Rest in peace, ‘Mama Rosa’
The death of Rosa “Mama Rosa” Fusca earlier this month at age 96 marked the loss of the face of a beloved regional name, both for the Butler Township restaurant that still bears her name and the jars of sauce available on store shelves.
But because of the way she lived her life, while she’s gone, Mama Rosa’s recipes and cooking will live on to delight future generations.
As we learned in a Friday, June 13, story about her death, Mama Rosa was born in Italy in 1929, and started cooking for customers of a store she and her husband, Nicola, owned in 1950.
By 1962, the family had moved to America, and her youngest son, Nick, was born in 1963. He’s now president, CEO and owner of Mama Rosa’s, and started cooking with his mother when he was 11.
“My mom was my biggest teacher, and she only went to sixth grade in Italy,” he said of her influence on his life.
It was his idea to jar the sauce she made. He said he got the idea while watching her can tomatoes so they would keep for the winter.
Over the decades, Mama Rosa’s cooking drew people from all over the community close to her. The smell of fresh bread brought them in, and her attitude kept them coming back.
She’d remember the stories they told and ask them about things when she saw them again.
“They were more like friends than customers,” he said.
Mama Rosa’s life shows how sharing your passion with others — whether it’s cooking or something else — is the way to build a lasting community around yourself.
— JK
