Hello friends,

Unfortunately, another NYC, Brooklyn and Coney Island Icon have suffered a great tragedy. As Coney Island itself continues to go through numerous unresolved issues, Totonno’s Napolitano Pizzeria, the oldest running family run pizzeria in Brooklyn, went on fire Saturday morning. From what the news stories say, it looks like the coal oven sparked a fire that reached the ceiling and made its way to the roof.

This small pizzeria that is still very much designed as when it first opened in 1924 is very near and dear to my heart. I have been going there for all 33 of my year s and still manage to get there every 2nd or 3rd Fridays to bring home a pie or two.

I will save a photo essay I was planning to put out here very soon for when the proposed re-opening occurs. I just convinced Cookie the owner to allow my to do a photo shoot at Totonno’s which I did complete on February 19. I think that a masterful story with supporting pictures is very necessary for this almost landmark of a place and a grand re-opening which hopefully does occur is most fitting.

** SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE SHOOT **

CHECK THESE PHOTOS ON http://danmarinophoto.com/

I will share some fond memories from past and present here and use some of the photos from the shoot to support it. I will also link you to my gallery so you can see all of these images now. My goal with the shoot was simple. I went into it with no pre-conceived desires; just the passion and feeling that I needed to shoot it for my own pleasure and archives. What I intended to capture were hidden treasures that uncovered themselves as I snapped the camera and focused the lens. The only design goal was to try and create a nostalgic feeling; making sure to mix in images that had an antiqued and rustic feel, really crisp BxW’s and vibrant color images the visually show Totonno’s in its current state today.

** MY OWN MEMORIES **

1) Nothing beats the pizza eating competitions I got into with Uncle Dennis as a young boy. Who can eat as many of these coal fired delicious thin crusted slices was the sole rule! Uncle D definitely cheated and I always let him know because he wouldn’t eat the crusts!

2) I will never forget the apartment shared by my wife (then girlfriend) Vanessa and I on Bay 50th Street and Cropsey. This location pretty much made Totonno’s our resident pizza haven for a few years! Can you say extra pounds!!! There many nights we would walk over the Cropsey Bridge and pop in for a white and a red.

3) To this day, I go in and ask for a medium red and a medium white only for Cookie to tell me, “We don’t have medium; just small and large!” I mean seriously why I can