#arriffatore

“Sometimes I feel like I am a desert island, a lighthouse on no man’s land. We have been in this very place for 24 years, but I started this job many years before that with my dad. He was a cook. He taught me what it means to put passion into your job, to always get the best out of what you’ve got, and to be compassionate with those around you. This was particularly important when we were all a bit poorer. In the 80’s many people in this area had to literally invent their jobs to earn their living. You’d see the “arriffatore”: he was selling made-up lottery numbers, going around the streets of this neighbourhood. After, he would come back screaming the winning numbers he would pick from a basket. For every number, he would act and improvise a show. He would fill these streets with music and ballets, and everyone was welcome to take part. We should try not to forget our past.” Gianni is the owner of a trattoria, an Italian-style eating establishment, less formal than a ristorante.