Whether your cousin's adopted kid is Italian or not has nothing to do with this thread. The purpose of the you must be Italian rule is so yor family can be traced back to Italy or Sicily and your family killed should you become a rat. Your cousins kid may be culturally Italian but he is not of Italian blood no matter how many bowls of pasta he has eaten. While he may identify with Italians because of the culture he was raised, his bloodline cannot be traced back to Italy.