Among the reds, Rubesco is particularly good. So is the Sangiovese wine itself. Tuscan wines catch Gazzara's eye as well. He also likes French white wines. Italian whites are lightweight,'' he opines.
French whites have much more body.
He was born a mere 45 blocks from where he is sitting, but it might as well have been a universe away. His first home was a cold-water flat on East 29th Street between First and Second avenues. His parents, Antonio and Angela Gazzara, were Sicilian immigrants, and Ben spoke Italian before he learned English. His baptismal name was Biago Anthony, but from an early age he was always Ben. His father, who died when Ben was a child, was a roofer and carpenter.