By: Nick Buglione
Five months later, Giambaco stood in the same spot, wearing a grin from ear to ear, taking in the surroundings of his newly reopened and refurbished restaurant.
"It's a part of my body that's come back to me," said Giambaco, an Italian immigrant. "Pieces of my life went out in the flames."
On a Sunday in July, about an hour after closing, Giambaco watched in horror from Hempstead Turnpike as fire engulfed Fabio's. The fire had begun in the basement and made its way up into the restaurant, doing the most damage in the section of the dining area to the left of the entrance. Electrical wiring in the walls sparked the blaze.
East Meadow Fire Department Chief Donald Reilly recalled that it was an extremely difficult fire to fight, and East Meadow was aided by the North Bellmore, Levittown, Wantagh, Hicksville, North Merrick and Westbury fire departments.
Firefighters had the blaze under control in about an hour, and it was extinguished in about three hours. There were a few cases of exhaustion among the firefighters, but none was seriously hurt. Thanks to their efforts, the restaurant did not burn to the ground, and the two houses attached to the building were undamaged, as were the other businesses on that stretch of Hempstead Turnpike.
The damage inside Fabio's, however, was extensive, forcing its closure and leaving Giambaco to ponder his future.
Hoping to have the restaurant reopened by early September, a team of workers began cleaning up in the fire's aftermath. Delays in the reconstruction, however, forced Giambaco to push back the reopening to early December. "It was very important for everybody to reopen before the holiday," Giambaco said.
The renovations cost Giambaco approximately $300,000, and he estimates that the restaurant lost thousands of dollars more in business while it was shuttered. Since its reopening, though, business has been booming, he said, and it was packed for the holidays.
The restaurant now features a brand new dining area, including a section designed to look like a Tuscany villa, and a freshly painted mural reminiscent of the Renaissance. The heating and air conditioning system has been replaced, as well as the electrical wiring, Giambaco said.
The restaurant's new ambiance has drawn rave reviews from its regular customers. "I went there on Christmas eve, as I have on other holidays before," said Hempstead Town Councilman Gary Hudes, who frequents Fabio's. "The changes are wonderful. It's like you're sitting on a street in Italy."
The entire staff -- from the chefs to the dishwashers -- has returned to work, Giambaco said.
Looking back on the incident, he said that the fire taught him how much the surrounding community cares about Fabio's. "We understand now how people love us," Giambaco said, noting that he received an outpouring of support from East Meadow.
Fabio's is one of East Meadow's most popular restaurants, and Giambaco, a Merrick resident who emigrated from Italy in 1986, is a respected and involved member of the community. He has often donated his restaurant for various charitable events, including a post-Sept. 11, 2001, fund-raiser.
"Sal is a good community person, and he's done a lot for people over the years," said Richard Bivone, a local civic and business leader. "It's good to see him open again."
Fabio's is at 2366 Hempstead Turnpike. Its hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, call (516) 735-6868.
