GRAMERCY — A Gramercy pizza joint auctioned off its equipment on Saturday, according to a public listing, months after it closed due to a gas leak, according to a Con Ed spokeswoman.
Con Ed shut off the gas at Mariella Pizza, at Third Avenue and East 16th Street, on Jan. 24 after a leak was detected, and reconnected the line on Feb. 22, according to a spokeswoman. But despite gas being restored, the restaurant has remained closed, according to neighbors.
“We heard the gas had been shut off, but then it never came back,” said Adam Jacobs, who lives nearby.
A phone call to owner Tony Mariello on Monday went to a full mailbox. Representatives of the building’s owner, Solil Management, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
One former resident of the area let out a gasp when he rounded the corner to find the window gate closed and locked on Monday afternoon.
“I went here since I was a little squirt,” said the man, who declined to give his name and said he now lives in Queens.
Mariella had been in the neighborhood for 37 years, according to Town and Village, which first reported the closing.