Restaurateur Frank DePasquale dreamt about bringing his Italian culture to America ever since he was a young boy growing up in a small town under Mount Vesuvius near the Amalfi Coast. At four years old, DePasquale and his family traveled to Boston to start a new beginning doing what they knew best: promoting the Italian way of life.

DePasquale’s first restaurant venture began in 1987 with a tiny neighborhood sandwich shop. With the help of his family, DePasquale ventured into the culinary world and opened his first establishment in the North End, a sandwich shop named Il Panino, meaning “the sandwich” in Italian. Patrons kept coming back for his signature Panino sandwich; a simple creation consisting of Parma prosciutto, imported Bufala Mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil. Il Panino became an instant success and DePasquale never looked back. To date, he has started over 32 different corporations up and down the east coast, all promoting the Italian lifestyle.

Now, Frank is known as the “unofficial mayor” of the North End where he owns about a dozen restaurants and food shops in Boston’s North End, including: Trattoria il Panino which just celebrated 30 years, Bricco Ristorante, Bricco Salumeria, Bricco Panetteria, Quattro, Assaggio, Aqua Pazza, and Mare Oyster Bar. Along with his lifelong friend, Nick Varano, Frank co-owns Fratelli and Frank & Nicks that are both located inside Encore Boston Harbor. He also owns Dolce and Bricco Suites that are both based in the North End.