Leon Panetta - Spaghetti Hill

Leon Panetta has told me that the first line of each speech he gives begins with, "I am the son of Italian immigrants."

Panetta grew up in a section of Monterey, California that he says is known today as Spaghetti Hill because that is where so many Italian immigrants lived and worked nearby in the sardine and fishing businesses in the 1940s. He says when he was growing up, Monterey was the sardine capital of the world.

Panetta's parents owned Carmello's Cafe back then. His father was the chef; his mother was the cashier and he says they worked very hard. He also recalls being recruited to wash some dishes at the restaurant when he was about five years old.

Some of the messages Panetta got from his parents were - Work hard. Get a good education. Make us proud.

This son of Italian immigrants, is a lawyer, former congressman, former army officer and former chief of staff to President Clinton, and currently serves as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

He's a proud American who continues to serve his country and he always remembers that he is the son of Italian immigrants.