Gravy

Gravy was tomata' sauce that included or was made with meat. "Sauce", on the other hand, was straight tomato sauce (no meat so it was ok have on Friday).

Henry Hill, in the movie GoodFellas, explains at one point that he will serve "The Tomato Gravy". And HE was from Longuyland.

Yeah, never heard this growing up in Boston, but it's common in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where I lived for 10 years later on.

This isn't from Boston, Gravy is a Sicilian way of making pasta sauce and has become Scicilian Italian slang for all sauce. Sauce is strictly mainland Italian.Actually "gravy" is cooked WITHOUT the meat and then is pored of the meat, like a gravy over Turkey.Sauce is made all together

You guys a Wicked RetahdedThis isn't from Boston, Gravy is a Sicilian way of making pasta sauce and has become Sicilian Italian slang for all sauce. Sauce is strictly mainland Italian.Actually "gravy" is cooked WITHOUT the meat and then is pored of the meat, like a gravy over Turkey.Sauce is made all together

I learned a few tricks about making "gravy" from an Italian grandmother (not mine) in Woostah, Mass, then later perfected it with friends from Brooklyn, New Yawk, so I have to agree it isn't just a Mass thing, and definitely not confined to Eastie. I think in Woostah they also called it "red sauce," but that coulda been in New Yawk. I cahnt quite remember.

No matter the gravy term is from, it is used in EASTIE

Sauce is made without meat. Gravy is made with meat. My whole family is from Italy and they're all excellent cooks. Restaurants abound in our family and everyone knows the distinction, whereas Americanized Italians don't.