I was Brooklyn born and raised. My Grandparents arrived in New York from Piedmonte, Nizza(Montefarato), Naples and Sicily. My mothers parents were tailors and opened a shop in Brooklyn where they had a very important yet young intern, Bill Blass who would take the cutting from the floor and the rest is history. My fathers dad was a stone mason who was asked to work on the Eastern steps of the Statue of Liberity where he engraved his name Vincenzo Aluffi on the wall adjacent to the steps where it is still visible today. My dads mom was a Governess who was employed to teach & train the Gov't officials childern French, German and English in their houses. I grew up in a family that spoke three dialects. Piedmontese, Neapolitan and Siciliana. I moved to California on vacation visiting my parents and stayed eventally wortking for United Airlines and since retired keeping my feet on the ground.