John Mosca

Who was John Mosca?

John Mosca was an American restauranteur and owner of the famed Mosca's, a Louisiana Creole and Italian restaurant located in Avondale, Louisiana, near New Orleans.

Mosca was born, raised and attended high school in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He worked for his parents, Provino and Lisa Mosca, at their local restaurant, which was also named Mosca's.

Mosca enlisted in the United States Army during World War II and served in the European Theater as an infantryman. He was wounded in action by shrapnel during battle in Italy. Mosca was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for his service. He was transferred to the British military forces, who assigned him as a waiter for officers and visiting dignitaries due to his restaurant experience prior to the war. He served British Prime Minister Winston Churchill future Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito in 1944 when they eat together at the Villa Rivalta in Naples, Italy.

Mosca's parents and brother, Nick, moved to New Orleans during World War II because their daughter, Mary Mosca, had married a New Orleans resident named Vincent Marconi. John Mosca also moved to New Orleans following the end of the war and his honorable discharge from the United States Army.