When he realized he had the ability to make people happy with the food he created, Brampton’s Amavel Rodrigues, 29, turned away a life of crime and drugs.

Ten years ago, Pietro and Tina Fanzo — who started Fanzorelli’s, an Italian eatery in downtown Brampton — hired the troubled 19-year-old Rodrigues as a dishwasher. Over time, he was given other responsibilities. The owners taught him the craft of cooking, a hard work ethic and slowly steered him away from the gang he ran with.

“I began to notice that when I was with negative people, negative things would happen to me,” said Rodrigues, the head chef at Fanzorelli’s. “Once I started focusing on my craft (cooking), I slowly found my identity. I also realized, I couldn’t cook with love when I was surrounded by negativity.”

At his lowest, Rodrigues noticed there were people who enjoyed his company, but didn’t trust him. His friends’ parents told him they did not want their children associating with him. So, he began a journey toward self-respect.

The restaurant’s kitchen became the beacon and it drew him away from the street life.

“Pietro showed me the way,” he said adding he wants his story to resonate with other youngsters that are in a hopeless place in their lives. “(Pietro) showed me it doesn’t matter where you’re in life, you can get anywhere you want to go.”

Rodrigues, whose specialty is cooking authentic Italian fare, believes chefs have to adapt to the palate and taste of the community they serve. That’s why Fanzorelli’s not only has its signature fare in the menu, but many fusion dishes reflecting Brampton’s diversity as well.

It’s over a decade since Rodrigues gave up gangs and drugs, but several tattoos adorning his body remind him how far he has come. For instance, losing his mother Luisa to cancer two years ago was shattering. The tattoo of bats in flight on his neck is a reminder that birth and rebirth are integral part to the circle of life, he said. Similarly, the cluster of stars on his chest conveys to him, “he’s the 'star' of his life,” he said.