Lorraine Bracco has brought a real-life story to screens with Nonnas, the new Netflix film premiering Friday. Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the actress revealed that the movie is based on the true events of a Staten Island man who turned grief into purpose by opening a restaurant run entirely by grandmothers.

The story follows Joe, who, after losing both his mother and grandmother, decided to honour them by creating a place filled with the love and food he grew up with. Lacking any restaurant experience, he placed an ad in an Italian newspaper calling for “nonnas” who wanted to cook. The result was an authentic dining experience that captured hearts and grew into a wider community known as “Nonnas of the World.”