Most Italian Americans call Red Tomato sauce "gravy…and have for a century. My Grandparents came over from Italy early in the 20th century…and both sets called it "gravy". I never learned why. No Italian from Italy calls it "gravy". It’s a saying of imigrants. I don’t know the origin…many places give different reasons…I doubt all can be correct, if any…the real reason may be lost in time. My kids call it "gravy" today….and the Tradition goes on……….