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Pizza Wars Dispatch: Grimaldi's Hot And Bothered By Juliana's Coal Oven
By
Nell Casey
Published Dec 6, 2012
Modified Dec 6, 2012
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By
Nell Casey
Published Dec 6, 2012
Modified Dec 6, 2012
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The Dumbo dough drama is heating up yet again in Brooklyn's pizza wars. The Daily News reports today that a complaint has been lodged with the Buildings Department against Patsy Grimaldi, former owner of famed pizza joint Grimaldi's, for allegedly installing an illegal coal oven in his new restaurant Juliana's. It comes as no surprise that the complaint was filed by Robert Scarano, the architect working for current Grimaldi's owner Frank Ciolli, in an attempt to further delay the opening of the rival pizza parlor.
“Given the scrutiny that my filing for such an installation at another location underwent, I feel that it is my fiduciary obligation to bring this troubling and possibly life threatening issues to your attention,” said Scarano to a Buildings Department "bigwig," according to the News. A source close to the Grimaldi family denies any wrongdoing, saying the 20-year-old coal oven already installed in the restaurant simply needed repairs after some bricks had fallen apart. Ciolli faced similar hurdles when the opening of the new Grimaldi's was delayed after an anonymous tipster—who Ciolli claims was Patsy—complained Ciolli illegally installed a coal oven in the space.
This is just the latest in the ongoing dispute between the two pizzaioli. In September, Ciolli filed an injunction against Patsy to prevent him from opening Juliana's in the former Grimaldi's space next door.
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