Little Italy was forced to close its doors this past September after a fire spewed from a wall-mounted propane heater on the third floor. Though a sprinkler system saved the building from excessive fire damage, every floor — including the restaurant, the six apartments attached and the basement — flooded. Magro said he’s trying to work out a rebuilding process with insurance companies so he can get the building back up and running, but that process is stalled for now — he said it could be anywhere from one month to a year or more before rebuilding can begin.

Magro has owned Nonna Fina for around 15 years, but he said the restaurant has been closed down for around six years. He decided to take some of his Little Italy staff and fire up the pizza ovens again — just in time for Saranac Lake’s Winter Carnival, which officially kicks off today.

On Wednesday, the restaurant — which Magro is calling “Nonna Fina Pizzeria” — was filled with Ice Palace Workers who were hungry and happy to have another slice of Magro’s pies. He was giving away pizzas to the workers and handing out free pies to the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department and police department. It was his way of saying “thank you” for helping him during the Little Italy fire and for helping this community every day of the week. He said he got the Ice Palace Workers’ “approval” to reopen.

Many people in Saranac Lake have been asking Magro when he’s going to reopen Little Italy, he said, and he’s missed serving the community.

Little Italy owner Paolo Magro ladles tomato sauce onto pizza dough at Nonna Fina in Saranac Lake on Thursday. Magro says the most important elements of a good pizza are good dough, sauce and cheese. Starting today, Magro is serving Little Italy’s menu at Nonna Fina, which he also owns. (Enterprise photo — Lauren Yates)

“Every time I walk in anyplace I go, everybody asks me the same question: ‘Paolo when do you open, Paolo when do you open? We miss the food,'” he said. “I miss the food myself too. But I miss the people. It’s who I am.”

Today, Magro is opening the restaurant to the general public, but for takeout orders only, 518-891-4444. He said he’d need at least 10 extra workers to open up the full restaurant, and with the current labor shortage, it’s been hard to find help. He said he’ll be open every Tuesday through Sunday from around 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week and from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Magro, a native of Sicily, Italy, settled in Saranac Lake around 23 years ago. He said this village is the perfect middle ground between his family in Utica and Montreal, Canada, and the mountainous area reminds him of his hometown outside of Sicily.

“This is my town now,” he said of Saranac Lake.