Between The Sauce, Stars and Heaven: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Tables That Raised Us - Paperback

Basenese, Lou: - Lou Basenese Jr. grew up in the one-square-mile town of Netcong, New Jersey, where Sunday sauce, church bells and front-porch storytelling shaped his DNA. The grandson of southern-Italian immigrants who landed at Ellis Island with twelve dollars and a dream, Lou learned early that faith and hard work were non-negotiable. He left those narrow streets to helm divisions of Fortune 500 companies, launch national consumer brands, and-after a near-fatal cardiac arrest that left him clinically dead for twelve minutes-re-orient his life around service and second chances.Today Lou co-owns On-Site Fleet Services of Florida, a fast-growing, woman-owned heavy-duty repair company he runs with his wife, Laura-the same woman whose relentless CPR brought him back to life. Under their stewardship On-Site has tripled revenue while proving that culture and profit can share the same toolbox.Lou writes to preserve the stories-and recipes-that held his sprawling Italian-American clan together: a rogue uncle who could lift a wallet and a heart in the same motion; parents who balanced Marine-grade discipline with basement-wine generosity; a son lost to fentanyl who still teaches the family about grace. His debut memoir, Between the Sauce, Stars and Heaven, braids those tales with board-room victories, bankruptcy-level setbacks, and the faith that carried him through both.When he isn't speaking about resilience, immigrant grit, or ethical entrepreneurship, Lou can be found simmering a 12-hour ragù, mentoring young business owners, or sharing espresso on the porch with four grandchildren who believe Nonna can fix anything-except perhaps how fast they grow. He lives in Orlando with Laura, a refrigerator full of leftovers, and a filing cabinet of half-started stories that someday may rise, like good dough, into new books.