The oldest of three sons, John Cervone was born in Jamaica Heights, a neighborhood in Queens, New York, to Giachino and Benita Russo Cervone. Cervone’s mother was born in Naples, as were his father’s parents. The family moved to the nearby Springfield Gardens neighborhood to be closer to relatives, whom they visited frequently.

“I spent a lot of time with both sides,” Cervone says. Holiday meals began with lasagna and meatballs, were followed by ham or turkey, and ended with Italian pastries. Cervone fondly remembers going to Bella Ferrara bakery in Little Italy with his grandfather for the pastries. “As I got older, I used to drive him down there,” he says. Cervone’s mother prepared many delicious meals, “but baked ziti was my favorite,” Cervone says.