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August 26, 2019

Selling ‘Little Italy’: End of an era for Tony & Lucille’s

After half a century on Wooster Street, the brick home of Tony & Lucille’s has changed hands and is ready for a new use.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

For 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.

The couple hired real estate broker Frank Hird of OR&L Commercial in Branford. After about six months on the market, a buyer came forward: Nuvention 2 LLC, which purchased the property for $1 million.

“The buyer plans to renovate and lease it back, possibly as a restaurant, or they may redevelop it for a different use,” Hird explains. “There is a lot of potential there. It is a vibrant little area.”

Nuvention already owns neighboring property at 138 Wooster St., a mixed residential and commercial restaurant building, which it acquired in 2017. The limited liability corporation’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. “The good news is that Tony and Lucille got to retire.”

The 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 interesting 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 experience for me.”

The Saccos were often joined by their three daughters, who regularly helped out at the restaurant over the years. In addition to the restaurant, 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, Maria 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 generation 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 everything. 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.”

The Saccos’ grandchildren are professionals with their own careers who didn’t want to continue the Tony & Lucille legacy, according 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 remember 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. Their children and grandchildren spend time with them daily, often 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.

The new owner plans to renovate the property and lease it to new tenants. As of early August, it was being advertised as available for rent. The listing describes it as being within walking distance of downtown New Haven and Yale, and directly opposite the “national tourist attraction” of Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria and Libby’s Italian Pastry Shop.

The new owners are advertising it as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity,” with the property able to be used as a restaurant or different use.

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