When Frank and Virginia Paolilli opened Ovidio’s Ristorante Italiano in Fresno on Dec. 29 1979, their shared passion for Italian cuisine began to resonate with local diners as profoundly as the work of the restaurant’s namesake, Roman poet Ovid. Forty-five years later, Ovidio’s Ristorante Italiano continues to thrive as one of Fresno’s most well-known Italian eateries.

Frank Paolilli immigrated from Sulmona, Italy, a town in the Abruzzo region several hours east of Rome. After arriving in America, he worked alongside the DiCicco family at their First and Shaw avenues location. After meeting Virginia, who came from the DiCicco family, the pair would go on to found Ovidio’s in late 1979, combining their knowledge of Italian cuisine at the Bullard and Marks avenues location.