The back room at Nunzio's (Must credit: Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — In late spring, word spread that Nunzio’s Pizzeria was up for sale. Now, with the transaction complete and a future owner committed to the property at 2155 Hylan Boulevard, owner Robert Whiteaker announced the historic parlor’s final day of business.

Robert Whiteaker in his office (Must credit: Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

“Our last day is Friday — or until we run out,” said Whiteaker on Sunday. He’s not replenishing the inventory. The auction for equipment, furniture and small-wares will be on Aug. 15. Whiteaker said the new owner of the property will turn it into a showroom for a cabinet factory.

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Whiteaker is a native Staten Islander who hails originally from Midland Beach. On Sunday from his office, he said, “I have mixed emotions. I’ve made pizza all my life. I like coming here. It’s my freedom.”

Robert Whiteaker making pies in the early 1980s (Must credit: Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

As a child, he helped his mother and grandmother make the pies.

“I started really making pizza at 13. I used to make the dough by hand — no machine,” he recalled.

Whiteaker very much will miss the regulars — many come daily to the restaurant — and he knows they’ll miss the pizza.

Nunzio's final day, says owner Bob Whitaker, is Friday, August 12, 2022 or until supplies last. (Must credit: Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

But he said COVID changed patterns and soured the business environment.

What will he do after retirement from the spot?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I might open a place in Jersey. This place is too big for me.”

Price of a slice in 2022: $3 (Must credit: Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

While the food landscape is generally a fluid one on Staten Island, Nunzio’s is one of a few long-standing venues recently to acknowledge numbered days. Pizzeria D’Oro in Travis closed its gate a week ago after settling on an official final day of business. Adobe Blues in New Brighton changed hands earlier this year after several years on the market. And Liedy’s Tavern in New Brighton, one of New York City’s oldest bars, also is for sale. At least its owner, Larry Liedy, is more adamant about selling the place — it’s been on the market for over a decade.

The back room at Nuzio's is accessible from the back door, not the front of the parlor.(Must credit: Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Nunzio’s takes its namesake from its original owner Nunzio Trivoluzzo who established the parlor in South Beach in 1942 on Sand Lane and Father Capodanno. He shifted the business to Midland Beach in 1960, then sold it to famed borough restaurateur Jimmy Coppolla.

Whiteaker, Coppolla’s grandson, took the reins in the early 80s. The location at Midland Avenue and Hylan was frequently submerged in water although Hurricane Sandy decimated the parlor. Fives years after a comeback from the storm damage, David Portnoy called Nunzio’s “good quality, American pizza” on Barstool Pizza Review.

Nunzio’s hours are 11 a.m. to about 8:30 p.m. for pickup (8 p.m. for delivery.) The parlor can be found at 2155 Hylan Blvd., Midland Beach; 718-831-6512, Nunziospizzeriarestaurant.com.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.

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