During the 1920s, William "Bill" P. Falsetta often dealt with discrimination head-on. Falsetta grew up in Grand Ledge and was picked on for his Italian-American heritage. Verbal abuse affected the way he did his schoolwork and often led to his peers' refusal to play sports with him.

But no matter how bad it got, Falsetta didn't hold resentments and maintained a positive outlook that eventually drove him to business. Ironically, it was Falsetta's roots that inspired his 1951 opening of Casa Nova Restaurant and brought people together.

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Source: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/