Italia Coppola

Italia Pennino Coppola (December 12, 1912 – January 21, 2004) was most famous as the matriarch of the Coppola family.Born in New York City, she was one of six children of Anna (née Giaquinto) (1879-?) and composer Francesco Pennino (1880-1952), both of Naples, Italy. Her father was a composer of Italian songs, an importer of Italian films and a movie theater owner. She was born in an apartment over the familys Empire Theater in Brooklyn. She was the wife of Carmine Coppola and the mother of academic August Coppola, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, as well as the maternal grandmother of actors Jason Schwartzman, Robert Carmine and writer Matthew Shire, and paternal grandmother of actors Nicolas Cage, Marc Coppola and directors Roman Coppola, Christopher Coppola and Sofia Coppola. Italia appeared in three non-speaking roles in her sons movies, One from the Heart, The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III. She was known for her Italian cooking and published a cookbook called Mama Coppolas Pasta Book. She is buried in San Fernando Mission Cemetery, alongside her husband. Her image has also appeared on the Mammarella pasta and sauce line, made by her son.

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