At 16:10, Det Sipowicz tells Det. Sorenson "... I think this guy's about as Italian as Chef Boyardee ...". Chef Boyardee is a brand of Italian canned foods. The brand name is derived from the name of its founder, Ettore Boiardi, a chef who was born in Italy in 1897. As a result, Chef Boyardee, the person, was an authentic Italian.
Alimi Ballard and Richard Libertini also worked together on an episode of Numb3rs