[StBernard] St. Bernard welcomes back Rocky and Carlo's with open arms

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard welcomes back Rocky and Carlo's with open arms

wwltv.com

Posted on May 29, 2012 at 6:58 PM

Updated Tuesday, May 29 at 7:03 PM

Dennis Woltering / Eyewitness News

Email: dwoltering at wwltv.com | Twitter: @dwoltering

CHALMETTE, La. -- For people in St. Bernard Parish, it was like a family
reunion. Rocky and Carlo's celebrated its grand opening after a fire
devastated the landmark three months ago.

Heaping plates of baked macaroni, fried shrimp and slopping roast beef
po-boys were once again served up to faithful customers who consider Rocky
and Carlos part of the family.

"This is home," said Norman Vancourt. "One of the reasons we all come back
to St. Bernard. Everybody knows each other."

"It's the best place ever. The best place in St. Bernard Parish," said Tammy
Melerine

The owner, Tommy Tomaseo, said all of his employees who were with him before
the fire are back with him today, many of them wearing We are Family
t-shirts.

He couldn't wait to serve up what all these friends have been craving.

"It feels so good," he said. "With all the family support and all our
friends here, we love it."

Tomaseo and his family have been through a lot. The flooding from broken
levees after Hurricane Katrina shut him down, and then several months ago,
the big fire that stunned everyone closed the business again.

"I hope we don't have to do it again," he said. "But if we have to, we will
do it again. It's not going to keep us down. Nothing is going to keep us
down."

The parish president said this place is synonymous with St. Bernard, and
that makes this a big day for the parish.

"One of the biggest thing after the storm was, people kept asking when is
Rocky's going to open again," St. Bernard Parish President David Peralta
said. "You know, so it tells you something. But it also tells you something
about the Tomaseo family and how they're committed to this community."

That fire that Rocky and Carlo's has now recovered from caused about
$225,000 worth of damage.