Sons of Italy - Transcript

If you take exit 454 you'll find yourself in the heart of one of Omaha's oldest neighborhoods once known as Little Italy.

[Sam Vazzano:] "Here you go, sir."

"Thank you, Sam."

And every Thursday, rain or shine, hundreds of people keep a standing lunch date with their sons. The Sons of Italy that is.

[Dean Martin:] "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore."

Dark and early on a Tuesday morning, when most of us are doing a tango with the snooze alarm, these guys are just finishing their job for the day.

[Sam Vazzano:] "How many pounds of sausage would you say we made today? About five hundred?"

This is the routine for Sam Vazzano and the other Sons of Italy. For more than 20 years these men have hosted a weekly authentic Italian pasta feed for devoted patrons. The proceeds are used to benefit those in need.

[Sam Vazzano:] "That's one reason why I'm very active in it because that's the main object of our place is to help the needy."

Most of these guys are retired, volunteering their time every week. One might wonder if they knew they were choosing a second career when they signed on to help.

[Sam Vazzano:] "We all belong to the Sons of Italy. The old Sons of Italy who were run by... at that time we thought they were old, old people, which turns out to be what we are now."

How, you might ask, can this be authentic Italian food when most of the Sons of Italy were born right here in Omaha?

"It's just like Momma used to make."

[Sam Vazzano:] "Everything is authentic. We have our own meatballs that we make. We make our own sausage, our own sauce. That's about it. That's the whole story about the... That's about what we thrive on here. Spaghetti and meatballs and mastacolli."

So what is the secret to authentic Sicilian spaghetti? Watch closely and find out.

So are you hungry yet? Visit the Sons of Italy any Thursday between 10:30 and 2:00 to experience a taste of Sicily right here in the heart of Omaha.

[Sam Vazzano:] "All the people who come here they're very happy about it. They like the food, that's what we're here for. That's the end of the story."

But it's not really. In just a few short days the Sons of Italy will be at it again feeding the hungry masses and filling up this Nebraska Melting Pot.