Time Travel: Early Look at Bridgeport's Sonny Oliverio and 1960s' Photo of the Restaurant He's Working At
By Dick Duez on August 09, 2026 from History Blog
The man smiling on the far right is Sonny Oliverio and he's not shown at the restaurant he owned "Sonny's" that is now Oliverio's Ristorante. Instead, he's shown here working at Minard's, another legendary Italian restaurant that sits in Clarksburg. Does anyone know who else is in the photo? If so, add your comments below. The exact date of this photo is not known. And according to multiple early comments, the man on the left is Joe Minard, owner of the restaurant shown below, and the person on the far right is Rocco Sam Muriale, the owner of Rocco's Ristorante in Kenova (not the Rocco Muriale of Muriale's in Fairmont).
This photo is from the 1960s and shows Minard's Spaghetti Inn situated in the same location as it is in today. Although there have been changes, the distinct look of the facility can be noticed. Like Oliverio's, it is one of many fine Italian restaurants offered in Harrison and surrounding counties.
Editor's Note: This ongoing photo feature of pictures from Bridgeport and throughout the Mountain State is part of local historian Richard "Dick" Duez's collection. Duez, the unofficial historian of Bridgeport, would appreciate any scanned photos emailed to him for use here or to include in his ongoing efforts to preserve local history. You can email photos, or let him know how to acquire copies of photos you may have in your possession, to Duez at at dick@duez.ws
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