Demolition of the former Testo’s restaurant, where Bridgeport’s long-time Democratic Party chief for years cooked for patrons and concocted political recipes for the city, could begin this week to make way for a 177-unit market rate apartment complex. The municipal building department on Monday issued the $4,440 worth of necessary permits to tear down the Italian eatery and catering hall on Madison Avenue in the North End, and two neighboring homes. Testo’s, run by Democratic Town Committee Chairman Mario Testo and his nephew, Ralph Giacobbe, shuttered last New Year’s Eve with the sale to out-of-town developer Amit Lakhotia pending. Lakhotia closed on the deal, announced last November, in April. Lakhotia’s contractor, Bridgeport-based John Guedes, in an interview Monday afternoon said he hoped the demolition would begin as soon as Tuesday.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/demolition-permit-issued-closed-testo-s-bridgeport-18204704.php