Rocco's Ristorante Pizzeria Walnut Creek

In 1922, Giovanni and Virginia Biale left the town of Savona in Genoa, Italy with their three young sons, Giacomo, Mario and Rudolfo to make a new life in America. With help from a cousin, they made their way to San Francisco and settled in the Italian section of Potrero Hill. Less than a year later, my grandfather, Giovanni, opened "Biale's Meat Market" on Connecticut Street. To this day "Biale" is still tiled in the entryway of the building.

Giacomo "Jack", my uncle, stayed in the butcher business while Mario, my father, and Rudy went into the bar and restaurant business in San Francisco, Phoenix and Honolulu. Rudy owned and operated two "Rudy's Italian Restaurants" in Waikiki for 25 years.

I worked at Rudy's for 3 years with my brother Anthony. It was there I learned the importance of being a hands-on owner. People came from all over the world to visit "Rudy's", enjoying the food, the wine, and the gracious host.