The Migliucci man and Mario’s Restaurant

Joseph Migliucci is a restauranteur, a cook, a host and a repair man. But, most of all, he’s a family man.

Migliucci owns Mario’s Restaurant in the Bronx’s Little Italy on Arthur Avenue. The restaurant has been in his family since 1919. Though he employs a staff that includes his children and grandchildren, Migliucci does a little of everything. He cooks, cleans and does repairs. He seats customers. He helped remodel the restaurant himself.

The restaurant has been featured in a scene in HBO’s “The Sopranos” and in Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather” (the book — Migliucci’s father turned down the movie because of the violence in the proposed scene). The walls are filled with pictures of celebrities who have eaten there.

Migliucci himself is something of a celebrity — there are also news clips on the walls about his restaurant from over the years. But he says it’s not about him — it’s about his customers.