This image is the cover for the book Sol’s Texaco

Sol’s Texaco

Sol’s Texaco is a moving memoir set in the Italian-American neighbourhood of Larchmont, an affluent New York City suburb, in the early 1960s. Through the eyes of Tony, a young boy growing up in a close-knit community, the story revolves around a local gas station, Sol’s Texaco, which becomes a central hub of life lessons, adventures, and the awakening of a young boy to the realities of the world around him. Through vivid anecdotes, Tony shares his experiences of friendship, baseball, and the trials of youth under the mentorship of Sol, the gas station owner, and Linroy, who both set Tony right when it came to racism and made a man out of him. The memoir beautifully captures the essence of childhood, the struggles of fitting in, and the importance of tolerance and community spirit. Raised in shadow of Italian mobsters, this book delves into the ingrained racial prejudices of the time, showing how these are often imparted in early childhood by those closest to us, but also offers a message of hope and responsibility: even those shaped by such a situation can rise above it and become mentors, helping to create a more just and understanding world. As Tony navigates the complexities of racial and cultural differences, he dreams of escape and self-discovery, his path intertwined with music and the allure of distant Australia. Sol’s Texaco is more than just a story about a boy and a gas station; it’s a heartfelt journey through the formative years of a young life, shaped by the people and places that leave an indelible mark on one's identity.

Anthony Nesci

Born in metro New York City in 1951, the author is the second of five in a first-generation Italian-American family steeped in the strictest of parochial schooling. The affluent Westchester suburb of Larchmont was not only his early home but was also the setting where this first of many true-to-life memoirs takes place. Today, as a Nashville recording artist, the Woodstock attendee also lives on a hideaway rainforest property near Australia’s Gold Coast, spending his time immersed in his music and writing his memoirs. Three sons are his treasures.

Austin Macauley Publishers