Two Legends Collide! A Minnesota Restaurant and the Amazing Tony Bennett.

It was just last month that legendary singer Tony Bennett died.  He left behind a rich  legacy of music that will live on for generations to come.  His official Instagram account announced his passing with a touching look inside his last days.

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Now we are finding out that he had a connection to a legendary Twin Cities restaurant.  The story being shared is that St. Paul's Caffee Biaggio owner Giovanna D'Agostino, who was a legend in her own right in the 70's as the owner of the successful homestyle Italian restaurant in Dinkytown, met and became friends with the legendary crooner.

John D'Agostino, Giovanna's son and current owner of Caffee Biaggio, told WCCO when they profiled the St. Paul restaurant in 2019:

"Mama" wrote a number of cookbooks, her antipasto salad with prosciutto and Italian beef was featured in "Better Homes and Gardens," and she got booked as a guest on the old Mike Douglas show. "And she met Tony. They hit it off right away, they became best of friends,"

Tony even asked John to send him a picture of his Mom and Dad.  Tony then painted (if you didn't know he could paint, you're not alone!)  two portraits using that picture.  One of Giovanna and one of her husband.  He signed each one 'Bennedetto', his family name.

It's an amazing connection that lasted so very many years.  Giovanna & Mr. Bennett are now gone.  But those two painted portraits still hang in the restaurant that is still run by Giovanna's son John.