Marion Scotto, the beloved mother of Rosanna Scotto and the “heart of Fresco by Scotto,” has died at 90.
FOX 5 legend Rosanna wrote in a tribute that for more than three decades “Mama Scotto” welcomed diners to her Midtown Manhattan restaurant as though they were guests in her own home, adding that her mother treated everyone equally, whether they were presidents, celebrities or everyday New Yorkers.
She said that Marion took a tremendous “leap of faith” to open the star-studded Midtown eatery in 1993, even mortgaging the Brooklyn home where she and her late husband, Anthony, raised their family.
The gamble became a lasting family legacy.
“She believed in her family. She believed in hard work,” Rosanna wrote in the moving tribute on social media.
A mother of four, grandmother of eight and great-grandmother, Marion considered her family her greatest accomplishment, according to Rosanna.
She also became a familiar face on FOX 5, joining her daughter for holiday broadcasts and sharing recipes and family traditions.
Anthony died in 2021 after more than 60 years of marriage.
Her legacy, Rosanna wrote, is one of “generosity, resilience, hospitality, and love.”
Fresco by Scotto is still owned by the family, and remains famous for its classic Italian dishes and has welcomed everyone from world leaders and celebrities to generations of New Yorkers.
Over the years, Fresco has welcomed an A-list roster that has included Jay-Z, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Selena Gomez, Sylvester Stallone, Nick Jonas and Whitney Houston, along with world leaders, athletes and countless Broadway and Hollywood stars.
“We have been so fortunate to have a lot of VIPs who come to Fresco by Scotto. And if I had to put my finger on why they feel comfortable here, it’s because we make them feel comfortable here,” Scotto told Page Six in 2024.
