Vincenzo Avanzato Delivers
Pasta Fundraiser Proceeds
$3,000 Delivered To Mayor of Amatrice
By LIBBY CUDMORE • for www.AllOTSEGO.com
ONEONTA – Stella Luna’s Bucatini all’Amatriciana may be the ultimate in comfort food.
Tony and Vinne Avanzato began serving the pasta dish, famous in Amatrice, Italy, as a fundraiser after the Aug. 24 earthquake that devastated the town. “Our friends over there told us there were foundations we could donate to, but they would take 20-30 percent,” said Tony. “I said, ‘Not gonna happen!’ People are giving their hard-earned money. It should go to the people who need it.”
Instead, the brothers offered to donate 100 percent of the sale of the dish directly to the town. At $20 a plate, they sold 95 throughout the month of September, which, when added to additional donations, added up to $3,000. “It was a home run,” said Tony. “We weren’t sure if it was going to happen, but I said, ‘We have to stay positive’.”
Vinne had already planned to go to Italy to visit family this month, and took with him a certified check for the full amount. He was able to track down Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi, and was hailed as a hero in the town. “People were thanking him for giving back,” said Tony. “They were so happy that an Italian-American was giving back to his country. They even told him they wished more Italians were as generous as we were!”
