My name is Sam Faro. I was born in Catania Sicily. My father and my family came to the United Sates when I was only 2 years old. My family settled in Lawrence, Massachusetts and my father, who had been a baker in Sicily, was fortunate to continue his trade at a local bakery. After only a few years, he was able to buy that bakery when the owner retired. When I was 9 years old, I began helping my father on the weekends. I became interested in the baking field and learned to mix Italian bread and some pastry. Life in the bakery was interrupted when World War II broke out. My two older brothers were drafted. And two years after them, I was too. We were lucky and we survived. I served three years in the 15 Air Force and was discharged in 1946. When I got out, I recommenced my baking career and decided to go to baking school to learn more. I graduated from the American Institute of Baking and from the Zenker School of Cake Decorating. My efforts to learn paid off and my family was very successful. In the coming years, we were able to expand to a fifteen-truck wholesale bread business and a retail store for pastry and other Italian delicacies as well. I am retired now and in good health; with time on my hands, I decided to gather some of my cookie formulas (recipes) and assemble them into this book. If you have any problems or questions with the formulas, please contact me at samssons27@gmails.com