Montorio al Vomano. In 1929 Valle San Giovanni separated from Montorio al Vomano and became a suburb (frazione) of Teramo. According to local sources and histories, during the Second World War the grottoes located immediately above Valle San Giovanni served as places of refuge for the Italian partisans then battling the German forces. Noted natives and residents Santina "Mama Maria" Di Marco, American restaurateur, owner of Mama Maria Ristorante Italiano and hostess of a local Philadelphia television cooking show. Giuseppe Bracalente (AKA Giuseppe Bracale; AKA Joe Firpo), world boxing champion. Giuseppe Di Battista, founder and president of the Fiducie Canadienne-Italienne; after the Bank of America, this is the largest financial institution in the western hemisphere founded by an Italian. References External links Valle San Giovanni website Frazioni of the Province of Teramo Teramo Former municipalities of Abruzzo