I was born in Palermo, Sicilia, on July 12, 1966; we lived in the little town of Gangi. My dad, mom, her mother Giose and her father Giacomo and I traveled 11 days by boat to the United States of America. We arrived just in time to celebrate my second birthday at the port of New York on July 12, 1968.

Our original stay was brief, and we returned to Gangi for about a year where I attended kindergarten. When I turned 6, my dad Pepe (Giuseppe) committed to pursuing the American Dream. We returned to the states and settled in South Philly, this time for good.