NewHavenBIZ

42 n e w h a v e n B I Z | S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 1 9 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m T H E L O O P WHAT'S THE DEAL? Selling 'Little Italy': End of an era for Tony & Lucille's By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo F or decades, hungry diners came to Tony & Lucille's Little Italy restaurant in New Haven to enjoy its homestyle offerings, from pasta dishes to calzones. Anthony and Lucille Sacco opened the eatery 53 years ago, and when they recently decided to retire, they opted to close their restaurant and sell the 150 Wooster St. building. e couple hired real estate broker Frank Hird of OR&L Com- mercial in Branford. Aer about six months on the market, a buyer came forward: Nuvention 2 LLC, which purchased the property for $1 million. "e buyer plans to renovate and lease it back, possibly as a restau- rant, or they may redevelop it for a different use," Hird explains. "ere is a lot of potential there. It is a vibrant little area." Nuvention already owns neighboring property at 138 Wooster St., a mixed residen- tial and commercial restaurant building, which it acquired in 2017. e limited liability corpo- ration's principal is Elizabeth Nega of New Haven, according to the Secretary of State's office. Before Nuvention decided to buy the 150 Wooster St. building, Hird said he went to contract with one other buyer, who ultimately opted to pursue another deal. "It wasn't because of anything wrong with the property," Hird says. "e good news is that Tony and Lucille got to retire." e property is on a corner lot with private parking and has more than 5,600 square feet of interior space. Hird describes the restaurant as a "fixture" on Wooster Street for 53 years. "For me, as a broker, it was inter- esting to deal with a family in the restaurant business, who had been in the business for so many years," explains Hird. "It was a great expe- rience for me." e Saccos were oen joined by their three daughters, who regular- ly helped out at the restaurant over the years. In addition to the restau- rant, the family operated food trucks and distributed calzones to 40 states. Anne Grecco of East Haven, one of the couple's children, said the process of selling the building — and the family business of a half-century — "very emotional." Grecco and her sisters, Ma- ria and Donna, worked in the restaurant since they were young girls, and over the years assumed a most prominent role running the business as their parents, now in their 80s, got older. According to Grecco, her gener- ation has no intention of opening another restaurant at this time, but she says, "You never know. "We were in business there for 53 years," Grecco says. "We did ev- erything. My sisters mostly helped with the cooking, and I'd work out front. We did everything we could to run a family business." Grecco describes how the family ultimately decided to close the business, rather than sell it. "We ran the restaurant until many little upsets happened with health issues," she explains. "My dad made the final decision to sell the property and retire." e Saccos' grandchildren are professionals with their own ca- reers who didn't want to continue the Tony & Lucille legacy, accord- ing to Grecco, who said her parents are "fine" with their decision. "We didn't want to sell the business itself; I don't think anyone could have ever duplicated Tony & Lucille's," she says. "No one bought our name — just our building." Grecco calls the decision to close the restaurant and sell the building "bittersweet," but the family is hopeful someone else will be able to enjoy success at that location. "Now, we can enjoy our parents, who are older," Grecco says. "We made a lot of families happy over the years, and we will all truly miss our customers. I'll always remem- ber Mom saying, 'Come on, girls — it's time to open the restaurant.'" Now her parents are living on the shoreline and enjoying their retirement, Grecco says. eir children and grandchildren spend time with them daily, oen enjoying espresso from the original machine they took from the restaurant. "Enjoying our family time is most important, and it feels great to know that we have taken care of so many wonderful families," she says. e new owner plans to renovate the property and lease it to new ten- ants. As of early August, it was being advertised as available for rent. e listing describes it as being within walking distance of downtown New Haven and Yale, and directly oppo- site the "national tourist attraction" of Frank Pepe's Pizzeria and Libby's Italian Pastry Shop. e new owners are advertis- ing it as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity," with the property able to be used as a restaurant or different use. n Frank Hird of OR&L Commercial, who brokered the deal. After half a century on Wooster Street, the brick home of Tony & Lucille's has changed hands and is ready for a new use.

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