When a customer once complained that the potato gnocchi at Ferraro’s Ristorante were too soft, founder Gino Ferraro wasn’t particularly sympathetic.
The woman preferred her gnocchi al dente. Ferraro informed her that hard gnocchi weren’t really gnocchi at all. They were “sinkers.”
When her husband accused Ferraro of insulting his wife, the restaurateur had a ready response.
“She insulted my perfect gnocchi!”
That’s one of many stories Ferraro shares in his new book, From Calabria, An American Dream: A Passion Worth Serving. And it’s a pretty good introduction to what readers can expect from the outspoken restaurateur, who has spent more than four decades building one of Las Vegas’ most respected Italian restaurants.
The book is part memoir, part cookbook and a chance to get a few things off his chest. It traces Ferraro’s journey from poverty in southern Italy to success in Las Vegas, with plenty of opinions about customers, critics, California wine and people who have crossed him along the way.
In other words, it’s Gino Ferraro being Gino Ferraro.
From Calabria to the Statue of Liberty
Friends and customers had encouraged Ferraro to write a book for years. With his son Mimmo assuming more responsibility at the restaurant, the 72-year-old finally found time to work with ghostwriter Jim Vallella.
“Having a cigar or a drink with friends, I tell stories about my life, my restaurants and all that,” he recently told the Food and Loathing podcast. “Everybody said, ‘You’ve got to write a book.'”
The story begins in Calabria, where Ferraro was born in 1954, when Italy was still recovering from World War II. His father was a barber, money was scarce, and young Gino frequently accompanied his mother into the countryside to gather food.
“I would get up literally with my mother [at] 3 o’clock in the morning, and we would walk in the dark in these mountains with chestnut trees,” he recalls.
The future restaurateur learned to gather olives, vegetables and porcini mushrooms before returning home to help prepare the family meal.
In 1966, the family sailed from Naples to New York. Ferraro vividly remembers the moment passengers were told the Statue of Liberty was coming into view.
“We all went on deck, and we got emotional, and we all hugged each other,” he recalls. “We [were] finally in America. It was exciting.”
Building a Life, and a Restaurant
The family settled in Syracuse, New York, where Ferraro eventually operated an Italian-style café with billiards and backroom card games.
He moved to Las Vegas in 1976, hoping to introduce the type of neighborhood coffee bar common in Italy. When that concept proved premature for the young city, he eventually opened an Italian deli and pizza shop that grew into Ferraro’s Ristorante.
Over the years, the family expanded, relocated and experimented with additional restaurants. Not every venture succeeded.
Gino Has a Few Things to Say
Ferraro writes candidly about business disappointments, including an expensive venture at the Stratosphere and the difficulties of operating multiple restaurants after September 11, 2001. He also discusses people he believes treated him unfairly.
“I wanted to be honest with my life,” he says. “I want to be open with my life.”
That includes stories he says he’d previously kept private, involving organized crime and a police officer who allegedly sought money from him.
But some of the most entertaining material involves customers.
In a chapter titled “Crazy Stuff,” the chef recalls a diner who wanted a veal dish he’d enjoyed in Chicago. Ferraro suggested he call the chef in Chicago and ask him to come prepare it.
Other tales involve a customer demanding prime rib, a party of 22 requesting separate checks after dinner, and diners expecting him to reproduce their mothers’ home cooking. And he isn’t shy about sharing his reactions to these encounters.
Ferraro’s opinions about wine can be equally unforgiving. He compares many California Cabernets and Merlots to grape juice, and recalls making that comparison to a longtime customer, only to discover, according to his account, that the man owned Welch’s.
For once, the joke was on Ferraro.
The memories are recounted in short chapters that have the conversational feel of stories shared over a glass of wine. And the author never tries to disguise his pride, frustrations or occasional temper.
“I always say what I feel, whether it hurts me or not, or the consequences,” he explains.
The Recipes Behind the Restaurant
The book also includes recipes for dishes that have helped define Ferraro’s, including osso buco, pasta e fagioli, braised rabbit, tripe, veal piccata and Pappardelle Mimmo, featuring scallops, lobster and truffles.
They reflect the combined influences of his mother, his wife Rosalba and his own culinary education, and include detailed instructions intended for home cooks.
“Not only [do] we give you the recipes, but we give you the procedure, which is very important,” Ferraro explains.
A Legacy, in His Own Words
Today, Ferraro’s is known for its Italian cuisine and extensive, award-winning wine program. Gino continues to oversee the wine selection, while Mimmo takes on more responsibility for the restaurant.
At 72, he’s looking forward to traveling with Rosalba and enjoying more of the life they’ve built.
But slowing down doesn’t mean he’s running out of opinions.
From Calabria, An American Dream is a collection of memories, recipes, accomplishments, disappointments and occasional grudges, told by a man who has accumulated plenty of stories and doesn’t see much reason to keep them to himself.
Some are inspiring. Some are touching. Others are funny, whether Ferraro intended them to be or not.
And if you disagree with something he’s written, you can always tell him.
Just don’t insult his gnocchi.
Hear our full interview with Gino Ferraro on the October 16, 2026 episode of the Food and Loathing podcast.
From Calabria, An American Dream: A Passion Worth Serving is available at Ferraro’s Ristorante, which can ship copies directly to customers, and through Amazon.
