An immigrant-owned, working-mans, downtown middle-America restaurant in the 1960s, is the real life stage for Dr. Samsons childhood recollections.

Her father, Paul Vavul, immigrated from Greece to the United States and eventually chose Indianapolis, Indiana, as his home. Functionally illiterate, he created the Virginia Grill in 1939 with a blend of keen intelligence and street savvy.

In numerous wall display cases, patrons to the restaurant could view Mr. Vavuls collection of guns which he proclaimed to be the single largest in the Midwest. His gun collection became his...