by Dennis Augustine
When I think of Italian American Heritage Month, I remember Cecile and I touring Little Italy in New York City with our dear friends Nelson and Susan Bye in October 2023 — part of our Hudson Valley River Cruise with American Cruise Lines.
It was the 50th Anniversary of Caffè Palermo, home of “Baby John the Cannoli King,” where we enjoyed his pizza, cannoli, and tiramisu on Mulberry Street — the heart of Italian pride and tradition.
The visit was deeply nostalgic for me. I grew up just across the Hudson in Hoboken, NJ — where my mother, Maria, arrived as an immigrant from Italy in 1947, carrying the hopes and flavors of the old country.
