FRANK DICOLA
My name is Frank DiCola and I was born into a restaurant family. My grandfather was Pasquale (Patsy) Scognamillo and he established Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in 1944 on west 56th street between 8th Avenue and Broadway. Patsy’s is still there and just turned 80 years old.
When I was 13 years old my grandfather took me to Patsy’s and put me to work as a busboy. I did this every summer growing up and by the time I got to college I was working there every weekend, holiday season, and of course all summer long.
My grandmother, Concetta, taught me how to be a bartender and how to make the best cappuccinos in NYC. My uncles taught me how to run the dining rooms (we had an upstairs and a downstairs dining room). By the time I was 22, I was managing many different aspects of the restaurant.
After I graduated from Fordham University I entered the family business full time and was made a partner. My whole working career was at Patsy’s taking care of the dining rooms, the finances, managing the staff, the wine and the liquor selections. Under my guidance we expanded our wine list to be one of the best selections in NYC. I remained a co-owner until I retired in 2018.