Art Thieves Nab Priceless Portrait of Big Mario of Pizza Fame | Eater Seattle

"At the Northlake location of Big Mario’s, the pizzeria was broken into on January 26; thieves rummaged through the building, broke into the office (which reportedly didn’t contain anything of value to them), and stole a portrait of Mario Velloti that had occupied a place of pride. The photo — familiar to many Seattleites who’ve walked into the city’s well-known late-night spot — depicts Velloti, the eponymous co-founder and an Italian immigrant who ran pizzerias in New York before coming to Seattle. The Northlake Big Mario’s has retained some of the crunch-y character of the old Northlake Tavern, and while the damage in this case is largely symbolic the owners have chosen to treat it with humor, posting on Instagram, “We miss him. He wants to come home to his family,” and joking, “If you’re determined to keep him, just promise us you’ll take good care of him. Dust him regularly. Don’t give him too much direct sunlight, he doesn’t like it.”" - Harry Cheadle