The Villa

banksy · Post by **banksy** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:58 pm

I was wondering if anyone has any pictures of the Villa, inside or out. Also, what was the place like.... how was the food, what was their menu like, prices? Let's just start up a topic on the Villa and let the old timers let us youngin's know.

Robbuck · Post by **Robbuck** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 2:27 pm

I'll start you out with this fact.. The Villa made the sauce for the Famous Hub pizzas.. No matter where you travel , you will never find a pizza the rivals the Hub Pizza. Which, By the way was the FIRST pizza in Tyrone. :thumb:

banksy · Post by **banksy** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:40 pm

Have you tried Gio's pizza in Woodland off of route 80? Wonder if it would remind you of the Hub.

Robbuck · Post by **Robbuck** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:02 am

Yes I have and no it doesn't. But thanks for the suggestion

tyroniepa · Post by **tyroniepa** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 9:58 pm

ahhhh Hub pizza. Wish I had some now. I'd give my left @#$ for the recipe, lol.

Anyway, the Villa - I remember the lobster tank at the entrance! Imagine, Tyrone was once a town that had a restaurant with live lobsters.

chief-logan · Post by **chief-logan** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:53 pm

The Villa became a resturant in 1936 when the grocery store at that location kept getting compliments on the sauce they were cooking and putting into jars for sale. It was the Sprankle building and had been a place for meat, pork products and canned lard prior to the 30s. Same Sprankles who live up Hoover's Lane.

The Villa took off and was enlarged a number of times and covered about four storefronts with large almost nautical windows with neon. The inside was part engish pub part Italian villa. The painting is still floating around. I have the mint box off of the counter, a very large ashtray from the bar, a few small ash trays, two of their photo menus, the brass door pull from the dining room. Also a photo of the outside. They were famous for their lobsters and italian cooking. They advertised on television and were a regional attraction. In the 1950s the State used them in the official travel guide as a destination resturant. Many famous people ate there: Bette Davis, regular Joe Paterno, Chuck Knox, Fred Waring with his aunt Miss Calderwood. It closed in the late 80's (?) This is written from memory, so it may not be completely accurate. The Panasetti family ran the business for many years and they also collect Villa memorabelia. I think one of them went over the mountain and may still operate a resturant (?).

Bill Latchford · Post by **Bill Latchford** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:23 pm

I'm going through Ebay.com right now. I do this once in a while to see if anything pops up about Tyrone. Here is a Villa change holder that is up for bid:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SMALL-CHANGE-HOLDER ... dZViewItem

I just love seeing all the older things that they have out there about Tyrone, Pa.

Harlow · Post by **Harlow** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:06 pm

Dave Panaseti is the one who owns Gio's up in Woodland. He is from the Villa family.

banksy · Post by **banksy** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:14 pm

Bill Latchford wrote:I'm going through Ebay.com right now. I do this once in a while to see if anything pops up about Tyrone. Here is a Villa change holder that is up for bid:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SMALL-CHANGE-HOLDER ... dZViewItem

I just love seeing all the older things that they have out there about Tyrone, Pa.

I am bidding on it... been watching it all week.

chief-logan · Post by **chief-logan** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:43 pm

It is ironic how things work. It is the subject of the Villa that led me to meet one of the most facinating people. He was an assistant Principal and teacher, guidance councelor and former principal of Warriors Mark High School (1952 or 53) before it closed, Mr. Paul Matusky. I outbid his son who is COE of Gregory Financial in Ardmore PA, on a villa postcard. We got to emailing back and forth and since I have a billion Tyrone things, they both came by on a Saturday. MR. Matusky is a bit of a hero to students who graduated in the 50s and 60s. He was a POW in Germany I think for two years. He was a person who when he talked you wanted to listen. One thing I found facinating was he was from Dubois but had to come to Tyrone to get the train to NY to ship out. When he came back, Tyrone was so busy during the war that resturants were open at 1:00 in the morning when he arrived and the station was full of people. He walked up town to a USO club on 10th street above Logan and he said it was like being in a big city, all of the lights and noise. As I said, a facinating person. Sadly he died last year. I gave them a nice 5 x 7 black and white photo of the Villa. They used to got there just to look at the lobster.

BeachBiker · Post by **BeachBiker** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:55 am

chief-logan wrote:...led me to meet one of the most facinating people. He was an assistant Principal and teacher, guidance councelor and former principal of Warriors Mark High School (1952 or 53) before it closed, Mr. Paul Matusky...

Didn't he have a daughter named Paula?

chief-logan · Post by **chief-logan** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:39 pm

Yea, he had a daughter Paula, and Mayr Ann and sons Patrick, and Gregory. All went to Tyrone school. They moved east to Lansdale in 1968 (?) but he also maintaind a home in Clearfield County. Died 02/07/2005. Lived at 500 Park Ave Tyrone for many years. I wrongly stated he was prisoner over two years, it was over two mos. He saved the life of a member of his crew by having the men make a strecher and carry him. This is while they were captured. Obit is on this site's archive. Also, a video is available at PCN Pennsylvania Cable Network calle World War II in Their Own Words Part 5. He is interviewed.

BeachBiker · Post by **BeachBiker** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 2:26 pm

chief-logan wrote:Yea, he had a daughter Paula...

I thought so - she was in my classes in earlier grades.

outoftown · Post by **outoftown** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:01 pm

JoePa still reminicses about the Villa when you mention Tyrone, he talks about how Sue and himself used to slip down to the Villa... I remember many a day doing there to get spaghetti and meatballs...

chief-logan · Post by **chief-logan** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:09 pm

Hey! I just found one of my Villa menus. This is an older one. Very colorful and full of photos. Here are a few highlites: Lobster Dinner served anytime our doors are open, 1 1/4 LB. Maine Lobster w/fries head lettuce salad w/roquefort , dessert coffe $3.50. 2lb Lobsters $4.00; Shore Platter, 1/2 broiled maine lobster with assort seafood, $2.75. Pan fried Frog Legs, $2.00. There are over twenty seafood choices! Spaghetti w/mballs 90c, w/shrimp $1.25. Seafood platter (no lobster, but 10 items included) $1.75. It has one of the larges bar menues I have seen. Front covers mentions Tyrone .. a community of 10,000 population with 20,000 within a seven mile radious.

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