Gianni Calabrese of South Deerfield was 21 years old the first time he stepped foot on American soil. Nearly two decades later and now an American citizen, Calabrese, who owns Gianni Fig's Ristorante in the village center, has a story similar to that of some 44.5 million immigrants who reside in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

He has achieved the so-called “American dream.” Calabrese, 38, originally of Italy, is a successful American businessman and an accomplished local chef. In the past two years since opening his Italian restaurant in 2017, Gianni Fig’s Ristorante has become a mainstay in the typically quiet town.