During World War II, young Vincent Iezzi was at home with his grandmother in his Philadelphia neighborhood. Because of the war effort, most of the mothers, big sisters, and aunts were working in the factories while most of the fathers, big brothers and uncles were off at war.
Listen while I tell you a story...
Nonna always knew just what to say. Gifted with a native ability to tell stories, her solution for every one of Vincent's questions or problems was another elaborate story, accompanied by cups of coffee sweetened with war-rationed brown sugar and milk.
So you see, Vincenzo...
Pull up a chair, You can almost smell the coffee
Vincent M. Iezzi (Author), who has followed in his grandmother's footsteps as a storyteller, retired from a career at the Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News and is active in his parish. He is also a member of the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) and he belongs to the Order of the Sons of Italy, the Knights of Columbus, and the St. Richard-St. Monica Prayer Community. He and his wife Mary Ann have two sons and eight grandchildren, all of whom enjoy his retelling of Nonna's stories.