Josephine Leggio (1919-2016), an Inspiration for the Founders of Mima Vinoteca in Irvington

Josephine Leggio passed away on June 13, 2016 at the age of 96. She loved to cook and she and her recipes were an inspiration for family members including three of her 15 grandchildren who were founders of Mima Vinoteca in Irvington.

The restaurant founders are grandson John Leggio, grandson Robert Leggio (John’s cousin), and Robert’s sister Dana Santucci, Dana's husband Armando Santucci, and John’s uncle Phillip Leggio. When Mima Vinoteca opened in January, 2008, John was the dinnertime host and Dana was the hostess at lunchtime.

On the restaurant’s website, the opening paragraphs inform:

• Mima is a reminder of all our grandmothers and mothers who taught and cooked for us as we grew.
• Mima is what we call our grandmothers and it is how we present our endeavor to you, a restaurant that remembers the classics and modern world.

Josephine Leggio was a Tarrytown resident. She has 29 great-grandchildren. She was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, also the resting place for author Washington Irving.

A portrait of Josephine Leggio hangs on a wall at the restaurant.

The Leggio family traces its roots to Palermo and Ragusa, Sicily.

John Leggio is responsible for connecting Vinoteca to the restaurant’s name. He borrowed from a traditional term “enoteca” or wine bar, substituting “vino” for “eno.”

Two other Leggio family-member-owned Westchester restaurants, Zuppers in Yonkers and Tramonto in Hawthorne, existed when Mima Vinoteca opened in 2008 and were known for serving authentic, classic Italian dishes.

Mima Vinoteca opened in the space previously occupied by Red Hat Bistro which had reopened three months earlier as Red Hat on the River on the Irvington riverfront. One of Mima’s early events was called, “Taste the Food and Wine of Sicily.”

Mima Vinoteca is located at 63 Main Street in Irvington, NY, near Eckar St., www.mimarestaurant.com.