When Robert Biondolillo was 3 months old, he emigrated from Montemaggiore, Italy, to the United States. "They brought him in a basket," said his wife, Michele. "I hear the story every day." When he was 13, he began working at the Biondolillo family restaurant Touch of Italy in the City of Tonawanda – an Italian eatery that has been a neighborhood favorite for four decades.

Eventually, Robert and Michele became part owners of Touch of Italy with his brother Louie. Now, Robert and Michele will expand with a new restaurant of their own, named after Robert's birthplace. "His whole family was from there. All their recipes originated from there, from generations of cooking," she said.