John Mosca
Encyclopedia
John Mosca (May 6, 1925 Chicago Heights, Illinois
- July 13, 2011, Harahan, Louisiana
) was an American
restauranteur and owner (and co-founder) of the famed Mosca's
, a Louisiana Creole
and Italian
restaurant located in Avondale, Louisiana
, near New Orleans.
Mosca was born, raised and attended high school
in Chicago Heights, Illinois
. He worked for his parents, Provino and Lisa Mosca, at their local restaurant, which was also named Mosca's.
Mosca enlisted in the United States Army
during World War II
and served in the European Theater as an infantryman. He was wounded in action
by shrapnel
during battle in Italy
. Mosca was awarded two Purple Heart
s and a Bronze Star for his service. He was transferred to the British military forces, who assigned him as a waiter
for officers and visiting dignitaries due to his restaurant experience prior to the war. He served British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
future Yugoslavia
n President Josip Broz Tito
in 1944 when they eat together at the Villa Rivalta in Naples, Italy.
Mosca's parents and brother, Nick, moved to New Orleans during World War II because their daughter, Mary Mosca, had married a New Orleans resident named Vincent Marconi. John Mosca also moved to New Orleans following the end of the war and his honorable discharge from the United States Army.
In 1946, Mosca and his parents opened a new restaurant, called Mosca's
, in an Avondale, Louisiana
, building that was once a tavern
. Mosca decided to offer a menu
similar to his parents former restaurant in Illinois, specializing in family-style platters. However, they decided to include local Louisiana ingredients and cuisine
, including seafood
, such as oysters and crabs. Among the newer entrees added by Mosca were marinated crab salad, barbecued shrimp and baked oysters. The menu has remained virtually unchanged since the restaurant's founding, as of 2011. Mosca's was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina
in 2005, but rebuilt and reopened just ten months later.
Mosca would wake-up at 5 a.m. to shop for ingredients and make the pasta
by hand. He worked at Mosca's consistently until approximately a month before his death in 2011.
John Mosca died from prostate cancer at his home in Harahan, Louisiana
, on July 13, 2011, at the age 86. He was survived by his wife, Mary Jo, and daughter, Lisa Mosca. His wife still runs Mosca's, including the kitchen.
Chicago Heights, Illinois
Chicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 31,373 at the 2005 census. Chicago Heights is nicknamed 'Crossroads of the Nation'.-History:...
- July 13, 2011, Harahan, Louisiana
Harahan, Louisiana
Harahan is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 9,885 at the 2000 census.Harahan was named in honor of James Theodore Harahan, president of the Illinois Central Railroad from 1906-1911...
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
restauranteur and owner (and co-founder) of the famed Mosca's
Mosca's
Mosca's is a Louisiana Creole Italian restaurant in Avondale, Louisiana, near New Orleans. Operated by the same family since it opened in 1946, it has long been regarded as one of New Orleans' best restaurants, known for dishes such as Oysters Mosca, crab salad, and Chicken a la...
, a Louisiana Creole
Louisiana Creole cuisine
Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana which blends French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Asian Indian, Native American, and African influences, as well as general Southern cuisine...
and Italian
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
restaurant located in Avondale, Louisiana
Avondale, Louisiana
Avondale is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 5,441 at the 2000 census...
, near New Orleans.
Mosca was born, raised and attended high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Chicago Heights, Illinois
Chicago Heights, Illinois
Chicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 31,373 at the 2005 census. Chicago Heights is nicknamed 'Crossroads of the Nation'.-History:...
. He worked for his parents, Provino and Lisa Mosca, at their local restaurant, which was also named Mosca's.
Mosca enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and served in the European Theater as an infantryman. He was wounded in action
Wounded in action
Wounded in action describes soldiers who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during war time, but have not been killed. Typically it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continuing to fight....
by shrapnel
Shrapnel
Shrapnel shells were anti-personnel artillery munitions which carried a large number of individual bullets close to the target and then ejected them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually. They relied almost entirely on the shell's velocity for...
during battle in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Mosca was awarded two Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
s and a Bronze Star for his service. He was transferred to the British military forces, who assigned him as a waiter
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
for officers and visiting dignitaries due to his restaurant experience prior to the war. He served British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
future Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n President Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
in 1944 when they eat together at the Villa Rivalta in Naples, Italy.
Mosca's parents and brother, Nick, moved to New Orleans during World War II because their daughter, Mary Mosca, had married a New Orleans resident named Vincent Marconi. John Mosca also moved to New Orleans following the end of the war and his honorable discharge from the United States Army.
In 1946, Mosca and his parents opened a new restaurant, called Mosca's
Mosca's
Mosca's is a Louisiana Creole Italian restaurant in Avondale, Louisiana, near New Orleans. Operated by the same family since it opened in 1946, it has long been regarded as one of New Orleans' best restaurants, known for dishes such as Oysters Mosca, crab salad, and Chicken a la...
, in an Avondale, Louisiana
Avondale, Louisiana
Avondale is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 5,441 at the 2000 census...
, building that was once a tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
. Mosca decided to offer a menu
Menu
In a restaurant, a menu is a presentation of food and beverage offerings. A menu may be a la carte – which guests use to choose from a list of options – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established sequence of courses is served....
similar to his parents former restaurant in Illinois, specializing in family-style platters. However, they decided to include local Louisiana ingredients and cuisine
Cuisine
Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...
, including seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
, such as oysters and crabs. Among the newer entrees added by Mosca were marinated crab salad, barbecued shrimp and baked oysters. The menu has remained virtually unchanged since the restaurant's founding, as of 2011. Mosca's was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005, but rebuilt and reopened just ten months later.
Mosca would wake-up at 5 a.m. to shop for ingredients and make the pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
by hand. He worked at Mosca's consistently until approximately a month before his death in 2011.
John Mosca died from prostate cancer at his home in Harahan, Louisiana
Harahan, Louisiana
Harahan is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 9,885 at the 2000 census.Harahan was named in honor of James Theodore Harahan, president of the Illinois Central Railroad from 1906-1911...
, on July 13, 2011, at the age 86. He was survived by his wife, Mary Jo, and daughter, Lisa Mosca. His wife still runs Mosca's, including the kitchen.