Cosimo Mammoliti was born and bred in Toronto, but his family hailed from San Giorgio Morgeto in Calabria. He left school at seventeen and began working in the restaurant industry, eventually opening the first Terroni in 1992, with his great friend Paolo Scoppio. Many years and many southern Italian–inspired Terroni restaurants later, he lives in Toronto with his family, and continues to work tirelessly to bring authentic southern Italian food to his multitudes of enthusiasts.