My great grandfather, Francesco, came to America onboard a boat
from Italy, charming fellow passengers with his accordion and
making a few dollars along the way. As soon as he landed, this
money was unfortunately stolen from him, but instead of being
heartbroken, he just kept playing and quickly earned his money
back. Once in New York, he was amazed by how everybody was
addicted to salt - in Italian, spelled "sale" a word that he saw
on signs in many store windows ... So he mistook all these "sale"
signs in the windows for some strange salt-marketing technique!
My great grandfather eventually opened a restaurant called the
Copper Pot located on 33rd street in New York City. He lived a
good full life, settling on Gunther Avenue in the Bronx, and
passed away in 1988 at the age of 95. Grace, perseverance, and
good humor are all part of his legacy — qualities I
constantly aspire to live my life upon.