@Kid_Eastwood I think you nailed it. The tobacco store woman assured me the Masenghini's were plastic - which they do appear to be. I didn't negotiate and paid 20 Euros for them. (I had to act quickly as family was with me, no time for interweb search!) They seem really nice and very thick w/cool plastic card stand.
The Del Negro burraco set was only 7 Euros and I figured they were high-quality, cardboard, which they appear to be.
Card material isn’t mentioned anywhere on the box or insert for either setup.
Both setups are poker size, standard index, four PIP designs. Also, I think the Masenghini’s are the largest cards I’ve owned by about 1mm in both height and width. Substantial.
I didn't think about cards until the last days of my trip, so couldn't snag more. I was told that pretty much every tobacco store sells playing cards - and in Italy, that means awesome playing cards.
BTW, it appears that Del Negro changes their packaging over time, so it's tough to find the exact product link sometimes. Happy with both 'souvenirs’.