Anthony D'Imperio, former owner of D'Imperio's Restaurant in Wilkins, dies

The owner of popular Monroeville-area eatery D’Imperio’s who was known as much for his hospitable nature as his restaurant was for its authentic Italian food has died.

Restaurant owner, Vietnam veteran and first-generation Italian immigrant Anthony “Tony” D’Imperio died on Sept. 6 at age 81. No cause of death was disclosed.

From 1977 to 2014, D’Imperio owned and operated D’Imperio’s Restaurant, an Italian special occasion favorite for many. From 1977 to 1982, the restaurant was situated on the top floor of the Jonnet Building in Monroeville before moving to Wilkins in 1982.

“Tony was just a very kind human being,” said his wife, Cindy D’Imperio. The couple met in 2009 and married six and a half years ago. “He was extremely generous in every way, including with his time.”

D’Imperio emigrated to the United States at age 10 in 1954 after growing up in Montagano in the Italian province of Molise, the son of parents Rosa and Giuseppe.

“He had fond childhood memories of searching for wild fig and cherry trees in the surrounding hillsides; of dipping polenta bread into a single egg shared between his siblings before school; of threshing wheat in the fields; and of the rare Christmases when he earned an orange from La Befana instead of coal,” read an obituary posted on Alfieri Funeral Home’s website.

His family moved to Clairton. He graduated from California University before teaching Spanish at Westinghouse High School, managing The Pub in Monroeville Mall and serving in the Vietnam War.

D’Imperio’s Restaurant was known for decades as a perfect spot for celebrations and nice nights out in Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs with excellent service and a menu of Italian dishes reminiscent of D’Imperio’s childhood.

“Success is a very relative term,” D’Imperio told TribLive in 2003. “We gauge it by satisfaction of a job well done. A great joy is when a customer says, ‘It was wonderful, and I’ll be back.’ ”

One diner at that time agreed.

“It’s good food and great service,” said John Weigel, a retired doctor. “It’s a nice, casual atmosphere, and we enjoy it.”

“We try to instill in the staff basic human courtesies and respect for others,” D’Imperio said then. “We try to be attentive and punctual and make sure the food comes out on time.”

“He really embodied the art of hospitality, both professionally and personally. And it was all very natural to him. He was always the same; he never changed at home or in the restaurant,” Cindy D’Imperio said.

The restaurant was elegant and decorated in an Old World style, with a patio that lured diners outside during nice weather. They served plenty of pasta and meat dishes, plus antipasto appetizers and specials. The restaurant closed a decade ago.

But people still remember their evenings there. Just last year, a Facebook post about D’Imperio’s in the “Memories of Monroeville, PA” group garnered almost 100 responses.

One user commented, “When they moved next to Sears, they were amazing. I got married there and the food was unforgettable. We had a pianist and it was intimate, classy and wonderful. Tony was awesome.”

“His guests at the restaurant would say that he always made them feel so special. And the reason for that was because they were truly special to him,” Cindy D’Imperio said.

In retirement, according to his obituary, D’Imperio enjoyed reading, hobbies and pop culture, including catching up on television series “The West Wing.” His wife said that he filled his days with similar interests, as well as family and grandchildren.

“He was very present in his business, which is why it lasted for 37 years, in addition to the fact that he had an amazing staff,” Cindy D’Imperio said. “Because he was so filled with energy, I was worried that he was going to get bored quickly, but he didn’t.”

In addition to wife Cindy, he is survived by children Cristina (Michael) and Joe (Beth); the mother of his children, Carol; grandchildren Anthony and Gianna; sisters Carmela (Leonardo) Tomasso and Maria (Claudio) Armasano; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by sister Assunta (Roberto) Luciani and brother Pasquale (Kathy) D’Imperio.

Tony D’Imperio’s life was celebrated on Sept. 12 at Alfieri Funeral Home in Wilmerding, and the burial was private.