A Pepper and Egg Sandwich on American Bread

Joe grew up at a time when many people still considered Italians, the "other", not quite real Americans. His mother bought a house in a predominantly non-ethnic neighborhood. He attended school with kids whose last name didn't end in a vowel.

Snapshots of growing up in the 50s an Italian boy in a non-ethnic neighborhood and school, while living life with, and loving his very traditional Italian relatives. Traversing two very different worlds.

Joe lived the other part of his life surrounded by his relatives, mainland Italians on his mother's side, Sicilians on his father's. He grew up loving them, especially their food. Yet, he felt slightly estranged from them, not as demonstrative, more reserved, assimilated.

He learned to traverse and translate the two worlds he grew up in. In "A Pepper and Egg Sandwich on American Bread" he looks internally at his Italian upbringing from both the perspective of the love of family as well as the detachment of a curious outsider.

The recollections in this book were written with affection, respect, humor, and humanity.