I was born in a small town called Rye, in Westchester County, in New York. Across the street was a park and Rye beach. There was also an Olympic size pool across the street from my parents Italian restaurant. Once you tasted my mothers cooking, you couldn't go to any other Italian Restaurant. We stayed in New York until I was eight years old, then moved to Tennessee. I lived there until l was married then moved to Richmond VA.