by Cookie Curci

What dad had learned from his experiences at the 1940s Hamburger King diner he brought to his 1950s Pronto Pup Creamery. The aromatic aroma of burgers and fries mixed with the tantalizing smell of Italian sausages; tomato sauce and delectable pasta made his version of the soda shop a unique experience and a huge success. Mom made all the sausages and tomato sauce in the soda shop’s tiny back kitchen, while dad did the fry cooking.

The Pronto Pup creamery gave Dad the means to invest in real estate and to open several other businesses. Eventually, dad got out of the fast food business and, with his brother Tony, opened Curci’s Restaurant in Scott’s Valley Ca. Featuring fine Italian cuisine. This was to be Dad’s last business, but it was his most successful. Mom and I worked in the kitchen and waited tables. There was always a job available for family.

All together, Dad and his brothers owned over 15 different dinner houses, diners, and donut shops in the Bay Area. Sometimes the long hours and the nickels and dime income put the strain on family finances, but eventually all the Family businesses were successful.

Someone once asked my Dad his secret for success. His answer: "Pray for the things you want- work for the things you need." My immigrant grandparents, and their children, worked long, hard, hours to acquire all the things they would need in America. And, eventually, they were granted all they could ever want in the new world.

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