“You want a contract? OK, here’s the contract … a Jersey contract.” That’s part of an exchange in the global theatrical phenomenon “Jersey Boys,” as Frankie Valli extends his hand to bandmate Bob Gaudio when the legendary supergroup, The Four Seasons, was born. The handshake deal has stood the test of time for more than six decades. It is a barely legal arrangement unheard of in the lawsuit-laden industry of show business.

But if you look at it from an Italian-American perspective, the deal is based upon trust, loyalty and respect, qualities engrained in Italian Americans from birth. It’s the “Neighborhood Way,” whether that neighborhood be in New York City, Newark or Chicago.