Growing Up in New York's Italian South Village

Book excerpt: Tony Vivolo brings alive the world of his boyhood. Cured meats and ripened cheeses in the shops assault your senses and let you know exactly where you've landed. Boisterous nonstop chatter of family and friends fills the cramped apartment and reminds you where you'll always find welcome. Vivolo touches a chord with us all as he opens his heart and reveals the deep connection among those who formed his neighborhood, Surrounded by relatives and friends whose bonds would remain for life, he experienced what we all yearn for, both for ourselves and our children- unconditional love, support through good times and bad, opportunities to stretch in a simple life with limited means, Vivolo shows what we too often forget in our rush to do it all - that what matters most, what we remember always, what truly enriches our lives happens in the moments shared with those we love. Step into Vivolo's Italian South Village and recapture the joy in simple pleasures.