Cosimo M. Giliberti

Mino Giliberti lived life with a heart filled with love and devotion for his family and friends, his passion for creating and sharing authentic Italian food and wine experiences and his lifelong enthusiasm for soccer.

Mino was born in one of the most picturesque towns on the Adriatic Coast, Mola di Bari, Puglia, Italy. Mino’s passion for fresh from the source to table meal preparation began at a very young age. He was raised on locally grown produce, poultry, meat and the freshest daily catch from the local fishing boats that he watched go out in the early morning darkness, returning in time to fill the stalls of the local fish markets.

In his early 20s, Mino moved with his family to Brooklyn, NY, where he owned and operated C&G Asti Liquors. There he began sourcing, importing, wholesaling and retailing many now renowned  regional Italian wines for the first time on the American market.

Always participating in his community, Mino became an active member of many Italian-American associations and volunteered as coach and referee to numerous youth soccer teams. His dedication to service to the Brooklyn Italian-American community was recognized with both a Legislative Resolution from the New York State Assembly and a Certificate of Merit from the New York State Senate in recognition of his outstanding community service.

Along with the Citations and Certificates recognizing his volunteer service from his years in Brooklyn, other cherished mementos from that time include a photo autographed to Mino from soccer legend Pele, taken at one of the many Cosmos soccer games Mino attended at the New Jersey Meadowlands.

Mino relocated to Western Massachusetts in the early 1990s, working in various restaurants before opening Buon Appetito da Mino in Westfield in 2001. Mino’s insistence on authentic recipes, traditional preparation and fresh ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible, helped Buon Appetito develop as a destination Italian restaurant with a loyal clientele.

In addition to operating Buon Appetito, Mino taught cooking classes for the Adult Education program at Holyoke Community College, as well as a hosting an hour long weekly radio show “Dining with Mino“, on WHMP.

Mino especially enjoyed hosting private group cooking classes for his loyal patrons right in the Buon Appetito kitchen. His love for cooking and sharing traditional and original recipes came from his sister, Domenica, who was always the source of his inspiration in the kitchen.

Mino’s passion for farm to table produce was evident in his thriving garden right on the side of the restaurant, and he always enjoyed taking his customers outside to show them where the ingredients for their dishes were coming from.

 
Mino’s family wishes to gratefully acknowledge and thank the visitors and caregivers who were involved in Mino’s life following his stroke in 2015.

The family would also like to sincerely thank each and every person who came to dine at Buon Appetito, (even the few people who tried to put grated cheese on top of their fish!), and ask that anyone reading this raise a glass of wine, limoncello or grappa in his honor.

In lieu of flowers, cards or donations - We ask you to gather your close friends and family around the dinner table, without phones and technology, for a home cooked meal in Mino’s memory.

Private services will be held by Mino’s immediate family.

As Mino would say, “Arrivederci, and Buon Appetito!” 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Cosimo M. Giliberti, please visit our floral store.