From Naples, Italy, to Naples, Fla., by way of Brooklyn: Chef Rocca continues family tradition of Italian cooking
Brooklyn native Peter Della Rocca’s Italian cooking heritage goes way back to 1894, when his great grandparents Dominick and Ana Sorvino landed on Ellis Island from Naples, Italy.
The Sorvinos settled in Brooklyn, and within a year started what became a proud, long-standing family tradition of rustic Italian cooking served in their Brooklyn restaurants.
The family restaurant, Pete’s, was located for about 60 years on Myrtle Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. Today, the Sorvino’s great grandson Peter Della Rocca continues that tradition in Naples, Florida, with his popular, family-style Italian restaurant Parmesan Pete’s. Della Rocca also operates a very successful, high-end private catering service called Peter’s Cuisine.