One of the most important ways to preserve Italian American culture is with the stories of our ancestors. Through written accounts, these memories provide not only family records but also historical value. Joseph C. Polacco was inspired to write about his mother, Vina, because it was the link to his Italian heritage; a connection back to his old neighborhood in Brooklyn New York and a tribute to a woman who was a “human beacon.” Joe writes, “I mourn her passing as the dimming of a light in so many people’s lives” and “I feel her star is receding and her light is slowly fading.”

“Vina, A Brooklyn Memoir” is as much about Vina as it is about Brooklyn; and as much about Brooklyn as about the mingled cultures that lived there during the second half of the 20th century, as well as Brooklyn in the 21st century – “it’s yarmulkes, do-rags and bop-hats.” Joe shares the stories of his mother’s life and “the colorful characters Mom associated with,” as she presided in their home – known informally as The Brooklyn Rescue Mission – and later in her apartment on 77th St.