Twisted Head

An Italian American Memoir

By: Carl Capotorto

Narrated by: Carl Capotorto

What's in a name? For Carl Capotorto, everything is in a name. The literal translation from Italian to English of Capotorto is "twisted head." This is no accident. Carl's father, Philip Vito Capotorto, was the obsessive, tyrannical head of the family who ran Cappi's Pizza and Sangweech Shoppe, whose motto was "We Don't Spel Good, Just Cook Nice."

Twisted Head is the comedic story of one hardscrabble, working-class family's life that represents the real legacy of Italian-Americans - labor, not crime. Somewhere in all the rage and madness that surrounded Carl in his youth, he found the bottom line: he loved his family but had to become his own man. Twisted Head is an exorcism of sorts. With plenty of laughs.

©2008 Carl Capotorto (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Carl Capotorto's first book was for me a wonderful reading experience. In part because my own upbringing was strikingly similar to Carl's. On the other hand, you don't have to be Italian to be moved by this powerfully touching memoir." (Mario Cuomo)
"Wonderfully entertaining, it made me laugh, cry, and remember a world that is slowly disappearing. I could not recommend it more highly." (John Turturro)
"It made me fall in love with my own imperfect family all over again." (Edie Falco)

It was okay

It held my interest for a while but then I found myself wishing he would rap it up already. I would probably recommend it nonetheless but not highly.

If you like a great story and a great storyteller

I love the book, and I just love Carl Capotorto's reading. Simpy perfect. This book will make you cry and laugh and you wll want to listen to it again and again. So glad it's the author reading it! A fabulous memoir, one of the funniest and smartest by a male writer.

A wild rollercoaster ride!

If you could sum up Twisted Head in three words, what would they be?

Comically Engaging, Courageous, Revealing, Heart-Warming.

What did you like best about this story?

The relationship between the author and his father.

Have you listened to any of Carl Capotorto’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I have not.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Entertaining and provocative! A hidden gem.

Any additional comments?

This book is a must read. Go out and get a copy.

Funny and ultimately moving...

I enjoyed Capatorto's reading of his autobiographical coming-of-age tale. While he may not be as technically skilled as many of my favorite narrators (he doesn't really have a great sense of pace variation), he brings to the reading his own personal experience of having lived it, the verisimilitude of which more than makes up for any minor shortcomings he may have as a narrator.

Give it a try.