By Rachel Sokol

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If you visited Italy in the 1980s through 1990s, chances are you were inspired to travel there because of the Perillo family,  whose Italy tourism commercials dominated the TV airwaves. 
  Founded in 1945 by Joseph Perillo and his son Mario, the Perillo family has been America’s leader in tourism to Italy for decades, setting high standards of quality, value, and integrity in overseas travel. Perillo Tours still successfully operates today.
  Linda Perillo is the daughter of the late Mario Perillo and his wife, Olga. Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Linda enjoyed a charmed lifestyle with a keen interest in the finer things in life. (She also had a whimsical sense of humor, even as a teenager!).
  Perillo’s debut, self-published memoir is titled Your Payment Method Has Been Declined. In this must-read, she talks about life as a mom of eight, the gut-wrenching loss of her parents, ways her faith guides her, and more. Perillo’s welcoming, heartfelt words jump off the pages; it’s like gabbing over brunch with your bestie from Jersey.
  No topic is off-limits. Perillo also details her divorce, her cancer diagnosis, her rocky financial situation over the years, and more…and she does so with the trademark touches of humor she’s maintained throughout her interesting, complex life.
  Preferred Health magazine sat down with the Perillo heiress to discuss her 'tell all' memoir.

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PHM: What made you decide to write a book now?
LP: There were several catalysts. I’d been thinking about it for years, and it ended up taking about seven years from conception to completion. A lot of it was because of COVID—we were indoors and I thought, OK, now’s the time. Around then, other things happened: my finances (which I write about in the book), the trust and trustees, my divorce. I also completely tore my Achilles, so I was grounded. Sometimes God sets us up… it was a “call to duty” and a “call to order” to get this book done. There were feelings I needed to purge, circumstances that forced me to finish, and everything came together. 
It was the perfect storm.

PHM: Faith plays a huge role in your life; as evidenced in your writing.
LP: Religion has always been grounding for me. My aunt was a nun, my mother was very faithful, and I’m a practicing Catholic. But putting aside the strictures of religion, faith is about what you believe. It’s a gift–relinquishing control and saying, God, help me and steer me. I reached the point where that was all I could do. That doesn’t mean I never had moments of frustration—telling God, “You’re supposed to be taking care of me, and I’ve been praying all this time!” But faith doesn’t always give you what you ask for at the moment. Sometimes it delivers something else down the road, in an unexpected way. We have to let faith grow in us. No matter your religion, faith is powerful. It’s about prayer, belief, and trusting that higher being to help you heal.

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PHM: Tell us more about your late father, Mario.
LP: My father was second-generation in this country, starting out as an attorney, like my grandfather and two of his brothers. My mom was an immigrant, and Italian was my first language. My father began as an immigration lawyer, but once the wave of immigration slowed, he shifted to bringing people back to visit their roots. He married my mom and raised a very traditional Italian family,  even as he became highly successful and built an unprecedented travel industry empire. He kept his morals, ethics, and love for family. My mom died when I was 28, just after I had my first baby. It was a huge transition without her, but she’d taught me, through example, how to be a good mother. Today, I think parents focus too much on comparisons and rubrics. My parents focused on roots, stability at home, and doing what you’re supposed to do.

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PHM: What travel advice do you have for someone headed to Italy?
LP: I’m not here to sell Perillo Tours (laughs) but I believe a tour is the best way. Your itinerary is set, some meals are planned, and you have a guide. It’s like faith: relinquishing the burdens of planning and fear in an unfamiliar place. Italy is large and diverse. You have Sicily in the south, Rome in the center, industrial regions in the north. The food, people, and dialects change dramatically. Decide what you want from your trip, then direct your plans. A tour lets you sample it all.

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PHM: How are you currently taking care of your body, mind, and soul?
LP: I work out four days a week. Boxing mostly, though I used to do Orangetheory for more legwork. 
I have to be careful because of my Achilles and a double hernia I haven’t addressed. I take a 5:30 a.m. class so it’s done for the day. Mind is even more important than body. For me, that means therapy; I’ve seen the same therapist for 30 years. Therapy isn’t about perfection, it’s about self-reflection and learning to react better. I’m reactive by nature; therapy helps me pause, breathe, and come back to things later. For my soul, I pray daily. My Catholicism is more about conversation with God than strict ritual. I simply ask, Help me today—you know what’s ahead, I don’t. Everyone can have their own form of faith, whatever it looks like.

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PHM: How did you come up with the title of your book, and what do you want people to take away from it?
LP: After my father died and I dealt with the trust issues mentioned in the book, I could barely stay afloat financially. 
  “Your Payment Method Has Been Declined” felt like the perfect title; it’s been my life. The message is empathy, not judgment. People look at me—hair done, makeup, well-dressed, daughter of Mario Perillo—and assume I’m wealthy and carefree. You never know someone’s reality. Empathy is more important than sympathy. Sympathy says, “I feel bad for you.” Empathy says, “I don’t fully understand, but I’m here. What can I do?” That’s the message I want to put into the world.

 

You can purchase Linda Perillo’s memoir, Your Payment Method Has Been Declined,

via her website ,https://www.theotherwoman.shop,  Amazon and BN.com.