Bimonte, ‘one of the last great pizza makers,’ is mourned
Pepe’s owner ‘was a wonderful brother, son, uncle and friend to so many’
NEW HAVEN — As grandson of Frank Pepe and one of the most visible owners of the celebrated Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana — consistently rated among the top pizzerias in America — Gary Bimonte, who died Wednesday, was one of the most luminous names in the (a)pizza world.
Far beyond New Haven, Bimonte often was the Pepe’s family member on the scene training new employees as Pepe’s expanded beyond its Wooster Street roots into what now are 12 locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, said apizza historian Colin Caplan of Taste of New Haven.
Bimonte, affectionately known as “Mr. B.,” was “one of the last great pizza makers, there’s no question about it,” said Caplan, author of the “Pizza in New Haven” book and one of three producers of the “Apizza: a love story” movie, released in 2019. “He knew how to make pizza from the heart — and that’s why New Haven is on the map for the best pizza in the world.”
Beyond that, “Gary was a very generous and considerate person and his role at Pepe’s was more than just the guy who grew up with Pepe’s and made millions of pizzas,” Caplan said. “He was the quality control guy. He was the teacher who conducted pizza classes. Anybody who needed anything, he was the one.
“... The pizza world is at a huge loss, but so is the Bimonte family,” he said.
The Bimonte family confirmed Gary Bimonte’s passing in a statement issued on the Pepe’s website Thursday, saying they were sharing the news with “deep and profound sadness.”
“Gary was a wonderful brother, son, uncle, and friend to so many, and he was loved by all of us,” family members said. “Gary was the pride and joy of the Pepe’s family, and there are no words to express the immense void that his passing has left in our hearts. He truly loved and cherished our family’s history, and he was so proud of the legacy that has carried through all these years.”
“Gary was incredibly grateful for all of the happiness that our family brought to so many people through our love of pizza, and he really embodied the heritage and tradition that Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana is known for today,” the family said, asking for privacy. “He will be terribly missed by so many people.”
The restaurant’s New Haven location — which in 2020 once again was named No. 1 on The Daily Meal’s list of the 101 Best Pizzas in America — was closed Thursday, the family said.
Bimonte, an avid car collector, was the youngest grandchild of the late Filomena and Frank Pepe — the latter of whom even as an adult he affectionately referred to as “Grandpop.” The Pepes opened on Wooster Street in 1925.
Pepe’s is the most famous outside of New Haven of the “Big Three” in New Haven apizza: Pepe’s, Sally’s Apizza and Modern Apizza.
His family members are cousins with the Consiglio family, the children of the late Salvatore and Flora Consiglio, who founded Sally’s in 1938. Sal Consiglio, who previously worked at Pepe’s, was Frank Pepe’s nephew — and Bimonte’s mother’s first cousin.
The two famed apizza palaces are a block-and-ahalf apart.
“He’ll be missed. He was well-loved by a lot of people,” said Bob Consiglio, whose family sold Sally’s in late 2017 but, along with his brother, Rick, still acts as an adviser and comes in from time to time. “It was a sudden thing. One of my cousins sent me a text.”
While much has been made of the competition between the three pizza joints when it comes to their customers’ loyalties, overall the relationship between the owners “was friendly,” Consiglio said. “Over the years, we’d help each other. If we needed yeast or flour, we’d borrow a bag.”
Bimonte attended Flora “Flo” Consiglio’s wake when she died in 2012.
Modern Apizza owner Bill Pustari also was sorry to hear the news.
“It’s a shame,” Pustari said. “I mean, he was way too young.”
Pustari, who has owned Modern for 33 years — and who occasionally sits down for a beer with the other present and former owners, said that despite what their respective customers might think, “We were never competitors. Between Sally’s, Pepe’s and myself, there’s never been any bad blood.”
In addition to the original Wooster Street location and The Spot annex next door, Pepe’s today includes six other locations in Connecticut — in Fairfield, Danbury, Waterbury, West Hartford, Manchester and at Mohegan Sun in addition to New Haven — along with three in Massachusetts (Chestnut Hill, Burlington and Watertown) and one each in Yonkers, N.Y., and Warwick, R.I.
The chain as a whole serves on average one million pizzas a year, Bimonte said in 2018.
Bimonte’s passing was noted both locally and nationally as word spread Thursday.
“Such a loss. Condolences to the family and friends of Gary Bimonte,” wrote pizza expert Scott Weiner of Scott’s Pizza Tours of New York City in a tweet.
“Changed the game,” said Dave Portney of Barstool Sports, also in a tweet . “RIP.”
“On behalf of Connecticut’s restaurant industry, we send our condolences to the Bimonte family, and to everyone at Pepe’s,” said Scott Dolch, executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association. “Gary Bimonte had a love for his restaurant and its employees, and also for the broader New Haven community.
“His life and work are part of a legacy that is tied to the very fabric of New Haven, and of Connecticut,” Dolch said. “He will be greatly missed.”
Mayor Justin Elicker offered condolences to Bimonte’s family.
“My condolences to the family of Gary Bimonte and the greater Pepe’s family. They are an iconic institution not just in New Haven, but to the country,” Elicker said. “Their cultural contributions have a lasting impact on our nation’s
culinary history. We will always remember Gary for the love he had for this city, his employees, and his family. Please keep his family in your thoughts.”
Residents and local eateries shared tributes to Bimonte on social media Thursday morning.
“I have just heard the news of Pepe’s Pizza coowner Gary Bimonte’s passing,” wrote Dean Falcone, one of three producers of the locally-produced “Pizza, a love story,” in a Facebook post. “I have known him since I played for his dad’s Little League team.”
“Such a big heart,” Falcone said of Bimonte, whose passing was first reported by Fox61 News and WPLR’s Chaz & AJ Show. “He was a good friend to our movie, ‘Pizza, a love story’. We will miss you, Gary.”
Falcone, who grew up in Hamden and played for the Bimonte’s Apizza youth baseball team, said later by phone that he was initially alerted Thursday morning
by a couple of texts and later saw a Facebook post by a Pepe family member.
Bimonte’s Pizza in Cheshire, owned by relatives, also posted news of Bimonte’s passing.
“Mr. B’s would like to send out our heart-felt condolences to Gary’s family, from Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven,” Bimonte’s said in a Facebook post. “Truly, a very nice man, gone too soon. Rest well. We are so extremely sorry for your family’s loss,” it said.
“Gary was an unbelievable, a positive source,” said Falcone, a musician who wrote music for the film. “He loved New Haven so much and” by opening Pepe’s restaurants beyond the original one on Wooster Street, “he just wanted to get the word of New Haven apizza across the world..
“He was really the face of Pepe’s and he was the guy who always did the press,” as well as the one who was sent to get new Pepe’s outposts set up
when the first opened. Beyond that, “he was just a big teddy bear, a big, huggy guy who was just so proud of his pizza.”
With regard to the division in New Haven between fans of “the big three” — Pepe’s, Sally’s Apizza and Modern Apizza, “When I have friends in town, I have to take them to all three — especially Pepe’s, because it’s the most famous outside of New Haven,” Falcone said.
Bimonte “was so proud of New Haven,” he said. “He was a glowing guy when you talked to him — like a little kid.”
“Gary was a good friend to our movie and was so proud of his pizzeria(s) and New Haven. Such a positive force. We will miss you Gary,” said the producers of “Pizza, a love story.”