Lakeland restaurateur Mario Scarpa opened a fine dining Italian restaurant in 1976 in Winter Haven, where burger chains and Southern food were more the staple.
Scarpa died July 13 in Lakeland at age 90. He had served guests at his restaurants for more than five decades..
The Italian immigrant with a hard-work ethic and a passion for constantly seeking to improve people, menu items and the ambiance in his dining room, turned what some might say was a risky venture into one of the best authentic Italian fine dining restaurants in Polk County.
Mario’s Italian Restaurant on Edgewood Drive was a fixture in Lakeland’s restaurant lineup. It is now run by his son Glenn Scarpa and today operates under the family surname as Scarpa’s Italian Restaurant.
His friends, family and foodie fans remembered him this week on social media and by phone with a Ledger reporter.
Friends of Mario Scarpa share their positive experiences
On Facebook, there was a constant flow of praise this week for the food and upscale atmosphere at Scarpa’s Italian Restaurant. Since news spread of the patriarch’s passing, some posted about his impact on their lives beyond the kitchen and dining room.
On Uncle Nick’s Italian Deli’s Facebook page, they wrote, “We hope you rest in peace Mario and it was great getting to know you all of these years. Thank you for the 11 years of support to our business. Our prayers are with his family.”
By phone on July 15, co-owner Sam DeBellis said Scarpa will be remembered as a regular customer who loved the sfogliatella, an Italian shell-shaped pastry filled with sweetened ricotta.
“He was an amazing man, we’re such a small part of his story,” DeBellis said. “He means a lot to this town. He’s been here for a long time and he’s done a lot of different things. He meant a lot to people.”
“When he first started coming in, he seemed like the typical Italian New Yorker,” DeBellis said, adding he soon learned about Scarpa’s own business and its reputation.
“When you talk to him, he reminds you of talking to your grandfather, just real traditional Italian,” he added.
Mick Pugliese, owner of Il Forno Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, called Scarpa a pioneer in bringing authentic Italian dishes to Polk County.
Personality wise, Pugliese recalled Scarpa was very frank, offering advice to fellow restaurateurs.
“He was very direct and always tried to teach you something, like the old fashioned Italian way,” he said.
He appreciated the constructive criticism if something was not quite right, including his thoughts on another of Scarpa’s favorites, pasta e fagioli, an Italian soup with pasta and beans as its main ingredients.
“He would not say that in an arrogant way,” Pugliese said. “He was always nice when he said something because he wanted to make you grow, not chastise you.”
He last served Scarpa about a month ago, and Scarpa looked around Il Forno and was happy with what he saw at the trattoria.
And his favorite dinners at Il Forno? The lasagna and the eggplant parmesan, Pugliese said. For lunch, pizza and calzone, a favorite of people from the Naples region of Italy, where they both were born.
Italian-born immigrant and U.S. Army veteran
Mario Joseph Scarpa was born May 13, 1936, in Sant’Arsenio, Italy, to Alfonso and Pasqualina Coiro Scarpa.
“Following the hardships of World War II, he immigrated to the United States with his family in 1948, embracing the opportunities of a new country while carrying with him the traditions, values and work ethic of his Italian heritage,” his son Lawrence Scarpa said via email.
After his first wife, Sandy, died, he relocated his family and four young children from Miami to Winter Haven, to follow his passion for food. In 1976, he opened Mario’s Italian Restaurant in Winter Haven, which became an almost immediate success and mainstay in the community.
A few years later he expanded and opened another restaurant under the same name in Lakeland.
He received no formal training as a chef. Instead, Scarpa created a unique approach to southern Italian comfort food that he learned from his parents, sister and as a cook in the United States Army. In the early days, items on the menu featured dishes such as “Chicken a la Flora,” aptly named after is sister, Flora Fasciani.
Scarpa’s Italian Restaurant now run by his son
His son Ron Scarpa said by phone that his father was very passionate.
“Italian people have a base minimum for food,” he said. “They take food very seriously.”
While the children now work in disparate professions such as architecture and contracting, Ron Scarpa said, “We all worked in the restaurant together” with brother Glenn Scarpa spending the most time with the patriarch.
Today, Glenn carries on the tradition of serving fine Italian food under the name of Scarpa’s Italian Restaurant in the exact location where his father opened the Lakeland place.
“We all took turns in there. Trust me,” Ron said. “We washed dishes, cleaned, bussed tables. And we also cooked in the kitchen.”
Lawrence wrote about the impact on the community.
“More than a place to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine, the restaurant became a gathering place where generations of families celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and countless everyday moments,” he said.
“Mario greeted customers not simply as patrons, but as friends, creating an atmosphere defined by warmth, generosity and hospitality,” he added. “His passion for food reflected his love of family, and he took great pride in sharing recipes and traditions rooted in his Italian upbringing.”
While his professional accomplishments were significant, Scarpa was proud of his family. He was a devoted husband to his beloved wife, Jane Scarpa, and a loving father to his five children: Kristen Hall, Joni Costa, Lawrence Scarpa, Glenn Scarpa and Ronald Scarpa.
“He instilled in them the values of hard work, integrity, generosity and the importance of caring for others,” Lawrence wrote.
“Mario Scarpa found joy in life’s simple pleasures. He especially loved shopping for fresh fruit − particularly figs − which became a cherished family tradition and a source of many warm memories and smiles,” Lawrence wrote. “Whether preparing a meal, sharing stories, or spending time with family and friends, he had a remarkable ability to make everyone feel welcome and valued.
“He will be remembered always for his welcoming smile, his unwavering devotion to family, his love of good food and good company, and the lasting impact he made on the Lakeland community he proudly called home,” Lawrence wrote.
Services will be private.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk restauranter Mario Scarpa, loved by friends and foodies, has died
Reporting by Paul Nutcher, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Nutcher, Lakeland Ledger | USA TODAY Network
