“I’ve done this a long time and just turned 62 a few days ago on July 21,” said Vinny, talking as he works.

“So, that’s it. I’m done.  I’ve been here for 27 years and just think it’s time to move on, and it’s as simple as that.  Nothing personal.  I’ve been serving the community for 26 years, and I think that’s enough.”

An exact date for retirement and plans for what to do after retirement are all pending the sale of his business and transfer of a liquor license.

“There are no plans until this is all over,” said Vinny. “I’m not making plans because right now we’re working with the PLCB (Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board).  It might take a month, two months, it might take 45 days, so who knows? It’s up to them. Then, we’ll see what happens.”

A PLCB public notice of the application for transfer of the license to the Infusion Nite Club and Grill at 518-522 Main Street may give some hint that changes will be made.  John Pacsai, one of the owners of CDRP, Inc., said he is planning to release information about some of the changes after the transfer is approved. Pacsai said he worked at Vinny’s Bar for seven years as a DJ.

“It’s really hard for me to leave, and it’s not going to be easy to shut the door and give the keys to the guy that’s supposed to take over,” Vinny said. “It’s going to be hard for me, but that’s life.”

“I’m just like everybody else that retires and goes places and then they come back. I’m just going to retire.  That doesn’t mean I’m going to move from Clarion.  I have three kids and two grandkids, what am I going to do with them? You tell me.”

One indication to the public that something different was going on this summer was when Vinny and his family were still around, and the restaurant was open. They usually close for 45 days in the summer for a return to Italy.

“I do have a beautiful property in Italy and have been working on it for 27 years. It’s an estate actually and not a house. This is the first time in years that I’m not there, and the reason is I’m waiting to hear from the PLCB and this and that.  I figured I’d better stay here and keep the restaurant open, and the bar has been closed for a month.”

Vinny said he hasn’t been a “pizza man” like the original owner for all of his life.

“When I was living and working in New York City with my wife, I found work as a truck driver and construction.”

Vinny has been in the United States for 45 years. Relatives helped direct him to Clarion.

“The guy that owned Collegio’s in Clarion was related to my uncle. My uncle knew that I always wanted to have a pizza shop, so he came to me one day and mentioned to me that his brother-in-law, Crochie, had a pizza shop for sale here in Clarion in 1991. I purchased the shop from Crochie.”

Talking to Vinny, it is obvious that he thinks Clarion is a nice little town.

“It helped me out a lot back in 1992 when the shop caught on fire.  The bank helped me out, the community helped me out, and Captain Loomis helped me out.”

The fire also demolished the adjacent Chinese restaurant, and Vinny later purchased that building and used it as a bar, connecting it to the pizza restaurant.

One of the most memorable traditions at Vinny’s is the annual “buck a slice” pizza sale in front of the building. The practice started when his father, Sal, was with him for the first year.

Vinny’s dad, Salvatore, presented the first “buck a slice” pizza on Main Street. His daughter, Rosa Maria, ready to go in the stroller.

Crochie, the previous owner, had told Vinny about ALF, but he admits he didn’t have a clue what that would be all about or what to expect.

“We were just sitting here at the beginning of ALF, and we see people walking back and forth on the street, but nobody was here (in the restaurant).  My daddy said you know what? Can I have a table in front of the restaurant and make me some pizza and get me a bucket of ice. I think I’ll put some pop in it.”

Vinny explained that his father did not speak English and could not say dollar, a dollar twenty-five, or anything like that. They decided to keep it simple, and his dad would give people thumbs up and say “buck a slice.” Vinny’s family may have been a little loud, and police gave him a ticket for breaking the town’s noise ordinance. Ralph Montana volunteered to serve as his lawyer for a specially-made sandwich as payment, and the ticket was dismissed.

“Buck a slice” continued to be part of the fabric of the Autumn Leaf Festival, and it could now well be silenced with the change in ownership and not an ordinance.

Vinny even ran for mayor. Who knows? With no plans yet for retirement, maybe he’ll give it another try.

1997 Clarion News article about Vinny’s run for mayor. He often shared the clipping at his restaurant.