Over 90 years ago my grandparents traveled from Calabria, Italy to Philadelphia with only a few pennies in their pockets.

Francesco and Tommasina Rocchino worked incredibly hard, raised a large family, loved their South Philadelphia neighborhood deeply, and never hesitated to lend a hand to fellow immigrants especially during the war. Over time they built two successful businesses — Rocchino & Sons, a corner deli & grocery store legendary for grandmom’s fresh pastas & sandwiches — and a construction company through which my grandpop built many of the neighborhood’s row houses with great attention to detail and quality.