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Giovanni Mosconi, a beloved Greenwich Village restaurateur, died June 1 after a short illness. He was 85.
The longtime Brooklyn resident owned and operated Monte’s Trattoria and Villa Mosconi restaurants with his brothers and sisters.
Mosconi once met St. Pope John Paul II at the pope’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, according to a 1999 Catholic New York story.
“It was such a thrill, such a great, great, great experience. I was very humbled by it,” Mosconi said of meeting the pope.
The same story, written by Mary Ann Poust, reported National Baseball Hall of Famers Yogi Berra and Joe Torre were among Monte’s clientele along with former Yankees pitcher Don Larsen, the only hurler to throw a perfect game in a World Series.
Born in Piacenza, Italy, Mosconi was a veteran of the Italian Army before moving to London, where he met his wife, Lucia, at a Catholic church dance and became a restaurateur in London before doing the same in New York City.
He is survived by his children, Gianpaolo, Franco, Marco, and Angela; seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and six siblings. His wife, Lucia, predeceased him.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated July 16 at St. Bede’s, London. Burial will follow in London.
