Who is Joe Scaravella? Everything to know about the real person who inspired Vince Vaughn’s Nonnas

Stephen Chbosky's Nonnas is a Netflix comedy-drama movie, released on 9th May 2025. It is based on a true story that tells us about Joe Scaravella, who chooses to establish an Italian restaurant called 'Enoteca Maria,' which is fully operated by grandmothers. But he soon begins to face problems with his restaurant.

Vince Vaughn plays Scaravella in the movie, and other cast members include Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Joe Manganiello, and Brenda Vaccaro.

The real-life Joe Scaravella was a transportation worker in Brooklyn who opened a restaurant in Staten Island in memory of his mother. Scaravella had also lost his grandmother and sister at that time, which motivated him to open the restaurant. As per Netflix Tudum, the 69-year-old continues to run Enoteca Maria, a hugely popular restaurant with rotating grandmothers, which, as of May 2025, is still in business in Staten Island.

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Everything to know about the person who inspired Nonnas

Joe Scaravella at his restaurant (Image via Instagram/@enoteca_maria)

Since early childhood, Joe Scaravella had been inspired by his Italian heritage and the culinary skills of his grandmother, Nonna Domenica. The loss of his mother, grandmother, and sister in one tragic event plunged him into deep depression. In a New York Times interview on March 2, 2017, Scaravella revealed what motivated him to start the restaurant.

"After losing all those matriarchal figures in my life, I wanted to try to recreate that, you know, grandma in the kitchen cooking," Scaravella told the outlet.

In 2007, he used the remaining inheritance left by his mother to open up Enoteca Maria, the restaurant featured in the movie, with hopes that it would recreate the experience of his childhood. Initially, Scaravella worked with only Italian nonnas, all with their regional preferences and recipes.

In another interview with The Washington Post published on January 24, 2023, Scaravella said:

"The real story behind this place is grief — my own personal grief after losing a lot of my family, and trying to re-create them."

In 2015, however, Scaravella expanded the project to include nonnas from around the world, creating a virtual cookbook called Nonnas of the World, representing their global culinary traditions.

“My vision (was for) this book to become the most extensive collection of grandmothers’ recipes, their particular dialect and memories, a testament to culinary culture of common people from all over the world,” Scaravella describes in his statement on the Enoteca Maria website.

Additionally, he has been supporting the Netflix film Nonnas, which reenacts his experiences as a transportation worker to a restaurateur, and showcases the spirited grandmothers who ruled the kitchen.

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All about Nonnas

The film tracks the journey of Joe Scaravella as he opens a new restaurant called Enoteca Maria, named after his mother. The story begins with a struggling Joe, who finds himself lost in life while dealing with his grief. Nostalgically, and searching for his roots, Joe takes a chance on hiring Italian nonnas to work together and cook traditional dishes from each of their respective regions.

Although their passion drives them, the dynamic between the grandmothers often causes conflict in the kitchen over various traditions and methods. The antics in the kitchen create tensions as the restaurant collapses around them. However, one weekend, the fledgling restaurant catches the eye of an influential food critic who publishes a good review, causing the restaurant to gain popularity.

As Joe struggles with the intensity of his fledgling stardom, he rekindles a romantic relationship with Olivia, his high school crush. Their connection helps Joe find emotional balance, while the restaurant becomes a symbol of healing, community, and the enduring power of shared meals.

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Nonnas is available to stream on Netflix.