2025 Jackson County Ornament
Tony’s Italian Restaurant
Post WWII, an Italian American soldier from the Bronx, New York, found himself stationed in the deep south at Graham Air Force Base in Marianna, FL. Anthony F. Primavera, “Tony” adapted easily to this strikingly different culture and married a local woman, Louise Redmon, and had three daughters, Charlotte, Toni, and Rose. Tony eventually made the decision to open a restaurant. With his Italian heritage, he introduced pizza pie to our locals in a small café-style building on West Lafayette Street near the public pool. Along with his polarly received pizza, Tony offered original recipe dishes of spaghetti, chicken cacciatore, and lasagna among other favorites enthusiastically welcomed by locals including his specialty, Veal a la Parmigiana. One may remember the yellow cards on each table giving details of the somewhat unfamiliar “pie”. In 1960, recognizing the success of his bistro, Tony purchased a second building a few blocks east of the original location. It was renovated and patio dining was added. Old world ambience permeated throughout the old-fashioned gas lighting and candles. His first menu offered delectable choices of American dishes, and he provided frozen pizzas for sale to area grocery stores. In 1969, eldest daughter Charlotte Laramore and her husband Herman assumed ownership continuing the Primavera legacy for a number of years. It was later sold to George and Virginia Riley. Although no longer a restaurant, the building still stands.
