Salvatore Feola has been a resident of Astoria, NY since the 1950s when he immigrated to Astoria from Naples, Italy at the age of 16. The oldest of thirteen children, he had dropped out of school eight years old to begin working, providing for his growing family. He left Italy for America in hopes of attaining the American Dream. Throughout his hometown, rumors swirled of the wonders New York City holds for immigrants. The streets were paved with gold. Salvatore was disappointed when New York was nothing like he had heard. He moved to Astoria where he lived with other Italian immigrants who taught him English and found employment.

He worked at pizzeria for a while and eventually opened his own pizzeria in the 1970s. His business was a booming success, and the neighborhood families recall his pizza being the best they’d ever had. He didn’t let the success of his business thwart his work ethic. Every day, he opened the store at 5am and closed at 10pm, even on holidays. After the death of his wife to breast cancer and a heart attack, Salvatore decided to close his business and retire in 1993.

I chose Salvatore for this article because his experiences tell the story of most immigrants from the 1950s who came to America for success. I would love to learn how he overcame the challenges he faced and how he became as successful as he was. I would also love to learn how Astoria has changed in the past 60 years from the perspective of someone who came here with a visions of gold and fortune.