After the events depicted in the film, Laurina, Laurina went on to become a successful restaurateur. She continued to inspire and help people the rest of her life. We wrote Laurina's Kitchen as a companion project to Laurina. It's a collection of her favorite recipes and an honor to her legacy. Below is a little more about Laurina, and the cookbook.

 

LAURINA INZINNA WAS BORN in the United States in 1906. Her parents, Michelina and Salvatore, had emigrated to America from Collesano, Sicily. While Laurina was still an infant, Salvatore died, leaving the family destitute. Laurina and her older sister Elizabeth were placed into the Mother Cabrini Catholic Orphanage in Hoboken, New Jersey. After several years Michelina remarried and was able to reclaim her children. Her new husband moved the family to upstate New York to work in the textile mills. Unfortunately, Laurina’s stepfather became increasingly abusive and Laurina found herself the center of a landmark domestic violence trial. Drawing upon an inner strength beyond her years, Laurina bravely defied the odds and brought her abusive stepfather to justice.

 

Our grandfather Donata (Dan) Ecobelli was from a little town in Italy called Benevento. He was a merchant seaman who traveled the world and was an excellent musician who played many instruments.

In 1923 he married our grandmother, Laurina (Laura) Inzinna. They lived in Hoboken, New Jersey while raising their two children Raphelo (Ralph) and Clementine (Clem). In Hoboken our
grandfather ran a small shoe shop until the Mafia, then called The Black Hand, threatened him if he did not give them protection money. When he refused, they threw a molotov cocktail through the shop window, burning it to the ground. Left with nothing, my grandfather went off to sea with the
merchant marines and Laurina went to work in a sweat shop in New York City.

When our father, Ralph Ecobelli, returned from the service in 1946, the family decided to return to upstate New York, where Laurina’s sister had been running Sam Pepe’s restaurant in Amsterdam.

Our grandparents began looking for a place of their own, and in 1947, somehow managed to scrape together enough money to buy a rundown Scottish tavern in Ballston Spa called The Tam
O’Shanter Inn. “The Tam,” as it was known in town, was the favorite watering hole of down-and-out bookies and gamblers heading to the Saratoga Race Track. Our grandfather was superstitious after his exchange with The Black Hand and decided not to change the name. Hence it was forever
called, “Ecobelli’s Tam O’Shanter Inn.” It was a strange mix and a mouthful to say, but no one seemed to mind.

Knowing nothing about the tavern business, our family dove in head first. Our grandfather, being a very gregarious person, tended bar and entertained customers with his mandolin playing and lively stories. Our father, his sister Clem, and her husband Tony pitched in as a team and did whatever
needed to be done. When Laurina cooked meals for the family in the tiny back kitchen, she always shared whatever it was with the tavern customers and it wasn’t long before word spread about her delicious food. In a matter of months the roadside pub had become the most popular place to be.

Our father Ralph partnered with his parents and became an accomplished chef. He took over cooking duties in the evening and Laurina worked the day shift. Soon they expanded the tavern into a full blown restaurant. They really had no choice, since crowds of townspeople were filling the tiny
tavern to capacity every night.

Over the years, the little tavern grew and grew. An enlarged kitchen, banquet center, and second story were added in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and the staff expanded to over 40 workers, consisting of aunts, uncles, cousins, and various neighborhood kids who needed a job. Many loyal employees
stayed with our family for over 30 years. Everyone was treated like family and each night before work, our grandmother prepared a sit-down dinner for the entire staff so they could share a meal. To reward the employees for their hard work and loyalty, our father implemented a profit-sharing plan,
one of the first in the area.

Not only was “The Tam” known for excellent home-cooked food, but also its warm and friendly atmosphere. Laurina’s generosity was legendary. She fed numerous families over the years that were going through hard times and they never forgot her acts of kindness. To this day, generations of people remember her and the “The Tam” fondly as a favorite place for special occasions and holiday dinners.

Together with their children and extended family, Laurina and Dan had transformed the local Scottish tavern into one of the region’s premier and most popular Italian restaurants. Ecobelli’s Tam O’Shanter Inn was written up by Gourmet magazine, Golden Press Cookbook, and Duncan Hines, as well as several local and regional publications. It was also a charter member of World Famous Restaurants International and a member of the National Restaurant Association of America.

Laurina and Dan traveled extensively in Italy and Europe, and along with the traditional recipes that they already knew, they incorporated some of the recipes that they found on their travels into the menu and made them their own.

Eventually, Ralph took over as president and chef and with his unique twists on Laurina’s original recipes, the restaurant continued to grow. Ralph employed such innovations as a “non-smokers” night, restaurant gift certificates, and a series of radio spots and newspaper ads featuring staff — and long-time, loyal customers — with their photos, bios and favorite Ecobelli dishes.

 

When Dan passed away, and Laurina grew older she slowed down a bit, but she still prepared her signature dishes
and remained a vital part of the ongoing day-to-day operations.

The business was sold in 1979 to Joe and Tony Iaia, a pair of brothers in the restaurant business in Schenectady, but our family retained a lifetime of friends and memories. Our father retired, but Laurina continued to do prep work for the new owners, including making a huge pot of minestra every Wednesday as a weekly special for the customers still loyal to her and her delicious food. She wasn’t getting paid. She just couldn’t resist helping out. That truly exemplifies who she was.
Laurina passed away in 1981, but her legacy lives on. She remains famous not only for her recipes, but even more for her hospitality, her generosity, and service to her community.

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Laurina's Kitchen is published by Square Circle Press.