My new series – written under the name Maria DiRico, my Nonna’s maiden name – officially launches tomorrow and I am beyond thrilled. It was inspired by my real life. Cousins by marriage ran two catering halls in Queens, the Astoria Manor and the Grand Bay Marina. (Which ended up as headline news story in New York when it abruptly closed, leaving hysterical brides stranded. But we won’t focus on that right now.)
My mother was born in a little Italian village called Orsogna. (No, I haven’t been there. #BucketList!)
It took over thirty years, but eventually her entire extended family immigrated to America, winding up in a section of Queens called Astoria. I don’t have to tell you how much Italians love their celebrations, so my youth was spent at a variety of engagement parties, weddings, communions, anniversaries, birthdays, and yes, even funeral luncheons. Jer and I married in California, but we had a second reception in, you guessed it, Astoria. At the Grand Bay Marina, where Cousin Pauly did well by us. The Grand Bay was situated in Flushing Marina, with a lovely view of the water – and the planes taking off and landing at LaGuardia Airport.
All of this went into my series. It is literally set where we celebrated our nuptials a second time. You can see the marina in these doctored photos I used in my Shameless Shilling Campaign.
I’m having a blast reliving many memories as I write this series. Although it’s pretty much purely fiction, my protagonist Mia walks the streets I walked to visit family. She lives upstairs from her Nonna in the two-family house where my actual Nonna lived downstairs from my Zio Henry and Zia Rose and their four kids. And everyone eats pastries from our real family bakery, La Guli Pastry Shop.
I hope you have as much fun reading the series as I had writing. Grazie and salute a tutti!
Readers, did your family celebrate events in a big way? Any particular memories?
About Here Comes the Body: Mia Carina has moved back home to Queens, where her father Ravello, a capo with the Boldoni crime family, has been tasked with running a rundown banquet hall that was surrendered to him by a broke gambler. Mia’s always wanted her father to go straight and she’s determined to help him run the place, with its view of Flushing Bay and the LaGuardia Airport runway, as a legitimate business. Then a body pops up – or technically, doesn’t pop up from a jump-out cake at a bachelor party. Who knew working for a catering hall could be as dangerous as working for the Mob?
Ellen, I love the family connection to your new series! And I just Googled La Guli Pastry Shop in Queens — and now I’m dying for a cannoli!
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V, thanks. And I’m ALWAYS dying for a cannoli!
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Leave the gun, take the cannoli.
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Ellen, I am so looking forward to reading this. I come from a big Italian family who came from a small village in Sicily, left the old country for New York, then on to Boston and then later to California in the 1940’s. Our family has always had huge, loud, and fun holidays and parties. I need a nap after an event is over!!! See you in a couple of weeks!!!!
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Fran, can’t wait! And I think you will totally identify.
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Knowing how much of yourself you put in this book makes it even more special.
It’s a great book. Due yourself a favor and get it ASAP.
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Mark, thank you so much. And thank you for a detailed, insightful review. I swear, I don’t know how you do it!
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I look forward to reading it. I just double checked to make sure I had pre-ordered it and I did. Can’t wait.
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Diana, thank you!!
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So excited for this new series! And I love hearing how the fictional and real worlds overlap. Congratulations, Ellen! xoxo
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xoxo, C!
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Ellen, huge congrats on the debut of the Catering Hall Mysteries TOMORROW!! I’m a big fan of Astoria, as my daughter used to live there and I always enjoyed my extended stays. The food is fabulous and I don’t think you can beat a Queens-style party. Wish I could have gone to your redux wedding celebration–maybe we Chicks should throw a bash at the Manor, just for cheeps and giggles. I’m looking forward to hanging out with Mia and her family, and of course some mouthwatering mysteries (and pastries and lasagna and Tortoni!).
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Mille grazie, Lisa! xoxo
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A Chicks bash at the Manor sounds fab!
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My dad’s family are from Positano, Italy.. Congrats on the books! Can’t wait to read it!
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Thanks so much, Sheryl!
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Having been lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the new book, I can assure you all that it’s FABULOUS!
Congrats, Ellen, and looking forward to our Chicks bash at the Manor one of these days! xoxo
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That would be fabuloso! Except someone else runs it now, so could be a pricey event, sigh…
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Just ordered it. Will hopefully have it Thursday
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Eccellente!! And mille grazie!
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I’m particularly struck by the amazing & handsome couple in the photos. I’m sure the book will be equally amazing!
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Lol, that couple has aged a LOT!
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It’s Catering Hall Mysteries Eve!! I’m so SO excited about this series!!
I loved reading about the intersection between fiction and reality. (And I second some kind of field trip. Maybe to La Guli Pastry Shop?) I married into a big Italian-Irish family, and celebrations are always big, fun and LOUD.
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That was so my world! Big, fun, and LOUD! And we all have to do a meetup in NY and a subway ride on the N train to La Guli!
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I’m so excited for you, Ellen. You put so much of yourself into this book it can’t help but be great! Looking forward to reading it!
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Thanks so much, Becky! xoxo
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Really looking forward to your new book. And you too are just adorable in your wedding picture! Congrats!
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LOL, oh, how I wish I still looked like that. And still weighed that!
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