Born and raised in Brazil to an Italian father from the Veneto region, Paula Bolla-Sorrentino began her career as a model, living and working around the world before settling in New York to study graphic design. While in college, she began working at Sette MoMA, the restaurant at the Museum of Modern Art, where she met her future husband and business partner, Gianfranco Sorrentino, as well as Chef Vito Gnazzo.
In 2001, Paula, Gianfranco and Vito opened Il Gattopardo across from MoMA, just one week after 9/11 and three days after Paula and Gianfranco’s wedding. Twenty-five years later, Paula and Chef Vito continue to lead the restaurants with the same commitment to authentic Italian cuisine, warm hospitality and human connection on which it was founded. Over the years, the group operated several restaurants that are now part of its history, including The Leopard at the landmark Hotel des Artistes, a restaurant in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and locations on Park Avenue South and in the West Village. The group recently reopened a fully redesigned Mozzarella & Vino, its Italian enoteca-style venue on the same block as Il Gattopardo and expanded its catering division.
What first interested you in your area of the hospitality industry?
My path into hospitality was not something I planned. I was born and raised in Brazil and began my career as a model, which allowed me to live and work in many different places around the world. Eventually, I came to New York to study graphic design and started working at Sette MoMA while I was in college.
That decision completely changed my life. It was there that I met Gianfranco, who would become my husband and business partner, and Chef Vito Gnazzo, and where I really began to understand what hospitality could mean. What drew me in was the human side of the business. A restaurant brings together people who might otherwise never cross paths. They come to celebrate, to do business, to fall in love, to see old friends or simply to have a meal. I became fascinated by the idea that you could create a place where those moments could happen and how would that impact people’s lives.
Gianfranco Sorrentino, Chef Vito Gnazzo and Paula Bolla-Sorrentino
Who are a few of the people that have encouraged your career?
Gianfranco, without question, had the greatest influence on my career. He had spent his life in hospitality and understood that a great restaurant is about much more than what is on the plate. He understood people, and he had an extraordinary ability to make guests feel at home. Chef Vito has also been an incredibly important part of my life and career. He and Gianfranco worked together for decades, and the three of us built Il Gattopardo together. Vito’s commitment to Southern Italian cooking, work ethic and integrity has never changed.I have also learned so much from the people around us: our staff, our producers in Italy and, of course, our guests. Hospitality is not something one person creates. We have always said that “it takes a village,” and after 25 years I believe that more than ever. Over the years, our restaurants have included entire families working together, fathers and sons, cousins and brothers, and strangers who became lifelong friends.
What challenges do you think people face in your industry?
Hospitality is an incredibly demanding industry because you must evolve without losing sight of your essence, especially in an extremely dynamic city like New York. Restaurants open and close, neighborhoods change, trends come and go, and guests’ expectations evolve.
For us, the challenge has always been knowing what should change and what should not. Il Gattopardo itself has evolved — we even moved from our original townhouse into the Rockefeller Townhouses — but the things at the heart of the restaurant have remained the same: the quality of authentic Italian ingredients, the warmth of the service and the relationships we build with people.
There is a line from The Leopard, the book that inspired our name: “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” That has always resonated with us.
Paula Bolla-Sorrentino and Chef Vito Gnazzo
Can you cite a few accomplishments that have given you great pride and elevated your work?
Reaching 25 years is something I am extremely proud of, particularly because of how our story began. Gianfranco, Vito and I opened Il Gattopardo on September 18, 2001, only one week after 9/11 and three days after Gianfranco and I were married. We called it our “honeymoon restaurant.”
It was an incredibly uncertain moment in New York, and there were people who thought we were crazy to open. But we believed in the city and in what we were building. I am also proud that, 25 years later, we have generations of guests who continue to come through our doors. We have welcomed extraordinary people from the worlds of art, business, entertainment and politics, but some of the most meaningful moments are seeing families return year after year and becoming part of their lives. To me, longevity and those relationships are accomplishments in themselves.
And on a personal level, continuing what Gianfranco, Vito and I built together carries enormous meaning for me.
What piece of advice can you lend to others who are considering your career?
You must genuinely like people. Hospitality is not simply serving food or running a business; it is paying attention to people and understanding what they need, often without them having to ask.I would also say not to chase every trend. Know what you stand for, be willing to evolve where necessary, and be consistent about the things that matter. New York has a very fast-paced dining scene, and trends can be short-lived. I believe the deep roots we have grown over 25 years come from a constant pursuit of quality, hospitality and community; not trends and clicks.
Everyone who works in hospitality has a story to tell about something incredible that happened on the job. What’s one that you often tell?
I always come back to the story of opening Il Gattopardo because, even after 25 years, it almost sounds unbelievable. Gianfranco and I were married on September 15, 2001, just four days after 9/11. Three days later, on September 18, we opened Il Gattopardo while still running the entire food operation at MoMA.
New York was still in shock, and there was so much uncertainty. People called us “those crazy Italians” for going ahead with opening a restaurant at that moment. But we had already put everything into it, and we believed that New York would come back. So instead of freezing, we moved ahead. Our motto is “passion is our main ingredient,” and this phrase could not be more appropriate.
Looking back now, I think that beginning says a lot about the restaurant, and the people behind its passion. It was born at a moment when New York needed resilience and human connection, and 25 years later, bringing people together is still at the center of what we do.
Il Gattopardo
What do you hope people understand about those who work in your area of hospitality?
I hope guests understand and appreciate how many people are behind a single restaurant experience. What we generally see while visiting a restaurant, is the dining room staff and the plate in front of us, but there is an entire community behind that moment, and everyone has a very specific part on the scene. From the porters arriving before dusk, to cooks, prep workers, dishwashers, office staff, the training, the long hours, the holiday shifts, the challenges that we happily signed up to, and pour our hearts every day, in anticipation of your visit.
For us, that community extends far beyond New York. It includes our team here, but also the Italian farmers, fishermen, olive oil producers, winemakers and importers with whom we have built relationships over many years. We work with producers who care as deeply about what they make as we do about what we serve. Hospitality is ultimately about people taking care of people. That may sound simple, but doing it consistently, every day and for many years, takes tremendous dedication.
Is there anything else you want Woman Around Town readers to know?
As we celebrate 25 years, I think most about how much of Il Gattopardo’s story is also a New York story. Gianfranco came from Naples, Vito came from Salerno, and I came from Brazil with Italian roots. Our paths crossed in New York and together we built something none of us could have imagined when we first arrived here.
Over the years, Il Gattopardo has grown alongside the city. Our connection to MoMA and New York’s art world has remained part of our identity, and our tables have brought together people from so many different worlds. But what matters most to me is that, after all these years, people still come through our doors to celebrate, do business, reconnect with friends and family, and simply spend time together.
People go out to eat for many different reasons, but ultimately restaurants are places of human connection. That is what I hope Il Gattopardo continues to be: a place where people feel welcome, gather around delicious Italian food and wine, and build relationships that last for many years to come.
Photos courtesy of Il Gattopardo
Il Gattopardo website
