It’s been nearly 30 years since the passing of Italian-American crooner Frank Sinatra. Sinatra had a one-of-a-kind life, rising from a humble childhood in New Jersey to becoming one of the most iconic voices of the 20th century. Sinatra was the son of two Italian immigrants, his father, Anthony Sinatra, born in Palermo, Sicily, and his mother, Natalina "Dolly" Garaventa, born in Lumarzo, Italy.
He was raised in Hoboken, which experienced a major wave of Italian immigration in the early 1900s. Like so many first-generation Americans, Sinatra had to balance his life as an American with his Italian family and heritage. We got little glimpses of his appreciation for his heritage through his music, and the food he loved—including this stuffed artichoke recipe and this Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe that comes from his mother.
