The Pizza King, Tony Baiamonte Jr., Dies At 78

Funeral services have been set for Wednesday for Anthony “Tony” Baiamonte Jr., the owner of Baiamonte’s Italian Restaurant and Pizza King restaurant and dedicated member of the Toms River community, who died Saturday, Nov. 28. He was 78.

According to his obituary on the Silverton Memorial Funeral Home website, Baiamonte -- who was born in Queens on Oct. 2, 1937 -- moved to Toms River in 1943 with his parents and siblings. They ran a chicken farm until a disaster wiped out the chickens, at which time Tony Baiamonte’s parents built what became the legendary King Kustard Drive-in at the corner of Routes 37 and 166. His obituary notes Route 37 was still a two-lane road back then.

The family operated King Kustard from 1950 until the late 1960s, serving cheesesteaks, pizza and frosty frozen mugs of root beer, the obituary said, and Tony met his first wife, Barbara, there.

King Kustard closed and was torn down when the State of New Jersey took their property to accommodate the widening of Route 37 and the construction of the J. Stanley Tunney Bridge to Seaside Heights.

Tony moved to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and worked for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department for a short time, but returned to Toms River and joined the Dover Township Police Department, the obituary said.

“Tony’s love of food, however, was in his blood and never left him,” the obituary said.

In 1970 Tony built the original Pizza King at the corner of Hooper Avenue and Fischer Boulevard and 8 years later he transformed that into Baiamonte’s Italian Restaurant and Pizza King, and then again, he transformed it once again into Mugsy’s Sports Bar, having successfully operating his business for more than 30 years. The restaurant was a landmark of the Jersey Shore.

As a way of giving more to the community he loved and served, Tony served as chairman of the Dover Township Industrial Commission for 20 years, he was a member of the Toms River First Aid Squad for 9 years, a member of the Ocean County Vocational School Foundation for 23 years, a member of the Dover Township Planning Board for 23 years and served as its chairman for 6 years, and also a member of the New Jersey Army National Guard Reserve.

Tony is survived by his former wife, Barbara; a daughter Lorraine, her husband Michael and their two grandchildren, Michael Jr. and Mary-Catherine; and a son, Anthony Baiamonte III, his wife, Leslie and their two children, Anthony Baiamonte IV and Brennan; a brother John and a sister Rosary, along with many loving nieces and nephews, each very special to him; his former wife Cyrilla, and by his special friend, Lucy.

Visiting will be Wednesday 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at the Silverton Memorial Funeral Home, 2482 Church Road, Toms River. Funeral Mass is noon Thursday at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Toms River. There will be a private cremation. In lieu of flowers, contributions would be appreciated for Puppy Love Pet Rescue, PO Box 108, Roselle Park, NJ 07208, according to the obituary.