Johnny Angiuli, patriarch of the Italian deli Eastside, dies at 81

The Italian Deli owner of the Italian Deli, Giovanni “Johnny” Angiuli, died at the age of 81 and learned behind one of the oldest restaurants in the city and a legion of fans. Together with his deceased brother Frank, he led one of the longest running delis in Los Angeles and was a staled keeper of the book Disappeared Little Italy in the city.

The description as a loud, funny and selfless and the restaurants and the singer were often able to work 70 hours a week in Deli Italy in Eastside. He died February. 9 of the cardiac arrest after about a year of health difficulties, which, according to one of his sons, contained kidney failure and heart failure.

The Italian deli in Eastside, its local heritage and rest of a community and its neighborhood in the early Los Angeles is now.

“He always feels like being a family, they came for that,” said Anthony Angiuli, his eldest son. “This styl still ask: 'How is your father?'”

Johnny Angiuli became nickname in 1956 to find more opportunities than was found in Italy II after the Walld War.

But his mother hatred in New York and his uncle, who sponsored the Hold Move, lived in Los Angeles. The family travels to the west and who landed in La, the local Italian community of Pointd Johnny to what was called Eastside Market at the time, which was founded in 1929 by Dominic Ponrell in La's Lite Italy. Now it is Victor Heights who spanned the border between Chinatown and Echo Park, the corner shield of the Deli sign is large over the Autobahn 110.

Johnny started the market in 1959 as a cleaner, then he became a butcher at a time? He helped man, the Maestro Sausage Co. Fleisch case and became a face known in the city and the Italian sausage to the Italian Deli & Bakery, the Italian market in Culver City and special grocery stores in the city.

“He made his life here,” said Vito Anguli, Johnny's youngest. “He said this place dedicated to this place for over 60 years.”

When the meat and sausage company goes out and the other market owners retired, they made the operation of the operation of Johnny and his broth, the opportunity to buy the entertainment's decisions

According to Johnny's sons, the Angiuli brothers each paid about 10,000 US dollars and in 1974 they also shaped it in the Deli -Deli -Angeles, which they know today.

“It has something on an immigrant a business that admires people who comes in,” said Vito. “You feel a special connection with the person, the Belaselers who brought something from their legacy to America. People respect that. “

The neighborhood and the city were catging, and Johnny and Frank had to pull customers with more Tha. The brothers quickly started to prepare the prepared menu and added a small burner oven. Hot sandwiches became a specialty in Eastside, with Johnny led the indictment. Long rolls with sausages and peppers; Aubergine -ravigiana; Hot roast beef's drops in juices; And successors all revelations can be found.

“Nevertheless, on the day he died, [he said]I slept one night and I woke up and thought of a great sandwich: a roast beef and pastrami together “And it turned out that it was the big hits! It is the most popular sandwich on the menu.

During his lunch breaks, surrounded by lasagna, fresh cannoli and fragrant roast beef from Frsh from the outs, Johnny chose a simple, almost daily meal with to-on bread with oil, tomatoes, oregano and sour. Younger years in Italy.

The DELI became a real family matter with Johnny's wife Domenica “Donna” Anguli, who gives a hand next to his brother, sister -in -law and cousins. His parents were also an integral part, sometimes they found at the tables.

Johnny met the late Donna in 1969 by friends and they had three sons – Anthony, Rocco and Vito – by whom of that of the Delogether.

Sometimes -5 a.m., the arts of the arts. He always seemed to know everyone.

His brother Frank died in 1999 and Johnny continued the Deli in his place. When he retired in 2017, he returned from the company, but remained a presence and occasionally talked to customers in the dining room.

More than ever, Eastside Italian Deli is visited by guests who tell the stories of Johnny: the time in which he would say: “It's okay, you can pay me the next time”; The tab that he kept in need for customers; The rush of foods that it contains with catering orders for special occasions such as weddings.

Pedro Prado began working in Eastside in 1980, which Johnny heard he heard, after emigration from Mexico. The head of the walls of the restaurant was then promoted to clever ingredients, and today is the chef of the Deli.

Vito said: “This is just the status my father was to help with the mentality of the immigrants.

“He was a good guy,” said Prado about Johnny. “He taught me everything. I learned to cook, so I'm the cook. “

Although Johnny Prado taught how to cook Italian cuisine, Prado often prepared the story of him, sometimes for guests, sometimes only for his bosses – breakfast and lots of soups. He stylishly stylishly stylishly perfect recipes, with house-ground meatballs and the typical tomato sauce that cooks for four hours and to perfect the amount of experiment and error.

Now the owners of the Italian Deli -Deli Eastside himself, respect his sons and are sometimes shocked by the actions of the actions. His joke with special filter. Occasionally, the guests ordered a thing, but Johnny chose another sandwich for them and told them: “You get a roast beef, you don't get a salami.”

Confused, annoyed or simply confused, they sit down to eat which sandwich he gave them. You would say Johnny that it was one of the best sandwiches in your life.

“Anthony said. “People were very organized and helpful, and he kept these relationships. People want to know: “Who are you in business?” And “How do you stay in the shop?” It's not always about food.

Johnny Angiuli is survived by his sons, his love seven grandchildren and the Italian Eastside deli, which will be in 2029 100. One day his sons say that the Deli's own children say and keep Johnny's life's work of life. Light up.

“I miss working side by side with my father. I think we all, but his legacy continues and it is still here to this day,” said Vito. “Think, that's a little more than every father could ever give us: he doesn't have a lot of money, but he gave us a jewel here. He gave us a historical monument at the end of the day and we love that. “