Eric Pulia is the youngest of three sons born in Hinsdale, Illinois, to James and Karen (Murrin) Pulia. He grew up in Westchester with his uncle and family nearby and his paternal grandparents living down the block. Pulia’s great-grandparents emigrated from the Sicily and Naples regions of Italy.

Pulia formed a close bond with his grandparents while staying with them after school. He remembers the newspaper version of Fra Noi sitting on their table. Dinner, which always included pasta, was served promptly at 5 p.m. “It was kind of like a revolving door over there,” he says. “People coming in, going out, having dinner.”