russell j perrone

Rusty Perrone began writing this book two years following life changing events involving his twin brother, Randy. The Perrone Family run a fourth generation New Orleans Italian food distribution buisiness with both the business and the city playing central roles in this story.

The Life of identical twins is fundamentally different from others: they look alike, act alike, speak alike, think alike, and mysteriously even anticipate each other's emotions. Perrone demonstrates these phenomena, some of which make us laugh, some make us cry, and some leave us wondering.

This story helps us better understand the mystery of an identical genetic prescription carried in two seperate bodies. Although in utero such persons are identical, the process of their differentiating and becoming instict albeit similar individuals starts before birth and continues throughout adulthood. Rusty and Randy Perrone are mirrors of each other and of this process. The shenanigans of childhood, the perils of adolescence, and the trials, tribulations, and tragedies of adulthood described here prove that mistakes can be teachers, friends and enemies can be camouflaged one from the other, and tragedy can be survived.

This story of an evolution from childhood to adulthood and from grieving to surviving teaches us what it means to be Italian-American, and to be a family, all while sharing with us the storms, traditions, customs, and color of one of America's most historic and unique cities.