PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A legacy restauranteur of Ralph’s Italian Restaurant on South Ninth Street has died.
The longtime family business announced the death of Ralph Dispigno Jr., son of Rafael Dispigno, who the restaurant is named after. He was 93.
The restaurant shared the loss of “Uncle Ralphie,” as he was often known, on Facebook.
“Ralph Jr. spent the vast majority of his 93 years on this earth inside the walls of the restaurant, for years working seven days a week,” part of the post reads. “Ralph was a fixture here, typically found in the kitchen shucking clams or visiting with beloved friends in the service bar. To have known him was to love him. And if you were ever fortunate enough to have met him, you just know.”
Ralph’s Italian Restaurant has been a fixture in the Italian Market neighborhood since 1900, where many family members have worked for decades.
Jimmy Rubino Jr. and Eddie Rubino are currently fourth-generation owners.
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