Did you know...
Sal Locascio is the oldest yellow-cab driver in New York City with his own medallion, a rarity that has him sitting on quite a pretty penny. The 87-year old World War II veteran and son of Italian immigrants, has seen quite a lot in his 50 year plus career of driving the streets of the Big Apple. His roster of passengers over the years is a who's who of Hollywood and sports, including the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Judy Garland, Gregory Peck, Vincent Price and Mickey Mantle. The $25,500 medallion that Locascio bought in 1968, he paid off in four years by working more than 80 hours a week, according to a story in the New York Times. Now, he drives from 1-8 pm, every day but Sunday and credits his longevity to not driving in his off time and daily exercise. He's been advised to sell his medallion, now worth around $1 million, but he's not planning to give up his cab anytime soon. "So I'm not lying when I say I wouldn't trade the job for a million bucks," he told the NYT.
When Prohibition was lifted in 1933, brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo took their entire savings of about $5,000, and began producing wine from the vineyards their father had owned in California. They made a profit of $34,000 in their first year of business and helped launch California's wine industry. Today more than 100 wineries in the U.S. are owned by Italian Americans.