About Moscatiello's
Moscatiello's Family Restaurant opened their doors on November 7, 1 994. I'm Mike Moscatiello and thanks to my family, great employees and loyal customers we are still here today.
Our story started over 50 years ago in Troy, NY. My parents, Maria and Michael, came to America from Italy with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a strong Italian work ethic. My mother wanted to live the American dream and she did it by opening our first family business... In 1978 she opened the doors to a tailoring shop, Maria's Sewing Center in South Troy. My mother said' "When I opened it, people made fun of me and said, nobody is going to come." My mother was determined. She worked hard, her whole family worked hard, and the customers came back.
After graduating SUNY Albany with a degree in business, I headed out west for a job. I ended up in California working for my cousin's restaurant. I did everything from washing dishes to making pizza. I loved it! About two years later, I came back to Troy with my wife Audra and a plan to open up a family business.
It took us about a year to find the right place - the former Timothy's Restaurant at 99 North Greenbush Road in Troy. Although there had been four restaurants that failed on the site in about eight years, our family was determined. My mother assured me, "This time it's going to work". So I put my trust in my family and knew that as long as I had them behind me we could make this restaurant a success.
In the Moscatiello family, business is a family effort where everyone works hard. You need only to look around to see the evidence. My mother, being the best seamstress in the world, made the red checked table cloths, curtains and the aprons for the restaurant when we first opened. My grandfather Luigi Battuello reupholstered the barstools. My father greeted customers at the door. I ran the kitchen while my wife waited on tables. My son Michael was 2 years old when I opened. He grew up in the restaurant and now he has taken an active role in managing, bartending and cooking. Three generations of a family's hard work and determination. Today, you can also find my daughter, nieces and nephews in the restaurant cooking, cleaning or taking your order.
My family's strong will is one of the reasons we are here today; the other may be attributed to a miracle. Many of you may not know, but my father survived an unfathomable accident. In 1956, my father and his family were travelling from Naples to New York City on the S.S. Andrea Doria. The ship sank 45 miles off Nantucket and the family lost all of their worldly possessions. His experience has given me the will to dream and the strength to follow through on them.