No, there's no one named Don that Don Angie, a New York City-based restaurant known for its lasagna and other Italian-style cuisine, was named after. Rather, as Angie Rito explained on "Late Night with Seth Myers," the restaurant's first name simply refers to the traditional Italian sign of respect. As in: "I'm the Don. I'm the boss."
Actually, Rito is a co-boss alongside her husband, Scott Tacinelli. According to Don Angie's website, the two first met while working in the kitchen of the same restaurant, New York's Park Avenue Seasons. In addition to that shared work experience, the two chefs and partners also share a similar Italian-American upbringing, which has provided the inspiration for their restaurant and also the name for their 2021 cookbook, "Italian American."
