Di Fara Pizza
1424 Avenue J | also 1012 East 15th Street | Midwood | built 1911
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The city photographed every building for its tax records around 1940 and again in the 1980s. NYC Municipal Archives.
Written with AI from the source each entry cites, then fact-checked.
- 1965
Domenico DeMarco opens Di Fara Pizza on the corner of Avenue J and East 15th Street
Domenico DeMarco came from the Province of Caserta in 1959 and opened Di Fara in 1965, after being told of a good spot on Avenue J. He later recalled that he had never heard of Avenue J before visiting one Saturday night with his accountant and finding the corner for rent. The lawyer who drew up the papers combined the names of DeMarco and his partner Farina, whom he bought out around 1978.
Source: Wikipedia
- 2001
New York Times critic Eric Asimov names Di Fara the city's best slice
In 2001 the Times critic Eric Asimov named Di Fara beyond doubt the city's best pizza by the slice. More praise followed: in 2006 the New York Sun judged it the finest pizza in the city, and in 2008 Zagat scored its food 27, which put it in the city's top 15 restaurants of any type.
Source: Wikipedia
- 2009
Di Fara becomes the first pizzeria in New York City to charge $5 for a plain slice
A plain slice rose from $4 to $5 in July 2009, making Di Fara the first place in the city to charge that much. When DeMarco opened in 1965 a slice cost 15 cents, which went up to 25 cents after the World's Fair. By 2023 the plain slice was still $5.
“Di Fara raised its price for a plain slice of pizza from $4 to $5, becoming the first $5-a-slice pizza place…”
Source: Wikipedia
- 2013
Bill de Blasio declares Di Fara the best pizza in the city during his mayoral campaign
While running for mayor in 2013, Democratic nominee Bill de Blasio, who went on to win, named Di Fara the best pizza in New York. The restaurant was collecting other honors that year: Zagat rated it 27 for food once more, and Frommer's called it the best hand-made pizza in the city.
“Democratic nominee (and later, Mayor) Bill de Blasio declared Di Fara to be the best pizza in the city…”
Source: Wikipedia
- 2019
Di Fara closes briefly over unpaid state taxes
Di Fara shut for a short time in 2019 because of unpaid state taxes. The 15-seat pizzeria on Avenue J had also been closed a number of times by the city health department over unsanitary conditions, even as crowds sometimes formed on the sidewalk with waits of one to two hours.
“It was also closed briefly in 2019 over unpaid state taxes.”
Source: Wikipedia
- 2022
Domenico DeMarco, who made every Di Fara pie by hand, dies at 85
DeMarco died on March 17, 2022, at 85. Until then he made each pie himself, 100 to 150 a day, and the shop closed whenever he was away. Three of his seven children worked in the back of the restaurant.
“Prior to DeMarco's death, each pizza pie was handmade by him, and the pizzeria was closed whenever he was unavailable.”
Source: Wikipedia
Further reading
- Di Fara PizzaWikipedia
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