Wallie's new owner, Addonis Mallios, makes his bid

Wallie’s new owner, Addonis Mallios, makes his bid.

This article was originally published on April 12, 2006.

Thursday, March 30 dawned as a beautiful spring day, the type of day rarely seen this early in the season. As a crowd of 50 buyers, lawyers and spectators gathered, coffee in hand, to witness the end of Wallies, a produce truck pulled up to make a delivery. His appearance foretold the intentions of the eventual, winning bidder.

Inside, the restaurant was cold, dark and lonely, but ready for business. The last shift of waitresses had collected the table accoutrements together, leaving the dining tables empty, waiting only for table clothes and patrons. The kitchen was clean and tidy, dishes stacked and pots hanging. Everything was ready for another day in business.

The auction, conducted by Randy Passonno of Collar City Auctions, was held outside in the parking lot. The bidding was brief but spirited. At the end, Addonis Mallios of New York City and Middleburgh, Schoharie County, had the winning bid of $230,000. Mr. Mallios said afterwards “I want to keep everything here the same. I have no intentions of making a million dollars, I want to serve the people of Greenwich.” He went on to say that he may find a way to mix in some of his culture.

At the conclusion of the auction, a number of spectators remarked on how low the winning bid was. Chris McCormick, the Mayor of Greenwich, summed it best when he said “For the same price you could buy a home here”. Second in bidding was Dan Cutie of Cutie Pharmaceuticals. He had no firm plans for the property should he have won.

Mr. Mallios, a contractor, when asked about the name, said “Yes, I intend to keep the name Wallies”. Thus Wallies was re-born.