Vittorio Giunco
Where the Journey Began
Vic's Taproom 1933
Vittorio "Vic" Giunco and his wife, Carmella, emigrated from Genoa, Italy to the United States in search of a better life and the opportunity to raise a family. In the early 1910s, they settled in Bradley Beach, New Jersey where they welcomed two children, Rose and John.
Like many immigrants of his generation, Vittorio worked tirelessly to build a successful business. He first operated a fruit stand and later opened a candy shop, but neither venture proved successful over the long term.
Following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, Vittorio opened a small neighborhood tavern called Vic's Tap Room on Main Street, in the heart of Bradley Beach. As the business prospered, an opportunity arose around 1940 to purchase a larger property on the south end of town. Vittorio seized the opportunity, relocating Vic's Tap Room to its present-day location, where it continued to serve the Bradley Beach community.
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John Giunco
Then Came the Restaurant
1947
Following World War II, Vittorio Giunco's son, John envisioned something more than a neighborhood tavern. He saw the opportunity to create a place where family, friends, and authentic Italian cooking could come together. The building was expanded and on March 17, 1947, Vic's Bar & Restaurant officially opened its doors.
Father and son worked side by side to make their dream a success. Vittorio continued operating the bar while John, together with his mother Carmella, developed a menu of authentic Italian recipes inspired by their family's heritage. Their warmth, hospitality, and homemade cooking quickly earned a loyal following.
Among John and Carmella's greatest contributions was introducing one of America's newest culinary sensations, pizza. After World War II, returning American servicemen had developed a taste for the dish while serving in Italy. John and Carmella refined their own recipes helping make Vic's one of the first places at the Jersey Shore where generations of families would fall in love with authentic thin-crust pizza.
When Vittorio passed away in 1967, John carried on the family's founding traditions with the help of his son Vic and his son-in-law Edward. He spent the next three decades expanding the restaurant while remaining true to the values his father had established. In 2000 Vic's added an outdoor patio giving guests the opportunity to enjoy dining alfresco during the summer months.
Ed & Ava Dollive
3rd Generation Continuing the Tradition
After John Giunco's passing in 2001, stewardship of the restaurant was entrusted to his daughter Ava and her husband Edward Dollive, who had already dedicated almost four decades working the family business.
Today, more than 80 years after Vittorio first opened his neighborhood tavern, Ed and Ava's children proudly continue the tradition, preserving the recipes, hospitality, and family values that have made Vic's an enduring Bradley Beach landmark for generations.
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After four generations, one thing has become clear, at Vic's we never truly pass the baton. Instead, each generation works alongside the one before it learning, teaching, and carrying forward the traditions that began in 1947. It is this unbroken chain of family, hard work, and shared purpose that has allowed Vic's to remain true to its roots for more than 80 years.
We have never considered ourselves owners of Vic's. We are simply its stewards, entrusted with preserving the recipes, the hospitality, and the values that Vittorio and Carmella brought with them from Italy. Our hope is not just to continue their legacy, but to leave it stronger for the generation that will one day stand beside us.
