Community helps Matawan, NJ pizzeria owner who lost it all in fire

A family who has lived in the Marlboro area for nearly 25 years and owns a pizzeria in Matawan for more than 50 years, lost their home and virtually everything inside in a Wednesday night fire.

The blaze broke out in the Di Frega family home in the Robertsville section of Marlboro, close to Clayton Road and Gary Drive, according to the Robertsville Volunteer Fire Co. 1 and reported by The Patch.

Only one of the house's six residents was there when the fire started, according to a report in The Asbury Park Press. Angela Scotto Di Frega, a senior at Marlboro High School said she "heard a popping sound in another room, and our dog started barking."

The teen and her dog escaped unharmed but, unfortunately, one of the family's cats died and another is missing. Everything in the house has been destroyed.

The Scotto Di Frega family opened Attilio's Pizzeria in 1970 and have run it for five-plus decades on Cliffwood Avenue at the Matawan-Aberdeen boundary, according to the Press.

The pizzeria has been a staple in the community since its inception. When Superstorm Sandy shut down many places in October 2012, Attilio's stayed open, making pies by candlelight for locals in need.

Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, Attilio's donated food to local responders and senior citizens in Cheesequake Village.

A GoFundMe page set up by relatives has raised over $12,000 so far.