There was something about the way Joseph Migliucci kneaded his dough that made it just a little more tasty than other pizza crusts at Mario’s Restaurant on Arthur Avenue, an establishment named for his father. Mario Migliucci had taught the skill to his son in a family business that marked its 100th anniversary in 2019.

When Joseph Migliucci, 81, knew he was close to death from the COVID-19 virus on April 6, he kept asking the nurses to FaceTime his daughter, Regina—one of six children he raised. He wanted to make sure she would reopen Mario’s after the crisis was over.