The Evolution of Vito's Pizzaria and Restaurant

By Vito’s Pizzaria in Wethersfield

When Ann and Vito Maffucci first opened Vito’s Pizzaria & Restaurant in Wethersfield in 1978, it was housed in a 600-square foot shop hidden from street view behind a strip mall.

The menu was simple but the dishes savory, and the once takeout only business steadily expanded into a full service Italian restaurant. Today, it is one of the area’s most beloved Italian restaurants.

Though the restaurant bears Vito’s name, it was Ann who was the heart and soul of the business. From laughing with customers in the dining room to rolling out pizza dough in the kitchen, Ann was a masterful businesswoman who breathed life and warmth into the family’s restaurant.

She treated the restaurant like her home and her customers like her family. She delighted in sharing her food with whoever walked through the door. Each item on the menu is a Maffucci family original recipe inspired by Ann and Vito’s Italian and Sicilian roots.

After retiring, Ann and Vito left the restaurant in the hands of their daughters Carol and Linda, who run the business with the same affection and energy as their mother. Three generations of the Maffucci family now work at Vito’s, and on any given night, at least one of Vito’s relatives can likely be found greeting patrons at the door, taking orders, or putting the finishing touches on a Margherita pizza.

Regulars to any of the Vito’s establishments might recall the black and white portrait of Vito’s mother Vicenza tending to her sauce. The charcoal likeness of the Italian matriarch, which adorns the walls of all the Vito’s restaurants as well as the personal kitchens of all Vicenza’s grandchildren, was a 15-minute sketch by Vicenza’s son-in-law Dominic. Vincenza’s portrait, like Ann and Vito’s story, reminds us always of the joy of cooking and the importance of family.

While we will always miss the sound of Ann humming in the kitchen, with each pizza, we honor her legacy.

We invite you to stop in for a glass of wine at the bar, pick up a pizza on-the-go, or sit down with your own family for Ann’s signature hot eggplant salad.