Arthur’s Famous Pie Is Back

From Keila Torres Ocasio, CT Post:

Despite no advance notice or advertising, it took just a few days for news of the long-awaited re-opening of Arthur’s Famous Pizza on Park Avenue in Bridgeport’s South End to spread through town this week.

Diane Brown, 53, heard the news from her daughter, Shana Torres, 23, who heard it from her brother, who saw someone’s post about it on Instagram.

Myrna Vivo, 45, heard about it from her husband George, a Bridgeport police officer.

Hazie, a 20-something South End resident, saw a friend’s announcement about the opening on Facebook.

The storied hometown pizza place–a fixture known for five decades for its tasty, one-size pizzas and hot and cold grinders–was back in business.

Within days or even hours of hearing the news, pizza-hungry former and current Bridgeport residents of all ages and socioeconomic statuses were making their way down to the familiar off-white building located at Park Avenue and Austin Street.

Just as before, as though it had never closed, the place was quickly crowded last week with people in corporate wear at one table, teenagers at the next and small and large families with children everywhere else.

The phone was also ringing nonstop with customers ordering takeout.

“They say it tastes even better than before,” said Brown, as she sat on a bench waiting for her sausage pizza, plain pizza and garlic bread to be cooked and wrapped to go.

When her daughter found out the night before that Famous had re-opened after shutting its doors two years ago, she didn’t have any trouble convincing Brown that they had to go check it out.

“Thank God they opened it. We missed it,” Brown said.

Beside her, Vivo’s mind traveled back 30 years ago to when she was a teenager meeting up with friends at the restaurant, which is just a few blocks north of Seaside Park and the University of Bridgeport.

“This was the hangout,” she said. “It was the meeting place. I think it’s a Bridgeport thing. The owners always came out to say hi. That made it feel like home. You felt like you were going to your aunt or your uncle’s house to eat.”

Manute Bol, a rail-thin 7-footer when he played at UB before launching a successful career in the NBA, tried to fatten up on pizzas and pitchers of beer when he lived on campus.

Famous had been a Bridgeport fixture for over 50 years when its owner, Arthur Yiotos passed away in 2009. Yiotos, a Bridgeport native, was well-known and loved for his kindness, generosity and humor. He was known to some as the Pope of the South End.

So it was like placing salt on a wound for the neighborhood when his restaurant closed less than two years later. It’s fitting that the new owners, Ronald DiGhello, who was a friend of Yiotos, and his son Tim DiGhello are running a family business.

Not only is the pizza just as good as before, but customers will notice some familiar faces among the staff. Many of Yiotos’ loyal employees are back behind the counter and in the kitchen.

David Morales, who called himself Yiotos’ right-hand man, was thrilled this week to see the place buzzing with activity once again.

“I’m grateful to all the customers,” he said, before vowing that the restaurant would be open another 50 years. “Artie’s looking over us.”