27-02-2025
Video shows DiPasquale's renowned sign ripped off Highlandtown building
BALTIMORE — DiPasquale's, a longtime family-owned restaurant and Baltimore staple, needs help finding who stole their well-known sign early Thursday morning.
The old DiPasquale's Italian Deli building turned speakeasy restaurant has been in operation for more than 100 years in Baltimore's Highlandtown neighborhood.
The hand painted, laminated sign is said to have been hanging in front of the Di Pasquale family business since 1988.
"I don't know, it's just strange," said Domenico Santino Di Pasquale, the fourth generation business owner. "About four years ago, we moved from here to Brewers Hill to where it is now and then about a month ago, we reopened this original location."
Video obtained by WJZ shows someone ripping the sign off the building.
Video camera footage
In security camera footage obtained by WJZ from neighbors, you can see the moment someone stole the decades-old sign off the front of the building around 4:45 a.m. on Thursday.
In the video, you can hear a loud noise as the unidentified person rips the sign off the brick wall in seconds. Then, you see the dark figure on the right side of the camera walk off with the sign towards Eaton Street.
Neighbors, who did not want to be on camera, said the sign theft is strange since crime has gone down in their neighborhood.
"And it's just sad because the Di Pasquale sign has been there forever," a neighbor said. "It's definitely part of the neighborhood and part of the local culture."
Di Pasquale said he wants the person who took the sign to bring it back.
"It's a part of my family history, and you know, you can't get that back," Di Pasquale said.
The old deli was once an old hardware store. It's allegedly the same building mob boss Al Capone worked in when he lived in Baltimore.
Di Pasquale said he is in the process of filling a police report, but if anyone knows anything, they should call police.
"It's strange"
Di Pasquale was going about his day when he noticed the sign was missing from the old Di Pasquale's Italian deli building along Gough Street.
"I was just doing my daily routine and was just walking up this ramp here, and then I walked past it first, and then I looked and saw the sign was missing," said Di Pasquale, the manager at FORNO and Di Pasquale's Italian Market.
The old deli building recently reopened in January as FORNO, a new speakeasy. It pays homage to the building's history all while serving pizza, cocktails and small bites. Di Pasquale opened the speakeasy with his friend Joey Faiola.
Di Pasquale posted on social media hoping someone can help his family find the iconic sign.
"It's been with us for a while," Di Pasquale said.
