Again, sorry to have possible caused consternation unnecessarily. My intention was to give Italy travelers a heads up--maybe now I can offer a more educated bit of advice:

Do not obsess with the card symbols (or lack therof) on an Italian Bankomat. If your Plus or Pulse card has VISA on the front, by all means try your PIN. The one time I tried/failed my card was not eaten. No doubt it would have worked at the next Bankomat from a different bank.