Anthony Mazzola

Anthony Mazzola, owner of ‘Cesca, and Accademia di Vino, is a Bronx native with a rich Italian heritage and esteemed gastronomic background.

Influencing his future success, good food featured largely in Anthony’s early life. His parents emigrated from the town of Leonforte in southern Sicily. His mother, having cooked for a prominent Sicilian family before coming to America, and his father, proprietor of a fresh pasta, ravioli and salumeria store in the Bronx, laid the foundation for an innate love of food. “We never knew we were poor,” he recounts “there was always good food on the table, every night.”

Always an entrepreneur, Anthony opened his first retail wine-and-liquor store by the age of 25, eventually amassing a total of eight retail wine-and-liquor stores in the tri-state area. The showcase among them was the highly regarded, and much frequented, Sutton Wine Shop on 57th and 1st Avenue.

Deciding it was time to pursue a new goal he sold his retail operations and moved to Rome, Italy where he researched the idea of owning his own vineyard and producing his own wine. Over the next two years he traveled extensively, exploring the wines and foods unique to every region of Italy.

Understanding that his soul would always be in Italy, but he belonged at home in New York, he returned. Eager to share his inspiration, he launched into restaurant ownership. First with Ouest, along with Chef Tom Valenti, he achieved an unprecedented success for fine dining on the Upper West Side. With an eye for a unique opportunity and knowing the importance of firsthand experience, Anthony then traveled throughout the southern U.S. experiencing its many forms of BBQ. As a result Big Bubbas was established at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT, bringing authentic southern cuisine north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Next he returned to his roots and opened ‘Cesca on W. 75th Street, an upscale Italian dining experience that was an immediate success by both popular and critical standards.

And today, with two Accademia di Vino locations joining ‘Cesca, all three New York restaurants benefit from Anthony’s annual trips back to Italy. He continues to explore the authentic Italian tastes and traditions that inspire exciting new additions to each menu.