Staten Island author Andy Mele was recently invited to conduct a book signing at the Amerigo Vespucci Society in Long Branch, New Jersey. As Andy put it, “I have gotten a great deal of pleasure out of seeing my sixth book reach publication because it involves two of my favorite subjects – baseball and Italians.”
The book “Caesars of the Diamond – A History of Italian Americans in Major League Baseball – 1897-2017” was reviewed in the Italian Tribune last week. The story begins in 1897, when Ed Abbaticchio broke into the Majors with the Philadelphia Phillies and follows the migration of Italians to America’s shores. It also tells the stories of the players whose names still resound whenever the game is mentioned. There are 17 Italian Americans represented in the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York and you will read about each and every one of them in Andy’s book, plus you’ll find several players who you may not have realized were Italian. The author expressed his thanks for being invited, but modestly stated that the highlight of the evening was the pasta prepared by Chef Joe Mossa and his staff.
