Every October, the more than 15.7 million Americans of Italian descent celebrate National Italian American Heritage Month. For every single one of those Italian Americans, there is a story as to why they are proud of their heritage and what their ethnic origins mean to them.

I’m no different from my Italian American brothers and sisters. I’ve often written of my grandfather, Joseph Anthony Longo, and if you know me personally, you know the stories I’ve told of my Aunt Jennie.