The Italian Legacy in the Dominican Republic

THE ITALIAN LEGACY IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

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As a way to help the extended family, he decided to

send for his brother Mario, who was a professional chef;

he also invited his cousin Julio, a great ice cream maker,

and his brother-in-law Vincenzo, a tireless worker who

could be useful for the business. This approach, howev-

er, ultimately failed, because these family members ex-

pressed little interest in staying in the country. Instead,

they settled in New York where they made their lives

with their own lucrative gastronomic projects.

Success for Annibale came relatively quickly. The

family business needed to expand. To build a new ven-

ue for the restaurant, he requested DOP 10,000.00 from

the Banco Agrícola. It was also alleged that Joaquín

Balaguer

decided to help him, recognizing in this young

businessman a zeal to succeed. Annibale’s wife, Imma-

colata, was so grateful to the official that, from then on,

until his death, she sent him mozzarella, ricotta, zuppa

inglese, and cassata every week.

Through this gesture, Immacolata demonstrated to

her children how gratitude was a quality to cultivate. After all, the Bonarellis were eternally grateful to a coun-

try that had welcomed them with open arms.

The business was a family project, and everyone worked diligently. The head of the family, Annibale, was

the chef. A lifetime working in the food business allowed him to put what he had learned into practice. Imma-

colata served as the cashier, and from there she directed everything. Their children say that she was the law,

the baton, and the very backbone of the family.

Their success was considerable. At the time, the gastronomic scene in Santo Domingo was extremely

limited. There was only a smattering of Chinese restaurants among the more popular Criollo restaurants. The

appearance of El Vesuvio gave the upper and middle classes a new venue for fine food. Many claim that in the

1960s people would dress in their finest and go out to enjoy an evening at this new establishment.

The ambassador of the United States during this time, John Bartlow Martin, commented in his memoirs

that El Vesuvio had become a barometer of the country’s economic and political situations. The Ambassador

wrote that at the time of the assassination of the Dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo (the night of May 30, 1961),

“even at El Vesuvio there was little movement.”

Over time, El Vesuvio became a veritable culinary school for the country. In the absence of trained staff,

Don Annibale taught many young people how to serve customers, prepare drinks, and even cook. Many of

those who passed through his kitchen would later become the chefs at other restaurants.

The success was so great that, in preparing for the Fair of Peace and Fraternity of the Free World, General-

issimo Trujillo decided to offer visitors two important culinary selections: Italian food, with a Vesuvio branch

in the area of the fair, and Spanish cuisine through the El Lina restaurant.

El Vesuvio soon became the standard-bearer for other restaurants. The eldest son of the family, Enzo, be-

gan working there even when he was quite young, but, more importantly, he accompanied his parents in the

strengthening and growth of the new company. The entrepreneurial vision of the family patriarch sparked a

desire in one of his sons to set out on his own solo journey.

In 1971, Giuseppe (Peppino) was the first of the sons to set up a separate enterprise; after purchasing a parcel

of property, he built a new culinary establishment that he called El Vesuvito. In its early days, the new restau-

rant specialized in pizza. Then he expanded his menu, introducing other dishes. Although business was good,

he wanted to explore other commercial opportunities. He decided to sell the restaurant to his brother Gaetano.

Opening of the new

Restaurant Vesuvio,

October 20, 1959.

From left to right:

Queco Rainieri

Honorary Consul of

Italy in the Dominican

Republic; Pietro Solari,

Ambassador of Italy;

Inmaculada Bonarelli;

Archbishop of Santo

Domingo, Monsignor

Beras; and Annibale

Bonarelli.

Bonarelli Family