Mr. Pasqualone agreed. “The biggest thing that has brought us together has been the concept of family,” he said, choking back tears. “That was so important to me, because when I saw her with my children, and how she interacts with them, and how she interacts with my parents, it’s just something I love seeing.”
Among the many things the couple have in common is that both of their families are from Abruzzo, an Italian region, east of Rome, with an Adriatic coastline.
Three years ago, they visited Abruzzo, and learned minutes after arriving that they were to attend a funeral there. “Here we are, jet-lagged, tired, and hungry, and about 45 of my relatives are speaking Italian at the same time to Denise, and she’s like, ‘What’s going on here?’” Mr. Pasqualone said.
“She was under the impression that we were going to Italy for a romantic getaway,” he continued, “and here we are driving up the Apennine Mountains all dressed in black and heading to a wake, yet Denise took it all in stride, and I look back at that moment in time as a seminal moment in our relationship.”
They continued to support each other, and each other’s projects.
“I stage managed Denise’s online ‘Late Night Catechism’ show, and she road managed my touring solo show, ‘Channeling the King,’” Mr. Pasqualone said. “All I can say is, if you can marry your best friend, I highly recommend it.”