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Fay's History (Click thumbnails for larger photos)
- Fay DiPiro was born Fay Costa in Fabrizia, Italy in 1919.
 
- Fay came to America in 1931 when she was 12 with her parents’ Francesco and Raffaela, sister Rosa (3) and her brother James (2). Brother Mike and Sister Mary were born in America.
- The Costa’s settled in Claremont, NH where Fay’s father owned a cobbler shop.
- Fay learned most of her cooking skill from her mother Raffaela, who would make fresh sausages and hang them to cure in her parlor.
- Fay married and had her only child, Evelyn in 1938.
- Fay worked at the old Lucas’s Diner and Smith’s Restaurant in New Bedford, MA as well as Nap’s on the bridge in Fairhaven, MA.
- In 1946 Fay married Alexander DiPiro who was a chef.
- Fay perfected her cooking skills while she and Alexander worked in hotels in Naples, FL in the winter and Thousand Islands, NY in the summer.
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- In 1951, Fay, Alexander and Evelyn settled in Fairhaven, MA where Alexander worked as a chef and bar manager at Haskells (now Freestones), which was owned by his brother.
- Fay’s beloved husband, Alexander died in 1958 of Hodgkin’s disease.
- In 1959, Fay and younger brother Mike went to work for the Nest restaurant in Mattapoisett.
- In 1961 Fay and Mike opened the kitchen of the “Knotty Pine” (which was formally Lil’s Sea Grill)
in the North End of New Bedford that at that time was owned by Tony Lopes and in 1963 took over full ownership from him.
- In 1965, Mike went on to open Mike’s Restaurant in Fairhaven.
- Fay continued to run the Knotty Pine with the help of her family. Sister Rosa, Niece Donna, Nephew Ronnie (who today has his own restaurant in Freetown called Nephew’s), Great Nieces Rebecca and Jessica, daughter Evelyn, grand daughter Elizabeth and grandson Matthew all worked at the Knotty Pine, making it truly a family business!
- Fay retired in 1983, when daughter Evelyn took over.
- In 1998 Fay’s daughter Evelyn and grandson Matthew opened Fay’s Too in Dartmouth.
Read Standard Times Article
Read Fall River Herald Article 1
Read Fall River Herald Article 2
- Evelyn and Matthew continued to operate The Knotty Pine in addition to Fay’s Too until 2000 when the building was sold by the owner and demolished to make way for a drug store.
Read Standard Times Article 1
Read Standard Times Article 2
- While the old Knotty Pine no longer exists the same great food and warm, friendly family atmosphere with a more extensive menu and restaurant capacity lives on at Fay’s Restaurant!
- Many people ask, is Fay real, is she still alive? Sadly Fay, at the age of 86, just recently passed on (January 31, 2006). Up until the time of her passing Fay was alwyas very interested in what was happening in “HER” restaurant so rest assured that all things new and old have had her stamp of approval and will continue to be done in her loving memory.
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