Not everybody can claim to have a last name so universally recognized; known and appreciated by everybody. Until a few years ago, my last name was a bit of a burden.

My Grandmother always used to say: “Your last name will bring you the best of luck! It puts people in a good mood!”

Obviously, I didn’t believe her. Nor did I understand what she meant. And every time she said it, I thought she was pulling my leg.

We were in Rome, Italy, sometime around 1978, and my childish brain was beginning to focus on the meaning of carrying a last name like Spaghetti, an inordinate burden loaded on my fragile seven-year-old shoulders.