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The Journal News
"Right Time For Mo's"
July 14, 2006
After Mariano Rivera's first day as a major-leaguer, Joe Fosina gave him a ride home. Eleven years later, the longtime Yankees uniform vendor remembered that ride being especially quiet. Rivera, a Panama native, didn't speak English while Fosina, a New Rochelle native, didn't speak Spanish.
"Just another rookie coming to the Yankees," Fosina thought.
Rivera quickly proved he was anything but. He became a quiet leader and the bullpen anchor on a series of dominant Yankees teams. Away from the clubhouse, the Rivera and Fosina families have shared dinners and taken vacations together. Rivera knows all the Fosina grandchildren by name.
That relationship was evident yesterday when Rivera and Fosina's son Gary opened "Mo's New York Grill," a 130-seat steakhouse in the heart of downtown New Rochelle that is a combination of right people, right place, right time.
"Pitching is what I do," Rivera said from the back dining room. "But this, us getting together and giving back to the community, it's great."
"Mo's" attracted a large crowd yesterday afternoon to its storefront for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. For the business partners and politicians gathered near the entrance, the idea was a no-brainer.
New Rochelle was Rivera's first hometown in New York. He lived in a one-bedroom apartment in the Harbor House complex on Davenport Avenue the first year, then moved to Greencroft Condominiums on Pelham Avenue where he lived until 2001.
"This was where I took my first steps in New York," Rivera said.
The Fosina family has been in the Queen City for six generations. All six of Joe's children — including Gary, the executive chef and general manager — graduated from New Rochelle High School.
Mayor Noam Bramson said he couldn't remember better attendance at a grand opening. He said he hoped the crowds keep coming, and that the new restaurant will become a common destination for fans across the tri-state region.
"This is a tremendous shot in the arm for New Rochelle to have a quality restaurant in the heart of our downtown that's associated with one of the great sports figures of all time," Bramson said.
Inside, "Mo's" has the look of an upscale steakhouse, with its pale green walls and dark mahogany wood. There are only three TVs, and almost all of the Yankee-themed photos hang in the hallway between the front and back dining rooms. There's a single photo in the entryway, one of Rivera running in from the bullpen against the Red Sox.
Gary Fosina, who'd previously worked as a chef for the Sheraton Hotels in Manhattan, created the menu, though Rivera says he has a Panamanian special on the way.
Fosina said Rivera added a few touches to the interior design and that he wanted it named "Mo's" rather than his full name.
Another business partner is Brandon Steiner, the CEO of Steiner Sports. Steiner's first touch was T-shirts, hats and steak knives that sit in a display case in the entryway, but he sees more marketing opportunities in the future. The next step is a steak sauce, "with a Panamanian kick."
Rivera was asked if he ever envisioned having his name splashed all over a restaurant when he was a rookie.
"If I told you yes, I'd be lying," he said. "The good Lord blessed me with a good job, family and especially good relationships around New York so I was able to do this."
None of his Yankee teammates was there yesterday, but Rivera said that will change.
For one, Steiner's office, a common stop for players, is in the neighborhood.
"I guarantee you," Rivera said, "someone will be here."
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Visit their website at: mosnewyorkgrill.com |
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