Chazz Palminteri likes it when men admire his work. He knows the ladies will come around to see his statuesque physique, dark features and cupid’s pout. So it’s a special compliment to him if a guy says, “Yeah, Chazz, that good looking Italian actor…he was awesome in Usual Suspects.” Chazz is the kind of guy that men like to share a story with. A Bronx Tale and his one-man show reliving  that movie is a shared experience with a literal walk down memory lane.

As the story unfolds from his youth, the scene that should resonate with most Italians is his talk about his mother calling him for dinner. He remembers hanging on the front stoop, in the Bronx, smelling the wonderful aroma of his mom’s sauce as he runs down the hall to get to dinner. What comes next, puts me right at home as a kid, when his mom asks him if he wants to taste the sauce with some bread. For my family, a “soogie” sandwich was a special treat from grandma when she was certain her amazing Neapolitan sauce was ready. Bread dipped in sauce could be the ultimate best comfort food in Italian history.

Thank you Chazz for sharing your memories that took me to a time with fond memories of my youth. Also, thank you for sharing your photographs of your beautiful family with me. If you missed his tour with Broadway Across America, at least rent the movie.