The @ is nearly inaudible.
A. Murie