TRADITION AND RITUAL ARE THE HEART AND SOUL OF ITALIAN CUISINE. SINCE 1896 THE RAO'S FAMILY HAS BELIEVED IN SHARING THOSE TRADITIONS. WE INVITE YOU TO TAKE PART IN SHARING- WITH US AND WITH EACH OTHER—THE RAO'S FAMILY WAY OF FEASTING. IF YOU FOLLOW ALONG WITH OUR MENU, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE RITUALS VINCENT RAO AND ANNE PELLEGRINO HAVE PASSED TO OUR GENERATION. WITH THE HELP OF YOUR SERVER, ENJOY THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS IN YOUR DINING EXPERIENCE: FOOD, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY. WE PROMISE THAT YOU WILL NOT ONLY LEAVE FULL BUT FULFILLED.
THE HISTORY
RAO'S NEW YORK IS A CULINARY NATIONAL TREASURE. WIDELY ACCLAIMED FOR ITS AUTHENTIC, SOUTHERN NEAPOLITAN ITALIAN COOKING AND ITS HOME-STYLE FAMILY AMBIANCE, RAO'S WAS HONORED WITH A PINNACLE THREE STARS FROM NEW YORK TIMES RESTAURANT CRITIC MIMI SHERATON DESCRIBING THE CUISINE AS "EXQUISITELY SIMPLE ITALIAN COOKING."
OPENED IN 1896, THE RESTAURANT IS CELEBRATED AS ONE OF THE COUNTRIES' OLDEST FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED RESTAURANTS RUNNING IN ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION. HANDING DOWN CHERISHED PELLEGRINO AND RAO TRADITIONS AS ITS MAIN INGREDIENTS, THE RAO'S MENU PAIRS GENERATIONS OF AUTHENTICITY AND LOVE WITH FRESHNESS AND FLAVOR.
ALL LOCATIONS, NEW YORK, LAS VEGAS AND LOS ANGELES, SERVE AND SATIATE SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL APPETITES IN THE WORLD. AT THE NEW YORK LOCATION, THE LIST OF REGULARS READS LIKE THE "WHO'S WHO" OF NEW YORK COGNOSCENTI, INCLUDING WOODY ALLEN, BILLY CRYSTAL, ROB REINER, NICHOLAS PILEGGI AND DANNY AIELLO. LEGIONS OF POLITICIANS, SPORTS FIGURES AND MATINEE IDOLS HAVE JOCKEYED FOR A RESERVATION. THERE, DINING AT RAO'S IS A LEGENDARY EXPERIENCE SO BELOVED THAT GETTING A SEAT IS ONLY POSSIBLE IF YOU ARE A REGULAR AND HAVE, "TABLE RIGHTS," OR IF YOU'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE INVITED AS A GUEST BY SOMEONE WHO DOES. IN LAS VEGAS, YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE OUR GUEST. FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS, WE INVITE YOU TO SIT BACK AND RELAX WHILE FILLING YOURSELF WITH MORE THAN FOOD. CHEERS!
RAOSRESTAURANTS.COM
RENOWNED BUSINESS STRATEGIST AND PERSONAL FINANCE CONSULTANT, VICTOR ANTONIO - STAR OF "LIFE OR DEBT" ON SPIKE TV
PREMIERED SUNDAY, MARCH 13 AT 10 PM ET/PT
Series Follows Renowned Business Strategist and Personal Finance Consultant Victor Antonio As He Works With Families To Get Out Of Debt
Three quarters of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck with no cushion for the unexpected. And according to a recent survey, one in five Americans believes they will die in debt. Spike and former Fortune 500 business strategist Victor Antonio are on a mission to chip away at these staggering statistics by knocking on the doors of families on the verge of financial ruin and giving them a much needed wakeup call. Antonio will not only help these families face the facts and the bleak future that awaits them if they continue down this path, he will also pinpoint the underlying issues and ultimately supply the tools needed to empower them to get back in the black. Ten one-hour episodes of “Life Or Debt” debut started Sunday, March 13 at 10PM ET/PT on Spike.
Financial troubles can affect any family, from the affluent to the blue-collar middle class, to a young family just starting out. But oftentimes these monetary issues can be solved with some expert guidance, tough love and a change in approach. That’s where Antonio, a personal finance consultant and former CEO, comes in with an innovative solution. Antonio believes family finances should be run like a business and that by streamlining operations, identifying hard line goals and executing reasonable action plans, families can avoid financial ruin.
“Life or Debt” follows Antonio as he sets out each week to help a different family facing a fiscal calamity, including an outdated wedding DJ following his dreams at the cost of his family’s finances, a talented single mother working eight different jobs around her custody arrangement and a failing small business owner who falls deeper in debt while his wife spends money on plastic surgery and binge shops. In each episode, Antonio does his initial assessment and reality check, pointing out the significant disparity between money coming in and money going out. He charges families with the task of taking a hard look at their numbers, before putting them through a series of challenges and driving them to make hard choices. During this time, Antonio gets a better sense of the family, often uncovering the underlying issues and dark secrets of each family’s financial situation to flush out the realities of how they got to this point. Then comes the restructure, where Antonio lays out an actionable plan, assigning specific responsibilities to each family member that plays to their strengths and reveals the “magic number,” or the number they need to hit each month to reach financial stability. He returns 90 days later to check in on their progress with the hope they have turned their situation around.
Business strategist Antonio rose up from the streets of Chicago to become one of America's most celebrated Hispanic executives. As CEO of Force, Inc, President of Global Sales and Marketing for the $420M New World Network and Vice President of International Sales for the $3B Fortune 500 company ADC Telecommunications, he developed a reputation as a shrewd executive and a strong family man. Now a personal finance consultant, author and business speaker, Antonio has made it his mission to help families reach financial stability.
Fans of “Life or Debt” can join in the conversation about the show by following @SPIKE on Twitter and using #LifeOrDebt. Sneak peeks of upcoming episodes, blog posts, full episodes, biographies and more can be found on Spike.com’s dedicated “Life or Debt” destination, spike.com/shows/life-or-debt, where content will be updated throughout the season. For additional series updates, follow Spike on Facebook and on Instagram.
“Life or Debt” is an original concept developed by Ugly Brother Studios, with Tim Duffy, Mike Duffy and Tim Warren serving as Executive Producers. The series is also directed by Warren. Meredith Prunkard is Co-Executive Producer. Sharon Levy is Spike TV’s Executive Vice President, Original Series and Chachi Senior is Senior Vice President, Original Series. Hayley Lozitsky, Vice President of Original Series and Jeff Savaiano serve as the network’s Executives in Charge of Production.
SPIKE.COM/SHOWS/LIFE-OR-DEBT