Giovanni Freda, 87, learned the art of doing things well and applied that principle to his career as a restauranteur who ran several well-known eateries in Kentucky. Now a resident at The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, Lexington, he looks back with a sense of accomplishment on what he has achieved in his life.
Childhood in Italy
Giovanni, affectionately nicknamed Gio, was born on Sept. 2, 1936, just outside of Salerno, Italy. His father, Lucio, was a well-reputed tailor, and his mother, Italia, was a farmer. He had two sisters, Geraldine and Adele.
Opportunity opened up for his father far away in Venezuela just before World War II, and he left for Caracas. When war broke out, the family was unable to reunite, and Lucio saved up every penny he could to bring his family over.
Life in Italy during that time was hard.
“We had one mill to grind flour, and we had to wait in line,” Gio remembered. “When your number came up, even if it was 2 in the morning, you had to be there.”
Venezuela
Once World War II ended in Europe, the Freda family got on a boat to join up with Lucio.
“My daddy was a fantastic man,” Gio remembered. “His company opened a big store for men’s clothes in Venezuela. He dressed those guys so beautiful that sometimes their wives used to cry.”
Gio remembers that Lucio could take a man’s suit measurements with accuracy just by looking at him. He opened a tailor’s school to train others to make clothing, and he also made military uniforms.
The family’s outlook improved significantly in the South American country. His father was respected, he was able to get his education, and he was no longer in a war.
“We had plenty to eat, including ice cream,” Gio remembered. He fondly remembers attending Colegio La Salle in Caracas for high school.
America, College and Marriage
Gio came to the United States at age 17, starting out in New York and New Jersey in construction. Through a friend, he ended up in Kentucky, studying electrical engineering at the University of Kentucky. While he was a student there, he joined the first men’s soccer team at the university, playing defense.
However, at one point, Gio experienced an electric shock so bad that it threw him across the room. After that, he decided that electrical engineering was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
In the 1960s, Gio met his wife, Mae, at a dance hall. She was eating breakfast with another group, and Gio thought she was beautiful. He went over and talked to her. He quickly learned what a good dancer she was, and they ended up being great partners – and not just at dancing.
Mae was working at the local Texas Instruments factory at the time, and she was eventually promoted to a manager position there. She was divorced, and when she and Gio married in 1967, he brought her seven children into his family as well. They went on to have two children of their own together, Italia and Adele.
For a while after his college adventures, Gio worked as a bartender, and then did construction. He helped build one of the bridges in Lexington. He was also the manager at a Holiday Inn in Morehead, Kentucky. But then, a new career came calling, putting to use Gio’s experience in management and his love of cooking.
Restauranteur
Gio and a friend of his had an opportunity to open a unique restaurant in Frankfort, Kentucky… in a cavern! The Cave was a French and Italian restaurant and club Gio operated with his friend, with the help of his whole family.
“I trained everybody – the boys and girls,” Gio remembered. “We made our own bread. We made our own doughnuts. Everything was made in house.”
The Cave got to be so popular that one night, they had a line of people 1,000 feet out the door! Even the governor enjoyed eating there.
After two years at The Cave, Gio and his restaurant partner parted ways, and Gio moved on to open his next restaurant, a pizzeria called Mamma Mia in Lexington, Kentucky. He ran the establishment for more than 15 years.
“I bought a lot of tomatoes,” Gio remembered. “I made my own sauce. I made my own dressing.” He also tossed his own dough.
Mamma Mia was very popular for Lexingtonians and those from surrounding areas. Legend has it that John Schnatter, former CEO of Papa John’s Pizza, based his own pizza in part on the pizza there.
However, probably the most well-known of Gio’s restaurants was his last one, The Executive House.
The Executive House was a five-star French restaurant. It opened with a large ice sculpture, and over the years, governors, actors, and other celebrities were among the diners. Gio remembered cooking The Executive House cuisine for Kentucky Governor John Brown at the hospital twice when his children were born.
The restaurant not only boasted delicious food but also a wine cellar with 1,000 bottles of wine, including White Horse wine. “We bought all the years that were available,” Gio said.
In 1989, Gio sold the property and closed the restaurant, though he said, “If I had kept The Executive House going, I would have been a billionaire today.” It just took a lot of work to run everything as Gio gave it his all. “I’m proud of whatever we did,” he said.
Retirement and Coming to The Lantern
After leaving the restaurant business, Gio got into redoing houses and rental properties, some of which he still owns. Sadly, Mae passed away several years ago. “She was the best woman ever. There will never be another like her.”
In January 2023, Gio came to The Lantern at Morning Pointe Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence in Lexington.
“We shopped around and visited a lot of different places,” shared Gio’s daughter Italia. “The benefit is the 24-hour care that’s offered to him. They still exercise his mind and his body. We needed a place where Dad would be taken care of.”
Gio especially enjoys crafting activities and outings, especially when they take trips downtown and he can reminisce. After all, a lot of people in Lexington still remember his restaurants.
Thank you, Gio, for your dedication to making people happy with your cooking and service over the years. It is our privilege to get to serve you now. We are glad you are part of our Morning Pointe family!
