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Pizza Place Where de Blasio Ate Slice With Fork Reopened by Health Dept.

By Nicholas Rizzi | October 22, 2014 2:09pm
 Goodfella's Pizzeria re-opened after their two failed health inspections.
Goodfella's Pizzeria re-opened after their two failed health inspections.
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DNAinfo/Nicholas Rizzi

OCEAN BREEZE — The Staten Island pizza joint where Mayor Bill de Blasio shocked onlookers by using a knife and fork to eat his slice has reopened after being shut down by the health department.

Goodfella's Pizzeria, at 1718 Hylan Blvd., was closed down last week after inspectors found 53 violations, DNAinfo New York first reported.

It failed a second inspection Friday by earning 12 violations, the Staten Island Advance reported, but was cleared to reopen Monday.

Sam Cosentino, one of the co-owners of the spot, chalked up the previous failures to construction work.

"We were doing some construction and we had a couple of things open, unfortunately too much," Cosentino said. "We're open now, everything's perfect and we have an 'A' grade."

Cosentino said crews were tearing out the brick ovens and building new ones in the nearly 25-year-old spot. However, some parts of the restaurant were left open during construction and that caused them to fail the two inspections, Cosentino said.

The violations found last Wednesday included having evidence of mice, not having a vermin-proof space and keeping food at the wrong temperature, according to the Health Department.

During its inspection Friday, the pizzeria got violations for filth flies in food or non-food areas and another for evidence of mice, according to the Health Department.

The place was closed over the weekend and a large sign that read "Under renovation to better our service" was installed on the front window.

The spot made headlines in January after Mayor de Blasio ate a slice with a knife and fork during a campaign stop. The mayor was criticized online for his technique and schooled on how to properly eat pizza by Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show."

Another co-owner, Marc Cosentino, bagged the infamous fork and sold it for $2,500 that he donated to a local Hurricane Sandy charity.

Even after they were closed by the city, Sam Cosentino said his customers remained faithful.

"We had hundreds of people calling asking when we're opening," he said. "It's a good feeling getting all the good will."