As most here are probably aware (at least the guys with a little gray on their head), it was common practice for our relatives from the "old country" to marry cousins (many were arranged marriages), before they came over...in fact, that was a common practice throughout the entire Mediterranean region.
That's true, and actually the risk of something being wrong with the baby of first cousins is relatively small. It's the same risk as when a 40 year old woman gives birth to a child. It's difficult to imagine it because of cultural things, but it's very common in certain cultures even today.
