Prince Pizzeria founder remembered for support of Saugus, generosity

SAUGUS – Arthur Castraberti, the longtime owner of the Prince Pizzeria on Route 1, died Tuesday morning. He was 86 years old.Castraberti took over the fledgling 12-seat pizzeria in 1961 and turned over the reins to his son Steven in 2005, but in the 50 years since Castraberti established the iconic pizzeria, his generosity to the town of Saugus is what his son said made him stand out.”We always had a sense of giving back to the community. In turn we got a lot of support from the community. I am definitely continuing that tradition. It’s the way I was brought up,” Steven Castraberti said.Prince Pizzeria has always been a family operation, said Castraberti’s daughter Linda Harrington, who along with her husband and three children worked at the restaurant at some point.”He was quite a guy and I think Saugus is going to miss him terribly and people on the North Shore,” said Harrington. “He was one of those larger-than-life people that you always thought was going to be there.”For Chamber of Commerce Director Sean Grant, Castraberti was one of the cornerstones of the Saugus business community.”He was one of the leaders that got the businesses together,” said Grant. “He was a leader and pioneer in the business community and left an indelible mark on Saugus. He’s truly an icon who will be missed for years to come.”Fire Chief James Blanchard worked for Castraberti more than 20 years ago when he was just starting out as a firefighter in Saugus.The part-time job helped Blanchard earn some extra income, but he said it wasn’t easy.”He was a terrific guy for a young kid to work for,” said Blanchard. “He made you work really hard. There was never any downtime. He kept your feet to the fire all the time, but every week he paid you.”Selectman Scott Crabtree remembered attending banquets at the restaurant when he was in Little League and marveled at how the family has been able to sustain that level of commitment to the town through all these years.”I think Prince and Arthur are an icon here in Saugus and really helped build a reputation for Saugus,” said Crabtree. “His son has continued that tradition of generosity to the town.”Saugus Little League President Elizabeth Marchese can attest to that generosity. And while she has only been president for a year, she has seen firsthand how Prince Pizzeria has kept local sports going.”It’s amazing,” said Marchese. “Our league is run on registration fees and local business (support) and Prince has been our number one supporter. We’ve always had our banquets there and he’s always been kind and gracious.”In 1961, Castraberti was working for Prince Spaghetti in Lowell, when the president of the company offered to let him run the pizza stand. At the time the pizzeria was losing money, but Castraberti decided it would be best if he bought it outright. The two men struck a deal and a Saugus landmark was born.It took nearly five years for Prince Pizza, which is known for its replica leaning Tower of Pisa, to start coming into its own, and in that span, Castraberti would spend weekdays teaching and then spend nights running the restaurant.Finally Prince started to catch on and Castraberti was able to expand. In 1978, he opened the 175-seat Giggles Comedy Club, which has become like a second home for several Boston-based comedians, including Lenny Clarke.But Blanchard said it was Castraberti’s devotion to all things Saugus that made him stand out, even as he was able to build Prince into a 700-seat behemoth.”Arthur made the business work and made it a family restaurant,” said Blanchard. “He took a special interest in his customers. If you went in twice, he knew you by name. He was a mainstay here and did so much for the town. I was sad to hear the news. Not only did we lose a valuable person to the community, but a very nice man as well.”One story of Castraberti’s generosity stood out for Blanchard. Around 10 years ago, a hockey league from New Hampshire came down to nearby Hockeytown for an all-day tournament