My first published book. "Tony's Little Italy: A Love Story and Recipe Book"
Available now on Amazon.
It was the year 1954. First-generation Italian immigrant Anthony Joseph Gaetano and small-town Kansas girl Iva Marie Newton met, fell in love, and married in the age of Chevy Bel Airs, Elvis Presley, and boundless faith in the American dream.
The newlyweds, both excellent cooks with entrepreneurial spirits, opened the first pizzeria Iva’s hometown had ever experienced.
They grew that pizzeria into a full-menu Italian restaurant named Tony’s Little Italy and eventually moved the operation to the growing college town of Ames, Iowa. There it grew in popularity and expanded to other locations becoming a legend in the community.
Tony’s had it all—great food, amazing atmosphere, and that personal touch which kept guests coming back for more. It became a place where memories were made.
This labor of love recalls and safeguards some of those memories for generations to come. Details of the journey Tony and Iva pursued in building their dream are interspersed with the original recipes that drew so many to the restaurant and kept them coming back.
So join us on this look back and enjoy the tastes of Tony’s from your own kitchen. Buon appetito!
