About The Book

Brooklyn Nebraska

Brooklyn, Nebraska follows the story of Anthony Joseph “AJ” Agrigento as he grows up in a close-knit, blue-collar Italian-American neighborhood in Omaha. The title comes from a running joke in AJ’s life: whenever people hear his Italian name, they assume he must be from Brooklyn, New York forcing him to constantly clarify that he is a proud Midwestern Italian.

The book captures the nostalgia, humor, and milestones of growing up in mid-century America, focusing on:

Family Life: Growing up in the “Pink House,” a crowded three-story home packed with extended family, including eccentric uncles, WWII veterans, and loud Sunday dinners.
Neighborhood Culture: Endless days spent playing sandlot baseball at the local schoolyard, Catholic school antics under the watchful eyes of strict nuns and priests, and local folklore.
Music & Rebellion: The life-changing moment when AJ and his friends watch The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, trade their baseball gloves for instruments, start a garage rock band, and pull off legendary school performances.
Coming of Age: Transitioning to high school, experiencing first loves, navigating the shifting social and historical climate of the late 1960s, and finding one’s identity.