As a young child Bella became interested in the arte della cuccina and learned and honed her baking skills at the knee of her paternal Nona, the celebrated doughista, Ima Prima Donna.
As the eldest child, Bella was often charged with supervision of her many younger siblings while her parents, Ma and Per, traveled with the touring company of Cats. It was while trying to create a "teething biscuit" for her 2 year old sister, Isabella, that she created her original biscotti, which she named "Bella Binky, The Italian Pacifier".
The following month she formed her first business, Bella Donna Foods. Sales were brisk and she was fast becoming a force to reckon with, when she received a letter from an extremely wealthy and influential gentleman from Roma, informing her that he was "the Italian Pacifier". Intimidated and frightened after being told that she must cease using the term or be excommunicated, Bella attempted to sell Bella Donna Foods.
Unfortunately for Bella, she soon learned that there's not much of a market for a food company that shares its name with a poisonous plant. Facing bankruptcy and disgrace, she sold her beloved business to a German baby food company, and turned off her ovens.
Bella's fortune was about to change however. In the course of closing Bella Donna Foods she hired a new CPA, Iago Biscotti, whose ancestors were Italian royalty! Count Biscotti fell instantly in love with the Botticelliesque Bella and swept her off her bare feet and into his palatial palazzo on the Rialto in Manhattan Beach. The little Biscotti family soon grew and before long there were many small Biscottis covering the palazzo floor. Bella began baking again, Iago suggested they incorporate, and the rest is history. They've been rolling in dough ever since!
bella BISCOTTI ... and more, is truly a family business. Bella is at the helm as CEO and CCO (Chief Culinary Officer) as well. VP Finance and Inventory is now handled full time by her husband, I. Count Biscotti. Product Development is successfully co-chaired by her sister Isabel and her husband, Umberto Wanna. In fact, there is no more successful product decision-making group in the food industry today than the team of U. Wanna and I. Donna Wanna. Bella's young daughters, Anita Biscotti and Ivanna Biscotti, are responsible for supply and demand, and East Coast Product Placement is handled by Umberto and Isabella's eldest, U. Donna Wanna Sayno from headquarters in Bayonne, NJ. Iago's brother, Sir Walter Biscotti, serves as a board member while his wife, Lady Dawn Chiwana Biscotti, is VP of European marketing.
While the company has never had a complaint, Bella wanted to involve her ageing father, so she named Per Donna VP of Satisfaction. Ma Donna is still touring with Cats.
Enjoy!