After he returned from studying abroad in Italy in 2002, Michael Maghes and his family received a letter: A cousin from Sicily wanted to reconnect with the American side of their family.
“We had no connection, for 40 or 50 years, with anyone back in Italy,” says the co-owner of Sal’s Gelato in Akron’s Merriman Valley. “The year after I got back, I went back with my mom and my grandma. … We were able to meet them. It was a wild experience. They had pictures of my grandma’s wedding, and it was an instant connection.”
Since then, Maghes and his family have traveled back to Sicily multiple times — he and his children are dual citizens. But Maghes doesn’t only use his trips to Italy for family time — he also fuels the authenticity of Sal’s Gelato with input from family members and suggestions from an Italian friend who owns a gelateria…