The “American Dream” is alive and well, and Rino Aprea is living it every day. Rino is the son of Italian immigrants Giovanni and Enza Aprea, who settled in Brooklyn, NY, in 1965. Rino often accompanied his father to work (as a line cook) at Angelo’s of Mulberry Street, an iconic Little Italy restaurant. As luck would have it, Giovanni was offered an opportunity to buy Angelo’s—and the seeds of his son’s future were planted.

“As an immigrant, I taught myself to speak English,” explains Rino. In 1988, he became the second-generation restaurateur in his family when he opened Areo in Brooklyn. “My parents taught me lessons in the kitchen, and the values and respect that shaped my life and future,” he adds. History is repeating itself as Rino’s son, Giovanni, is putting his time into Ponte Vecchio Restaurant in Brooklyn.