Welcome to the weekly insights of the original Mafia Niece.
Not Italian? Don’t worryaboutit.
Following my childhood in Brooklyn as the niece of one of New York’s most celebrated, alleged mob bosses, I look back fondly on a unique upbringing that combined the love and melodrama of a traditional Italian-American family tempered by the love and crime drama of a non-traditional uncle. In a household where spaghetti sauce was called gravy, dinner was served by 2:00pm on Sundays, and your Uncle was always served first – I didn’t understand how blissful ignorance was and how unique we were. I never realized that pasta could, all by itself, be its own meal until I went away to college and was chided for eating off of three plates for dinner: one for salad, a bowl for pasta, and a third plate for a meat course – not including dessert. Nor did I fully understand why my Uncle’s name drew fear in the hearts of friends and neighbors who knew that you didn’t mess with Louie or for that matter, his niece.
These stories will unfold each week along with perspectives on business, current events, health and of course, food. Lots of food. Buon Divertimento.