ROCCO SAYS...

Notice how all Sicilian phrases precede the Italian. For Rocco, Sicily is the origin of civilization and the center of the universe. He even thinks that George Washington had Sicilian ancestors. If you take a close look, he did have a Roman, I mean Sicilian looking nose...

An email from Rocco:

"Bellisima,

I'm working on some more ideas for the blog. There is, for example, the adage that goes: "mancia e pensa a saluti" [Italian: mangia e pensa alla salute.] It literally means, eat and think about your health. Meaning that there is nothing more important than your health. Saying pensa a saluti is also used whan one wants to do something out of the ordinary like buying something expensive. In this way it means that you should go for it because nothing is as important as your good health. It sort of borders on the Sicilian's preoccupation and acceptance of death. Saying simply saluti -salute- is the most common of toasts. One word will do: health. 

There is another saying in Italian that goes: "quando si mangia non si parla" Literal translation: when you eat you,  do not talk. This is a very loaded expression because on it's first and obvious meaning it states that talking will interfere with eating, not to mention it may bring about the need of the Haimlich maneuver. Yet there is another rather hidden meaning referring to when a person is paid off - he has eaten - then he should keep his mouth shut. This applies to politics, the members of the inner core who have all eaten i.e. gotten fat from the many perks, should not spill the beans. Or, for that manner anyone who has been paid off sort of illicitly.

I hope that i have been helpful.
Love 
YD"