Linda Stasi's New Novel 'The Descendant' Follows Her Family's Epic Journey from Sicily to Red Hook

Stasi's family history inspired 'The Godfather,' and her latest book traces an even more unbelievable tale of migration and resilience.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 3:39pm

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Longtime NY1 host and CUNY TV book critic Linda Stasi's new novel 'The Descendant' gently fictionalizes the remarkable lives of her mother and grandmother, who were lured from Sicily to America by false promises of land. After fighting their way from horrific coal mine work to owning a ranch, the family became embroiled in the Mafia and resettled in Prohibition-era Red Hook, above the iconic Ferdinando's Focacceria. Stasi's research uncovered a connection to 'The Godfather' author Mario Puzo, as well as a trove of forgotten history about Italian immigration, labor struggles, and natural disasters that shaped her family's saga.

Why it matters

Stasi's novel sheds light on little-known aspects of American history, including the Ludlow Massacre, a bloody crackdown on striking coal miners, and the Great Pueblo Flood of 1921, which wiped out the La Barbera family's holdings. By fictionalizing her own family's extraordinary journey from Sicily to Colorado to Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood, Stasi offers a fresh perspective on the immigrant experience and the challenges faced by marginalized communities.

The details

Stasi's inspiration for 'The Descendant' came in 2010, when she took her mother to dinner at Ferdinando's Focacceria in Red Hook. There, her mother had a powerful emotional reaction, declaring that this was the place where her own mother had died. This kickstarted Stasi's research into her family's history, which included discovering that her aunt had been married to a man named Charlie Carlino, who was killed in the longest gunfight in Colorado history. Stasi believes that this incident may have inspired a scene in Mario Puzo's 'The Godfather.' The novel follows the La Barbera family as they flee drought and natural disasters in Sicily, endure horrific working conditions in Colorado coal mines, and ultimately resettle in Red Hook, where they become embroiled in the Mafia and the bootleg trade during Prohibition.

  • In 2010, Stasi took her mother to dinner at Ferdinando's Focacceria in Red Hook, where her mother had a powerful emotional reaction.
  • The Ludlow Massacre, a bloody crackdown on striking coal miners, took place in 1914.
  • The Great Pueblo Flood of 1921 wiped out the La Barbera family's holdings in Colorado.
  • Prohibition began in 1920, providing new opportunities for the La Barbera family's bootleg empire.
  • 'The Descendant' is expected to be released on March 10, 2026.

The players

Linda Stasi

A longtime co-host of NY1's 'What a Week' segment and the current book critic for CUNY TV's 'Uncensored,' Stasi is the author of the new novel 'The Descendant,' which is inspired by her family's history.

Maria La Barbera

Stasi's grandmother, who was lured from Sicily to America by the false promise of land and endured a series of hardships, including the Ludlow Massacre and the Great Pueblo Flood, before ultimately resettling in Red Hook.

Mariano La Barbera

Stasi's grandfather, who became abusive after leaving Sicily and built a bootleg empire during Prohibition, eventually leading the family to resettle in Red Hook.

Charlie Carlino

Stasi's aunt's husband, who was killed in the longest gunfight in Colorado history, an incident that Stasi believes may have inspired a scene in Mario Puzo's 'The Godfather.'

Mario Puzo

The author of 'The Godfather,' whose work may have been influenced by the real-life story of Stasi's family.

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What they’re saying

“Everybody in the restaurant, they only seat 35 people — everybody started crying. There's truck drivers, people of every race, and they were all hugging my mother. They took down a picture from the wall; it was my grandmother's apartment, and my mother said, this is where she died.”

— Linda Stasi, Author

“The day they moved to 151 Union Street, her mother says, 'Pull down the shades, pull down the shades.' They said, 'Why?' And then they hear — BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. Somebody was shot in the vestibule of their building on the very first day they moved there. It was a real scary place at the time.”

— Linda Stasi, Author

What’s next

Stasi will be holding a book signing for 'The Descendant' at The Corner Bookstore in the Upper East Side on March 10, 2026 at 6 p.m.

The takeaway

Stasi's novel 'The Descendant' offers a powerful and deeply personal exploration of her family's extraordinary journey from Sicily to Colorado to Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood, shedding light on forgotten aspects of American history and the immigrant experience. By blending family lore with meticulous research, Stasi has crafted a page-turning epic that celebrates the resilience and fierce love at the heart of her family's saga.