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• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
Dec. 11-Dec. 17, 2020
‘HE WAS SUCH A NICE MAN’
Community mourns loss of Bayside restaurant owner Michael Molinari
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
The Bayside community is remembering
the late Michael Molinari for
his warm generosity and kindness to
others.
Molinari, the owner of Trattoria
35 on 213-15 35th Ave., died unexpectedly
on Nov. 16 at the age of 50. He
was laid to rest on Nov. 20, following
a ceremony at Our Lady at the
Blessed Sacrament, located at 34-24
203 St. in Bayside. In lieu of flowers,
Molinari’s family had asked for donations
made in his name to Our Lady
of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic
Academy.
Molinari is survived by his wife,
Donna Molinari and son, Michael Jr.
Customers who dined at Trattoria
35 expressed their condolences to
the family and restaurant staff. They
recalled meeting Molinari at the restaurant,
located at 213-15 35th Ave.
“He would always say hello upon
arrival and then make sure he pops
over to your table to ask how you
are doing and if everything is okay,”
Evan Cohen said.
Melissa Cabrera-Brojan said he
was a great owner and host at the
restaurant.
“He always made myself and my
family feel so welcomed anytime we
walked through the door,” Cabrera-
Brojan said. “He would greet everyone
with a smile and a big hug. May
he RIP.”
Thomas Costanzo said, “My wife
and I went there a few times. We even
had our engagement party upstairs.
He was such a nice man and treated
us like we went back for years. Sorry
to see someone so genuine go away
too soon.”
Jeremy Golub said, “He sure was
the best guy! To everyone! Not one
person I spoke to said something bad
about him! Rest easy my man!”
Those sentiments were echoed
during the service held at Our Lady
at the Blessed Sacrament, as a monsignor
said Molinari was a man that
was generous to a fault.
“Michael knew that god blessed him
Michael Molinari, owner of Trattoria 35, passed away at the age of 50 on Nov. 16.
with time, talent and treasure. And he
knew that those things were not to be
hoarded for himself but to share with
others, and indeed he did so,” the monsignor
said. “He gave his time to his beloved
staff at Trattoria, to every single
person no matter who they were that
walked into that restaurant.”
Molinari was known to never turn
down a request for a donation to the
parish or schools, according to the
monsignor.
“He was generous to the community
events and organizations, especially
at St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital,”
monsignor said.
The Trattoria 35 family had issued
a statement on social media
on the sudden passing of Molinari,
whom they referred as a “very dear
friend.”
“Through everything we’ve been
through this year, as a business, as a
community, as a family — this hurts
the most,” Trattoria 35 said in a statement
on Facebook. “Michael was an
outstanding member of the community,
a father to Little Michael, and
the leader of the Trattoria 35 Family.
Please keep him and his family
in your thoughts and prayers during
this difficult time.”
Reach Carlotta Mohamed by e-mail
at cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com or
by phone at (718) 260–4526.
Vol. 86 No. 50 36 total pages
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