Mario's Pizza II

"The Frelard Big Mario’s outpost has a lot of good stuff going for it—parking is relatively easy, they share patio space with Showboat, and we can’t get enough of their mini bottles of Miller High Life spiked with Aperol. (That’s called a “spaghett” for the uninitiated.) It all should add up to create a perfect slice joint. The problem is, we hesitate to even call this location of Big Mario’s a slice joint. Their operation is just a big mess due to the fact that they don’t make enough pizza pretty much ever. Expect 45-minute quotes for slightly crisp, slightly floppy slices and rude “you blew it” attitudes if they sell out in the middle of a normal Friday night rush. Your best bet would be to call in pies for pickup, but there are also way better options for pizza across the city. But if you’re down to wait, these slices will check the boxes." - Aimee Rizzo

"The owner of iconic Bronx red-sauce joint Mario’s restaurant died due to the novel coronavirus on April 5. Migliucci had lung disease and was admitted to the hospital on March 31. He died six days later. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, their children, and their grandchildren. Migliucci was a stalwart in Bronx’s Belmont neighborhood and the Italian-American community there. Five generations of his family have operated the 100-year-old restaurant, which was known for serving classics like chicken Parmigiana. Migliucci, who worked at the restaurant for nearly 50 years, was considered the patriarch by the local Italian-American community; a statement put out by Bronx’s Little Italy group remembers him as a “big, burly lovable man” and “an individual with a big heart and soul” — one who contributed both to the neighborhood and the fabric of the city as a whole." - Tanay Warerkar