Chapter Two: The Corrotto Handbook
The Corrotto’s handbook describes exactly the sequence of events, which should make these guests satisfied yet hungry for another wonderful experience. It is given to what the Corrotto’s corporation calls the “Ritto” which is short for an employee of Corrotto’s. Through trial, these laws have been bestowed upon the corporation for years since its establishment in 1978; it has been amended and reconstructed with pride in order to better serve their “ospitis” - or guests. The Corrotto’s corporation prides itself on giving the best care to its customers, and is known quite throughout America as having the best service complying with its genre of quality. Outlining these ideals in the Corrotto Handbook, the Ritto is tested time and again of its principles, having no committee or actor needed to interpret their meaning. Dilineanated neatly and clearly in black and white are the rules by which each Ritto should conduct himself and the sequence of assistance they should thereby perform in order to create a memorable dining experience. Therefore, the tabula rusa of the newly employed Ritto is thrown into the procedures and manner of what every Ritto should be, and is expected to gain high marks when he is later tested on them. The poor embryonic Ritto begins his journey through the handbook at the first page, which states the mission of Corrotto’s:
Our mission as a fine Italian restaurant is to procure the utmost care of our ospitis. We aim to make a memorable and long-lasting image in the mind of newcomers, so that they shall find it pleasurable to return. Our motto, Everything Goes, should mean exactly what it states: whatever the customer wants, the customer shall have. We provide authentic Italian food and a family dining experience.
The new Ritto is made to memorize and repeat the motto in a moment’s notice, therefore constantly having it resound in his head when he must make a crucial decision on a busy Friday night. The new Ritto is also expected to learn every ingredient in every sauce, every wine and its varietal and where it was grown, and know (to the minute) the sequence of assistance owed to the guest. Timing is of the essence in this particular chain, and without good timing, the new Ritto would be forced to accept the title of an “okay” or “standard” server. The Ritto is taught the very ethics of customer service and of food safety, as well as the correct work relations he should have with his fellow Rittos. Among the regulations stipulated in the Handbook, many have come from amendments based on prior “loop-holes” from the original Ritto Handbook. Section A, Code 12.3 (an amendment made in 1982) states that no Ritto has the right to refuse service to anyone based on race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, or education. Another amendment in the Handbook stated that only managers had the authority to use a “VOID” card and therefore, the certain right to free meals (Based on the case of restaurant 3401 in Birmingham, Alabama in 1998). One regulation, harmless as it was, avowed that every Ritto shall wear a white sleeved shirt underneath that of their work attire as well as black socks that went higher than the mid-calf region, but lower than the knee. Another, that the male Rittos shall not grow facial hair past that of a sixteenth of an inch, and all female Rittos shall tie back their locks. These arbitrary regulations did serve purpose, and sought to hold the Ritto community as a well-groomed entity, to better serve the ospiti. And, faithfully, every Ritto abided by these regulations with neat trim and cleanly touch. Yet there were standards in which Corrotto’s abided by most certainly, such as sexual harassment laws abided both by the corporation and more importantly by the federal government. The Ritto, by duty, must tell the working manager at the time if he experienced or witnessed even the faintest aspect of sexual or any other type of harassment, for Corrotto’s would not stand any destruction to lives or the emotional state of their beloved Rittos. Also, any type of drug use was not allowed and punished by termination if a Ritto was found to be inebriated or was becoming inebriated at work. Stealing, was also punished the like. Basically, the major regulations outlined in the Ritto Handbook followed those of the normal company and dealt with in the normal ways. The morals the American were specified, as they deemed necessary in the restaurant industry, and made known to every Rittos upon his signature and contract of employment. And none were discouraged when reading them, for they were just and practical and necessary. After becoming oriented to the Handbook as spelled out by a fellow Ritto known as a “trainer”, the Ritto was thus able to test on the information and begin viewing the Corrotto Ritto Orientation videos. Within a two-hour payed span, the new employee was informed on the history of Corrotto’s, which roughly goes as follows:
“In 1948, a child named Anthony Principiante Corrotto was born to Henriette Rossi Corrotto and Augustine Corrotto. His parents both came from southern Italy, whereby they boarded a boat in 1919 to come to the country that took in the poor and tired and hungry. Playing out the proverbial American Dream, Anthony’s parents opened an Italian Restaurant outside of Albany and began to cater to those who had moved from the urban New York City into the newly constructed suburbs, who had money, and who were mainly Italian. However, by 1929, the business failed as did other businesses and Anthony was sent to the country to begin harvesting tobacco and other valuable necessities. With marinara steaming through his veins, Anthony quit the tobacco business and moved to Lafayette, Louisiana in 1945. There, he opened Mezza-Sole and catered to much the same community as his parents did years before outside of Albany. Yet, as his parents before him, he failed and began working as a server’s assistant in another Italian Restaurant. 33 years later, an older and more experienced Anthony Corrotto began the idea of a “family” restaurant, calling his new investment simply, Corrotto’s. He lined the walls with black and white photos of his parents and godparents and parents before them, and greeted his customers as if they were his aunt or uncle. The business flourished, and today in the United States, Corrotto’s chain owns over 343 “family” owned business all bearing that same name. Through perseverance and the motto that “everything goes”, Tony (as they call him) Corrotto has made the finest family enterprise in the North American eastern seaboard.”
After much more detail about the family relations of Tony Corrotto, as well as his associate John-John Habian, the video finished with a recapitulation of the very basic rights of the Ritto and his responsibility towards his fellow Rittos. At this point, the Ritto felt quite assured that his responsibilities were clear and that the ingenuity of the founder of the great Corrotto’s Italian Grill was one in which he could be proud. Over the next few days, the Ritto would be versed in his knowledge of the Ritto Handbook as well as the auspices of the food, and would follow his trainer much like Velcro. So much was the embryonic Ritto attached to his trainer counterpart, that many other Rittos would call him “double-stick”, alluding to double stick tape, or Velcro itself. Finally, with a certificate showing that he, the Ritto, knew the ways of an experienced Ritto and had taken a course of wine, food, and what the legal age to serve someone alcohol and the correct evaluation of identification thereby, he was allowed to have his own section “on the floor” as they often said at Corrotto’s.
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