Originally Posted by DougRNS

I am aware of that term. Generally pejorative like the words for Italians, Irish, Polish, Germans etc. It's rather archaic, used through the 60's but proably faded out during the 70's. Also, its ethnic not racial but doesn't make it ok. I grew up about 70 miles from Cleveland. I'm sure it was used in the industrial North/rust belt - a popular destination for Eastern European immigrants around the late 1800's to early 1900's. I'm not sure where you grew up (New England) or your age (born around 1980) factors into why you've not heard of it.
Both sides of my family came over "on the boat" around 1900 from eastern Europe. My mom's dad was born over there.