Fire Breaks Out At Wading River's Pazzo Pizzeria, Just Months After Devastating Loss Of Owner

WADING RIVER , NY — A popular Wading River pizzeria was fully engulfed in flames after a fire broke out early Tuesday morning, police said.

According to Riverhead Town police, at 1:57 a.m., officers were dispatched to Pazzo Ristorante and Wood Fired Pizzeria on New York State Route 25A for an active fire. Upon arrival, the building was fully engulfed in flames and the Wading River Fire Department was requested to extinguish the fire, police said.

The Riverhead Police Department's detective squad, Suffolk County Police Department's arson squad, Suffolk County Fire Marshals and the Riverhead Town fire marshals responded to the scene to conduct an investigation, police said.

The investigation was ongoing Tuesday morning and has been turned over to the Suffolk County Police Department's arson squad, officials said.

Shocked residents and business owners gathered outside the ashes of the charred building Tuesday morning.

"It's gone," said Hank Isik, who owns Ravaa's Bagels next door; he was unsure of how much damage his own business sustained. "No one knows anything."

It was not the first tragedy the owners of Pazzo Ristorante have seen in recent months.

Owner Anthony Tranchina rushed to the restaurant Tuesday morning and told Patch that he had no idea of how much damage to expect.

His wife, he said, had just died a few months earlier.

According to a Facebook post by the business, Maria Tranchina died at 64 in August. "Over the past 9 years, Pazzo has been a great place to get food and pizza in Wading River. Sadly on Monday, August 11, our beloved owner Maria passed away. Pazzo was a dream come true for Maria. She put her heart into everything she did and was so passionate about her team and community. Our hearts are filled with sadness and she will be missed dearly by everyone who had the joy of working with her. Pazzo was more than just a business to her. It was community, it was friendships, and most importantly a whole lot of love. Through her entire adulthood she was passionate about food and feeding the ones she loved. Through Pazzo she was able to give back to her community and made so many friends along the way. She loved her customers like they were family."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Riverhead Police Department at 631-727-4500 x 312.