Author Bios

G. Franco Romagnoli

G. Franco Romagnoli was born and brought up in Rome, Italy, educated at the University of Rome, and then began a career as director and cinematographer of scientific and educational documentaries.

In 1952 Franco married Margaret O’Neill, the American head of the Marshall Plan publicity section in Italy for which Franco worked as a cameraman. In 1955 the Romagnolis moved to Boston where Franco established the film section for WGBH-TV. He was Director of the Photography and Film Department until 1960, after which he worked freelance as a producer-director-photographer. He made documentaries for the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) in the U. S. and feature films and commercials in Europe. During this time, Franco’s still photography was exhibited in New York, Boston, and Rome.

From 1974 to 1976, Franco and Margaret were co-hosts of a television program on Italian cookery, "The Romagnolis' Table." The series was aired nationally on the PBS network and was a leading television cooking show. Nine cookbooks followed.

From 1979 to 1989, the Romagnolis supervised the operation of their three restaurants, called "The Romagnolis' Table" in and around Boston.

Franco’s travel and gastronomy articles have been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, Expressions (the American Express magazine), Eating Well Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, Food and Wine Magazine, and Cook's Illustrated. Two of his short stories, as well as a travel-food piece, have appeared in the Atlantic Monthly Magazine. He taught seminars on Italian culture and cuisine at Boston University and led eno-gastronomy tours to various regions of Italy.

In 1995 Franco was widowed, and in 1998 he married Gwen Mahle O'Sullivan, a lawyer and travel writer. His book about living in Rome, “A Thousand Bells at Noon: A Roman Reveals the Secrets and Pleasures of his Native City,” was published by HarperCollins in 2002.

Gwen and Franco have written a book together titled “Italy, The Romagnoli Way: A Culinary Journey” published by Lyons Press in May 2008.

Franco’s book about his childhood in Rome during the tumultuous days of Fascist Italy, “The Bicycle Runner: A Memoir of Love, Loyalty and the Italian Resistance” (St. Martin’s Press) is due out in August 2009. Sadly, Franco died in December 2008.

Gwen Romagnoli

Gwen Romagnoli was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa., and received her B.A. at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.

After graduation from college, she worked for several years in New York City for the local NBC station. Because of an earlier trip to Europe during which she fell in love with Paris and Rome, she left the U.S. in 1957 to live in Paris. With her first husband, she subsequently moved to Bari in the region of Puglia, and for six years taught English at the U.S.I.S. sponsored American Studies Center.

In 1970, after becoming a single parent, she moved to Rome and became office manager of the NBC News bureau and assisted the correspondent in covering feature news stories. During her six-year stay, she wrote a monthly fashion bulletin for the Rome High Fashion Institute as well as articles about the Rome show business scene for the American daily, Variety.

In 1976, she moved back to the U.S. with her young son and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Spurred on by the advent of the women's movement and a desire for a fulfilling career, Gwen went to law school, graduating with a J.D. degree in 1983. After clerking for the judges of the Massachusetts Superior Court, she became a litigator at a personal injury law firm before going to the state Attorney General's office as an Assistant Attorney General, and finally Deputy General Counsel with the state Department of Public Health. Her article on lawyer-retirees was published in the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly; she has also written articles on women and the law.

In 1998 she married Franco Romagnoli. She retired from the practice of law when they went to live in Rome for 8 months in 2000 while Franco was writing “A Thousand Bells at Noon: A Roman Reveals the Secrets and Pleasures of his Native City.” She then began to write travel articles which have been published in The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and Expressions, the American Express magazine. They include pieces on trattorie in the Trastevere section of Rome, the Italian regions of Le Marche and Emilia-Romagna, the Boston restaurant scene and Buenos Aires.

Gwen and Franco have written a book together: "Italy, The Romagnoli Way: A Culinary Journey.” (Lyons Press, April 2008) Gwen is currently working on a book titled, "Gray Love" about men and women who meet and marry late in life.