Our Story

Our Story

Our Story

In the early 1900's, Lorenzo Melito arrived on the northeastern shores of his newly adopted country of America.

Fresh from Naples, Italy, he brought with him the tastes of his homeland. He settled in the borough of Staten

Island, New York, among many fellow immigrants with whom he could share his cultural tastes and traditions. He

met Maria, a fellow immigrant, and soon they were married and began a family.

Mangiamo- Let's eat!

Mangiamo- Let's eat!

They passed their love of cooking

dishes from the old world down to their six children. Their daughter, Rosa, a first generation Italian-American,

passed these along to her children. Among them was her only son, Robert Lorenzo, who shares a love for cooking

the old recipes, and his name, with his Italian grandfather.

Growing up in New York, the family was exposed to

new ideas and ingredients that hadn't been available

to them before. They followed the Italian tradition of

making use of the ingredients around them, and became

part of what was to be known as Italian Immigrant

cooking. These recipes shaped several generations, and

now we proudly present them for your enjoyment!