Are Bruno and Stella Based on Joe Scaravella’s Real Friends?

In Netflix’s ‘Nonnas,’ Vince Vaughn plays the role of Joe Scaravella, whose life is upturned when his mother passes away. Finding himself lost and alone, Joe processes his grief while also looking for a purpose. The desire to reconnect with his mother and grandmother and their love for cooking leads him to set up a restaurant in Staten Island, where he hires only grandmothers as cooks. It is a unique idea for sure, but also comes with its own set of challenges, all of which Joe must overcome to turn his business into a success. Through all these ups and downs, he is supported by his best friend, Bruno, and his wife, Stella, who refuse to abandon him no matter how bad things get.

Nonnas Presents a Fictional Version of Joe Scaravella’s Real Friends

‘Nonnas’ follows the true story of Jody “Joe” Scaravella and his journey in creating and running Enoteca Maria. While the overall story is real, the film takes creative license in representing certain facts, situations, and characters. Joe Manganiello and Drea de Matteo play the roles of Bruno and Stella, who stand by Joe’s side through the challenges posed by his unique dream. In real life, too, Scaravella has a friend named Bruno. The duo have known each other since they were children and are one another’s closest friends. Much like we see in the movie, the real-life Bruno also supported his friend through the ups and downs in his business. However, things didn’t necessarily happen as portrayed in the movie.

Yes, there were challenges, but the sailing was comparatively smoother for Scaravella in real life. The movie dramatises some events and creates conflict to keep the plot engaging for the audience. While Enoteca Maria and now ‘Nonnas’ have brought Scaravella into the limelight, Bruno prefers to stay out of public scrutiny and enjoys his privacy. However, he still supports his friend in all his ventures. So, when Scaravella became involved with Netflix to turn his story into a film, Bruno was by his side. He met with the film’s cast and crew, especially with Manganiello, who plays him in the movie, which helped the actor get a sense of who Bruno is and what he truly means to Scaravella. The film acknowledges the real-life Bruno in the end, revealing that his and Scaravella’s friendship is going strong as he still visits the restaurant.

It is also mentioned that Bruno doesn’t have to pay for his meals anymore, which refers to a scene in the film when the restaurant opens and Bruno and Stella are the first and only guests, and Joe tells his friend that he must pay for his meal. This shows that this scene is most likely a reference to a real anecdote and indicates the banter that the friends have indulged in for years. As for Bruno’s wife, she supports Scaravella privately and prefers not to attract public attention. To respect her privacy, the filmmakers most likely changed her name in the movie and gave a whole new narrative to her plotline. However, they would have stayed true to the core of her relationship with Scaravella and how she has been a major supporter of him and his dreams.