The occasion was marked by a celebratory dinner surrounded by loved ones. Their children Tania, Lina, Frank and Riccardo attended with their families, along with grandchildren Nicola, Paul, Natalie, Loris, Dario, Sabria, Adam, Loren and Cristian.
Everyone congratulated the couple on their milestone and wished them many more happy years together, in good health and surrounded by family.
Sam and Vera Raiti were married on February 20, 1966, by Father Atanasio Gonelli at St Fiacre’s Church in Leichhardt.
After the ceremony, relatives and friends gathered at Mediterranean House in Five Dock for a celebratory lunch in honour of the newlyweds.
That day marked the beginning of a life together filled with both personal and professional achievements. Sam and Vera became well-known figures within Sydney’s Italian community thanks to their quiet but lasting contribution to preserving Italian culinary traditions in Australia, particularly in pastry-making.
In 1984, they opened Pasticceria Marineve in Five Dock. For many years, the shop produced some of the finest Sicilian sweets in Sydney: almond biscuits, marzipan, pecorelle, colombine, Easter lamb cakes, almond cake, cannoli, mustaccioli, crostoli, gelato and, above all, the renowned Sicilian cassata.
Sam Raiti was born on December 6, 1939, in Linguaglossa, near Catania in Sicily. He migrated to Australia in 1956 at the age of 16.
In Sydney he began his culinary career at the Chianti Restaurant in Surry Hills, run by the Cappuccini family, before moving on to La Veneziana.
A turning point came when he met chef Franceschini. The chef had arrived in Melbourne in 1958 with the Italian Olympic team and later settled in Australia, opening the Moro Restaurant in Leichhardt, where Sam refined his skills, learning new recipes and traditional Italian techniques.
In 1961, Sam joined Mediterranean House in Five Dock, where he worked for 23 years and gained extensive experience in catering—from sourcing ingredients to preparing sandwiches, desserts, gelato and everything needed for large banquets.
In 1970, he founded the International and Italian Pasticceria with six partners. The business later evolved into Pasticceria Marineve in 1984. There, Sam was able to fully express his pastry-making expertise, supported by Vera, whose contribution played a key role in the success of the bakery.
