Whoever said Staten Island would be a ghost town on this Fourth of July weekend, obviously didn't see dine at Trattoria Romana Friday evening. The down home dining spot in Dongan Hills, where Vittoria Asoli sits at the helm, was alive with diners enjoying fine food and the exchange of good conversation --  as the fragrant aroma of freshly prepared brick oven pizza swirled through the dining room.

Asoli, who recently received the Community Anchor Award at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens Neptune Ball, is living the American dream. Italian born, Vittorio confides he's always had strong sense of family back home in the old country, where food played an integral role in all of their traditions. The Asoli's pride themselves on using the finest, freshest ingredients that reflects  his Italian heritage. Family gatherings centered on the table where the age-old favorites native to Italy never failed to satisfy.