Bruno Selimaj

The legendary New York restaurateur lives by John. F. Kennedy’s famous words: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Bruno Selimaj was born and raised in a small village on the Northern Albanian-Montenegro border. He was the oldest brother of six boys and four girls. At the tender age of 18, with his parents’ blessing, Selimaj embarked on a journey to America in search of new life. Upon arriving in the Promised Land in 1971, with no knowledge of English, Selimaj convinced a close friend to get him a job as a dishwasher at New York’s famous Nanni’s Restaurant. After working at several restaurants over the course of five years, he had become one of New York’s best-known restaurant captains, catering to the needs of patrons like Sofia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, and Telly Savalas. With a leap of faith