Vinnie Emilio Remembered at Lange's

Lange's Deli in Scarsdale lost a member of their family when owner and chef Vinnie Emilio passed away at age 57 on April 6, 2013. Vinnie and his business partner Tony Domini have owned this Scarsdale mainstay since 1999 when the two paired up and purchased Lange's from former owner Charles Dolan. Tony and Vinnie met in Florida and both moved north to work together with Vinnie heading the kitchen, and Toni, a veteran of the finance industry, handling the business. When they took over Lange's in 1999 they inherited a loyal staff and many of these same men have stayed on board for years.

Vinnie was an accomplished chef who "got crazy in the kitchen" and could turn out meals in voluminous quantities. In addition to his expertise with standard deli fare like roast turkey and pot roast, he was a talented baker and dessert chef, known for his apple bread pudding and rice pudding. According to Tony, Vinnie lived alone and Lange's and the people who worked there were his life.

Lange's employees were eager to share memories of Vinnie who some looked to as a father or even grandfather. They all said that he was "always there for them" – and would do everything he could do for his team. He was remembered as a tough boss who constantly reminded the men behind the counter to be attentive to the customers. But his bark was worse than his bite and he was clearly loved by all.

When asked to describe him, Sal called Vinnie "nice, hard-working and sweet," while Francisco called him "my Dad and my friend." Thirteen-year Lange's veteran Carlos said "Vinnie had an attitude and like to play around," but was serious about the work. Lenin, who also has worked at Lange's for 13 years said that Vinnie "had the human touch" and "he cared about us." The team remembered parties at Vinnie's small apartment in Mahopac, and his birthday barbeques as well.

Everyone was surprised at his passing. When Vinnie started experiencing pain in his neck he initially thought he had pinched a nerve and went to an acupuncturist and then a chiropractor. But after he fell and was not able to get up he was taken to the doctor who scanned his neck and found a shadow on the xray that was later identified as a tumor. He underwent surgery and everyone thought he would be fine until he developed an infection that caused him to fail and eventually pass away soon after the operation.

Lange's is poised to expand and will now include a family-style pizza restaurant in the space formerly occupied by the furrier. Amidst the construction at the deli is a large television screen bearing a black ribbon showing slides of Vinnie and his team. He will clearly be missed.