Along with dealing with the aftermath of the storm and staying closed for three months, the Vecchios said they also had no help from their landlord, the owners of the Wyndham Hotel, who they allege left them to fend for themselves. Post Sandy, when the city released its new storm evacuation maps, the brother and sister duo learned Mia Famiglia was moved from Zone A to Zone 2. The Office of Emergency Management determined the maps “based on six evacuation zones that represent varying threat levels of coastal flooding resulting from storm surge.” “There’s no logic to it, we didn’t move,” said Lawrence. “We’re still in the same spot. The water is still in the same spot. So how can you say we’re not Zone A severe?” Yet, with all the damage and problems the storm threw their way, the family said Sandy has not put them down, but actually allowed them to come back stronger. With the help of the Small Business Association, the Vecchio family fought to start the new year bringing back their warm family dishes, including homemade cheesecakes made by Antoinette Vecchio, a.k.a. “Mama,” to the Long Island City community. Another helping hand also recently came through the Food Network which approached the family after Lawrence had created a Yelp account for the restaurant and shared their story. Mia Famiglia was invited to participate in a brand new show called “Restaurant Divided,” where restaurants are divided in half with two different concepts on each side, and in the end the idea with the best profitability and customer reviews can decide to either take home the money or get a full restaurant makeover. Mia Famiglia appeared on the show’s debut episode on October 24. In the episode, Laura had the idea to change the restaurant to a sports bar theme while Larry believed a steakhouse concept would win the hearts of customers. Chef and restaurateur Rocco DiSpirito then assessed customer reactions and the financial viability of each theme based on the one night and in the end selected Larry’s concept as the winner. The restaurant was given a full makeover based on Larry’s idea and now is an “LIC steakhouse with Italian influence.” “Sandy has actually hurt us and helped us at the same time,” said Laura. “So ‘she’ kind of torn us down and built us back up.” before before after after before Photos Courtesy Lawrence Vecchio 31
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