A realistic portrayal of the Sicilian fishing community in San Diego in the 1950s, Confetti for Gino centers around the DeMarino family, in particular fishing boat captain Gino DeMarino’s stubborn attempts to break away from tradition by vowing to marry a woman from outside the Italian community, and his mother’s fight to ensure he marries someone within the community. The novel shows how kinship and family proved more visceral than the notions of individuality and independence that were emerging at the time. In the end, Gino learns that he can’t break away because he has nothing to “catch him” on the other side. The family, the community, the life as a tuna boat captain are who he is and are what define him.