For Mario, Food is a Family Affair

For trivia buffs out there: while his family has owned Mario's for about four years now, Mario Branchinelli is the first individual in the restaurant's existence to actually bear the name "Mario."

Branchinelli, originally from Salerno, Italy, has been in the restaurant business for 60 years. He came to the United States when he was 11. The family first settled in Brooklyn, eventually moving to Queens and then to Miller Place.

Upon arriving in the United States, Branchinelli quickly became involved in the restaurant business. He is the youngest of eight siblings, some of whom were already in the restaurant business. By the time he was in his late teenage years, he owned Gino's Pizzeria in Lynbrook. Today, in addition to Mario's, the Branchinelli family also owns Colosseo Pizza in Port Jefferson Station and Branchinelli's Pizzeria in Hauppauge.

Mario's children, Donna, Marco, and Anthony, all manage the family's restaurants. For the most part you will find Donna and Marco working at Mario's and Anthony at Branchinelli's Pizza.

"We all do a little bit of everything," Donna Branchinelli said. "We all have a hand in the recipes and the management of the restaurants."

She said the family chose to purchase Mario's in East Setauket in 2006 because it was a great opportunity and a great location, but first, issues with permits delayed its opening. Mario's was open for six weeks when a fire caused the family to shut it down for approximately another eight months. Mario's officially re-opened on December 4, 2008 with a new, fresh look, and has been going strong ever since.

When asked about the possibility of family owning more restaurants in the future, Donna replied that the family "is always looking."

Check out our latest Mario's review.