It’s been a few days since the passing of local restaurateur Joe Agolino and upon hearing of his loss, of course my thoughts went immediately to his wife, Carm, and children, Sam, Joey, Lisa and Corinne, and the loves of his life, his grandchildren.
Social media was a buzz with warm wishes and thoughts by local and former residents near and far. It’s pretty safe to say, Joe was legendary in our neck of the woods.
Agolino’s Restaurant is not just a local eatery; it is THE local eatery were a lot of major business deals have been made during Monday through Friday power lunches.
Agolino’s is a place where you could take your family to dine and enjoy the food, atmosphere and friendly wait staff while seeing neighbors and friends. On a busy day, it could take you 15 minutes to leave after eating, just to sayimg hello or goodbye to everyone on the way out.
Joe took over a business that his dad started in the 1960s and built the brand to what we see today. Over the years, Joe expanded the dining area and practically tripled the kitchen area. It was important to him to have a kitchen that could accommodate his loyal customers.
It wasn’t always easy for him as he saw not one, but two major floods ravage his facility. Never thinking twice about packing it in, he’d tighten up his bootstraps, dug in and worked to get the restaurant back up and running again.
In 2011, the flood reached record heights almost completely inundating the entire first floor of the building from floor to ceiling.
That flood almost broke him, but he said he had to come back. The entire town of West Pittston was glad he did because his actions were the catalyst for the town coming back. He showed everyone being down didn’t mean being out.
He often said, “When the next one comes, I’m done.” I never believed him.
As patrons would tell you, Joe ran a tight ship and working for him was a tough task. He wanted and demanded good and loyal employees because having a consistent staff meant a consistent product. Joe set the bar high for a reason and if you didn’t meet that expectation, he wasn’t afraid to point you to the door.
That allegiance to the restaurant meant good pay, steady hours and longevity with your job and some of the wait staff and kitchen people have been there for years.
He’d often say to me regarding his wait staff, “Boy I have a good bunch of girls.” He knew a good employee was worth their weight in gold.
I know all of his employees are mourning his loss as much as his own family; after all, they were his family as well. In fact, the staff set up a tribute outside the front of the restaurant with a sign and candles that have been lit every night this past week in his honor.
I’ve known Joe practically all of my life. His late brother Sammy and I were high school classmates and Little Leaguers together. I’d go to Sammy’s house on Luzerne Avenue to play and more times than not, I was asked to stay for dinner.
As Joe’s obituary states, he was into cars, and he had a classic Ford Thunderbird that he wanted to enter it into a car show to be judged. He was too nervous to take the car so he asked Sammy and myself to drive it to Hazleton for the contest.
When Sammy and I arrived at the event, we wiped down the car to make it look nice, and we waited in what felt like the longest day of my life. Low and behold, didn’t we take home first place.
Naturally Sammy and I were thrilled and couldn’t wait to get home to tell Joe, except for one thing, Joe already knew. In typical Joe fashion, he drove to the event and lurked in the background to see how he did. It was a fun time, and Joe was over the moon.
Joe had a tough, abrasive side; and those close him knew that side of him, they also knew he was a cream puff at times too. He was generous to a degree where not many knew that side of him. He has donated to so many organizations that we will never know the true amount.
If you frequented Agolino’s, it was rare not to see him sitting pretty much front and center greeting folks as they enter. “Anywhere you’d like, folks,” he’d say to those arriving looking for a table.
It will be a new day and a new era when Agolino’s reopens. We will never see him at his favorite table or sitting on the bench out front smoking his favorite cigar while greeting people or holding court with friends talking about politics or sports.
Knowing his children as I do, they will do everything they can to honor the man that put them right were they belong and making him proud.
Joe taught his children well and with what they have learned and what they can bring to the business in the future, Agolino’s Restaurant and PAZZO Restaurant will be around for a very long time.
Goodbye my friend, you served all of us well.
Quote of the week
“The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.” Henry Ford
Thought of the week
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West
Bumper sticker
“Bid me to love, and I will give a loving heart to thee.” – Robert Herrick
