Dante LaFratte named 2021 Person of the Year

PITTSTON — Dante LaFratte has been feeding people for as long as he can remember being involved in the food service industry, and today he gives great thanks to his parents Dante “Chucky” and Carlene LaFratte who instilled in him since childhood the importance of service and giving back to the community.

It is because of his service to community that Dante LaFratte has been chosen the Greater Pittston Person of the Year for 2021.

LaFratte, 53, said he can remember being as young as five years old when he would go to his father’s restaurant, helping out and doing chores like mopping the floor.

In his later years, his passion grew with the food industry and a family friend, Bob Casper, asked if the restaurant could open for breakfast.

“Before you knew you it, we were serving about 300 people on a Sunday morning for breakfast,” LaFratte said. “That’s how our Sunday breakfast started at 47 North Main St.”

Eventually closing the Main Street business, LaFratte got into corporate catering.

“The Lowes distribution center contacted me and I began to do their food service in their kitchen,” LaFratte added. “BENCO Dental reached out to me and I helped design their (in house) kitchen and then started to do their food services.”

Before LaFratte knew it, he had over 40 employees feeding 2,000 people a day with his catering business.

“It was a challenge, but it was too much,” LaFratte said. “Bigger is not always better and I scaled back. I ended up working out of my garage after I put in a full kitchen. I also started taking care of my mom, Carlene, who today is 82 years old.”

When the pandemic began in 2020 and he was notified the Meals on Wheels at downtown Pittston was going to close, he stepped in to help.

After two years of making meals, LaFratte is still going strong at Meals on Wheels.

“Immediately, I loved being here (Meals on Wheels),” LaFratte expressed. “Being raised the correct way by my mother and father, my dad never said no. He had his small group of friends that all helped each other so I saw that growing up and to me I enjoy what I do for anyone.”

LaFratte is known throughout Greater Pittston for not only giving his time, but on many occasions, he has been generous with his wallet, donating to many causes over the years.

“I’ll do whatever I can do to help the community and I never say no to my customers,” LaFratte said.

If LaFratte can’t fully donate, he has done the next best thing; donate his time and services, and sell food at cost.

In the past he’s helped out with the former St. Mary’s Assumption Church and school, Our Lady of the Eucharist, the Greater Pittston Santa Squad, and Pittston Area football team.

“I get great gratitude in giving away things,” LaFratte said. “I saw it with my dad and I learned a lot.”

Although being self-employed and working with family has had its perks, there were times when personalities got in the way.

“My dad passed away in 2002 and it was tough working with my mother,” LaFratte said. “Today I have her to thank but we butted heads quite a bit and I was probably fired 50 times, but I learned a lot.”

“He has done a great job with Meals on Wheels and their impact and they continue to grow and grow and do wonderful things,” Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo said. “We can have organizations like Meals and with people like Dante’s presence downtown, it send an important message for some of the really important things that we’re about here in the city.”

In the spirit of giving and giving back, LaFratte would like to fulfill a dream of his.

“I always had a vision that I would be in a good position that I could do what Jon Bon Jovi does, offering meals for just a donation,” LaFratte shared. “Everything would be free if you’d like to make a donation. That would be my goal.”