Buon giorno a tutti! We are very happy to bring you another edition of our newsletter, combining King Umberto/Villa Umberto news and events. The summer was not as bad as expected, but we had to deal with heat waves and power outages. It makes you sit back, think about the days without electricity, and realize how lucky we are. At King Umberto, our gratitude is for our family, our loyal patrons and new guests. We love to hear stories/news to pass along to our readers, and our members are happy to share.

Graduations galore! ANDREW ANNUNZIATA earned a degree from the University of Delaware. University of Hartford graduate, MICHAEL FORKOS, shared his time celebrating with MARK FORKOS, who graduated from Oceanside High School and is heading to Quinnipiac University. Other Oceanside H.S. grads include JEAN JACOBS (Adelphi University) and ALEX LINDAUER (Hofstra University). ELISABETH PIRRONE, DAYNA PLATIA (Molloy College), NICHOLAS RAGONA (Pratt Institute), and our own ANGELA TOSCANO threw their caps up at their Sewanhaka High School ceremony. Other happy graduates include MICHAEL ADAMS (South Side H.S.), TERREL DAVIS (Grover Cleveland H.S. to Berkley College), ROBERT DEVEAU (New Hyde Park Memorial H.S. to C.W. Post), JOSEPH MARCIANO (H. Frank Carey H.S.), FRANCI POMERANTZ (Valley Stream North H.S.), and JAMES TROCCHIA (West Hempstead H.S.). Good luck!

Couple news! ANGELO FURNARI & MELISSA KANTOR shared news of their July 29th engagement. TINA LOMBARDI & MATTHEW SCOTT were engaged on August 6, 2006. They are looking forward to a July 7, 2007 wedding. JOSEPH KUCZYK & JENNIFER CREEGAN were engaged on August 15, 2006. On June 12th, JANE & JERRY FINGER tied the knot. LUCILLE & ROSARIO MARCIANO celebrated their 28th Wedding Anniversary. Congratulations and best wishes to all our couples and much happiness to all!

Time for babies! EMILY ROSAIRE (7lbs. 15oz.) arrived on June 6th for AMY & BILL BRENNAN. LISA & VINNIE SAVARESE were overjoyed by the birth of their twin girls, ALEXA ROSE (4lbs.) and SAMANTHA DANIELLE (4lbs. 12oz.), on June 21, 2006. Bartender JAMES & STACY welcomed MADISON LEIGH WILHELM (5lbs. 6oz.) on July 7th. SUSAN ANNA VON WERNE (8lbs. 8oz.) made her debut on July 14th for parents ROBERT & CHRISTINE. KATHY & TOM EMMA welcome their third grandchild, CLAIRE ELIZABETH, daughter of JIM & DENISE McNALLY. STEVE & MICHELE ROSSIELLO announce the christening of their baby boy DOMINIC. God bless them all. Congratulations!

A very special congratulations to our very own CARMELA AND SAL STRAZZERA who had a beautiful 8 pound baby boy named SAL JR. on September 10, 2006. He is an adorable baby who is the spitting image of his father.

A note to all, school is open, so please, drive carefully. Hope all students and their parents had a great start to another school year. Yes, summer has finally come to an end, and it is time to put away the kiddie pool, and get out the sweaters and jackets.

We hope you all take the time to enjoy the fall season and its holidays. Try apple and pumpkin picking, take in the beauty of the colorful leaves that have begun to turn. Best of all, come and feast on a delicious meal at King Umberto, or go to one of the holiday parties at Villa Umberto with your friends and family.

We hope you enjoy the rest of the newsletter!

Seven years ago, Lisa Savarese, a patron of King Umberto Restaurant, lay very ill in Mount Sinai Hospital with cardiomyopathy, an inflammation of the heart muscle. She developed this after having her first child, now eleven. In 1999, her heart began to fail. She subsequently had to have a heart transplant, and recovered from it, but doctors told her that having anymore children would be quite dangerous.

Mrs. Savarese, who is from Freeport, said, “...I always wanted another one.” When she found out that she was carrying twins, she had mixed emotions, and her doctors were concerned. On Wednesday, June 21, 2006, she delivered two healthy twin girls. Samantha Danielle and Alexa Rose were born in the same hospital where their mother lay so ill years earlier.

During Mrs. Savarese’s pregnancy, doctors were concerned that the change in blood and plasma volume would dilute heart medication that she was taking. Carrying twins can be double the risk, so her doctors suggested selective reduction to eliminate one of the babies. Savarese couldn’t bring herself to do it. So, at 32 weeks when her health began to worsen, her doctors performed a Caesarean section. The twins each weighed in at about four pounds each. Mother and babies are all healthy, but because of the twin’s low birth weight, they were held in intensive-care temporarily.

As a way of doing “a little something”, Mrs. Savarese gave little Samantha the middle name Danielle, in honor of her heart donor, a teenage girl who died in a car accident.

Happy with her family surrounding her, Mrs. Savarese is relieved that she has survived it. We wish her continued health!

Take your pick - Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Zinfandel? While those are the main varietals, hundreds more exist as do wineries and vineyards. Choosing the right wine is a matter of taste, and we are here to suggest a Chardonnay. Rombauer Vineyards, located in California, produces all of the choices above, but for this newsletter we have selected Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay.

The values of hard work, dedication, commitment, and integrity are exemplified in Rombauer Vineyards, an idea that flourished in 1980 and was founded in 1982 by Koerner and Joan Rombauer.

The Rombauer's did not always have a passion for winemaking, but they shared the joy of wine - by itself or with food. Koerner's ancestors had made wine in Germany, and the love of wine became a part of his heritage. He was born and raised in California. With a passion for flying, Koerner and his family eventually moved to Dallas, Texas, where he flew as a captain on a commercial airline. After the airline ceased operations in 1972, the family moved to Napa Valley, where they purchased 40 acres of hilltop land on the Silverado Trail near the town of St. Helena. Four years later, Koerner and Joan became partners in Conn Creek Winery. In 1980, Koerner and Joan produced their own wine at a neighbor's vineyard. The next two years were dedicated to creating Rombauer Vineyards, a winery featuring caves that provide a constant temperature and humidity.

Rombauer Carneros Chardonnay, 100% Carneros Appellation and 100% Chardonnay Grapes, is fermented and aged in barrels. With its layers of tropical fruit, peaches, and pears, the wine glides across the palate. Citrus and light oak zests give a lingering finish. A fruity, fresh wine you should taste.

Dear Rosario, (KU)

Thank you so much for a wonderful Confirmation lunch. It was a very enjoyable and memorable day thanks to the great food and people there that always make us feel like family.

Love,
Alyssa Miceli

Rosario & Franco,

We just wanted to say thank you in helping us celebrate our engagement!

Thanks again,
Angelo Furnari & Melissa Kantor

Dear Rosario and Franco, (VU)

Dana's Sweet Sixteen was an absolutely wonderful evening. The food was outstanding & the service was more than outstanding. Thank you so very much for that "Most Memorable & Enchanted" night.

The Pickett Family

Dear Franco, Rosario & the wonderful staff at "Villa Umberto",

We want to thank you so much for such a wonderful party. We had a great time. Everything was even better than we expected. Thank you for making our daughter Faith’s communion one of the best nights of her life. The night was perfect and people are still talking about her cake. Thank you, thank you! Bravo Villa Umberto. Love and God bless.

The Spano Family
Joe, Michele, Luke, Faith, Mark and MaryGrace
XOXO

Dear Ciro and All Staff,

Thank you for making my daughter Angela’s Sweet 16 a success! Everyone had an absolute awesome time. The food was delicious, the room was decorated and set up beautifully. Service was exceptional and all staff very personable. Thanks again. I’ll be recommending you to our friends. We also loved the photos on my space.

Sincerely,
The Genna Family