Meet Louis Scalzo

About the Author

Louis A. Scalzo grew up in Chicago’s Little Italy on the Near West Side, within the tightly knit Italian-American community of Taylor Street during the 1950s and early 1960s. He attended St. Callistus Grammar School and graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep. His childhood experiences among the families, colorful characters, neighborhood businesses, and traditions of Taylor Street would eventually become the inspiration for his writing.

An electrical engineer by profession, Scalzo attended Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and began his engineering career at Motorola. His professional life subsequently took him to Silicon Valley, where he spent decades working in the semiconductor and communications technology industries, holding positions in engineering, marketing, sales, and business development.

Drawing upon his firsthand experiences, Scalzo turned to writing to preserve the stories, personalities, and cultural heritage of the neighborhood where he grew up. His first book, My Mother's Kitchen: The Kitchens of Taylor Street, celebrates the central role of family kitchens in Chicago's Italian-American community. His second book, Tales of Chicago's Little Italy, expands that story into a broader narrative social history of Taylor Street, told through a young boy's eyes and remembered with adult wisdom.

In addition to his books, Scalzo writes poetry and personal essays, exploring subjects ranging from family and cultural identity to the complexities of human experience.

He now lives in Marina, California, with his wife, Claire, and their red standard poodle, Payton. Together, they have five sons and five grandchildren.