Marion G Scotto

Marion Scotto is a New York restaurateur and matriarch of the family behind Fresco by Scotto, the Italian restaurant she helped build into a Midtown Manhattan institution. Her connection to food goes back generations — her grandmother Elena opened a poultry market in South Brooklyn in 1910, launching what became a family food dynasty.

Before her restaurant career, Marion worked as coordinator of special events for the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City, later moving into charitable and political fundraising. Describing herself as someone who “never knew how to cook for two,” she opened Fresco by Scotto in November 1993 alongside her children — son Anthony Jr. and daughters Rosanna and Elaina.

Known affectionately in the restaurant as “The Boss,” Marion has run front-of-house operations at Fresco, which grew into a well-known spot for power lunches and star-studded entertainment-industry dinners, earning praise from New York Magazine, Gourmet, and The New York Times, plus three stars from Crain’s New York Business. The family became familiar faces well beyond the dining room, appearing regularly on NBC’s Today Show, Live with Regis & Kelly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Extra, and Fox 5 Good Day New York — the last hosted by her daughter Rosanna, who has anchored there for years.

Marion co-authored several cookbooks celebrating the restaurant’s recipes, including Fresco: Northern Italian Culinary Traditions From the Scotto Family Kitchen and Italian Comfort Food. Fresco by Scotto has now been a Midtown Manhattan staple for over three decades, recently extending its lease at 485 Madison Avenue for another ten years, with a third generation of the family now helping manage it.

Funeral services are private.