On the Rocks

On the Rocks is presented by writer Maria Constanzo Palmer, who will discuss the real-life journey of her father, restaurateur Joseph Costanzo Jr. Her talk will chronicle his rise to success in the 1990s as an owner of the highly acclaimed Primadonna Restaurant and a radio host, columnist, and aspiring politician, to his sharp fall in the early 2000s, ending in an investigation and a stint in federal prison. 

Costanzo is a complex character; readers will admire him for his confidence and rebuke him for his arrogance; love him for his generosity and despise him for his egotism. This driven, not-your-average-Joe is an unforgettable character who achieves the seemingly impossible but can’t help getting in his own way. Come along with Joe for a bumpy ride On the Rocks! 

Maria Costanzo Palmer is a writer and a best-selling author with her debut book, On the Rocks: The Primadonna Story. She was named as one of L.A. Weekly’s “Top 15 Rising Authors to Watch in 2023.” Her debut book was mentioned in Forbes Magazine in December 2023 as a must-have for the “Entrepreneurial-Spirited People on Your Holiday List.”