Luigi Iasilli's return to Avenue B has come to an end: Potenza Centrale, his Southern Italian pizzeria at 38 Avenue B near Third Street, is closed after nearly three years.
The closure was reported by EV Grieve, which has tracked the pizzeria since its earliest days on the block. Iasilli opened Potenza Centrale in November 2023. He named the new spot after Potenza, the Southern Italian town where he was born and raised.
Potenza Centrale centered on square slices made with highly hydrated dough fermented for 72 to 96 hours, alongside focaccia, housemade mozzarella and sauce.
Gas Service Problems on East 3rd Street
In October 2023, businesses and tenants at 199 East 3rd Street were without gas. Potenza Centrale opened the following month.
In January 2023, EV Grieve reported that a marshal seized KC Gourmet Empanadas. Commenters also raised noise complaints.
Iasilli's Earlier Restaurant
Iasilli previously owned Max before returning to Avenue B with Potenza Centrale.
Between his Manhattan ventures, Iasilli also ran an Italian eatery called Nonne in Chatham, New York, which opened in 2020 and closed after losing its lease, according to the Berkshire Eagle. His path from Avenue B to Williamsburg to Chatham and back to the East Village spans more than a decade of shifting restaurant fortunes.
Another Vacancy on a Turbulent Block
Avenue B between Third and Fourth Streets has long been a volatile stretch for small food businesses. Four adjacent storefronts sat empty simultaneously after Max's 2013 departure, EV Grieve reported at the time, underscoring how steep overhead and shifting foot traffic have repeatedly hit independent operators there.
A citywide employment snapshot
New York City had 314.2 thousand employees in food services and drinking places in 2025, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data published by FRED. That annual figure offers a measure of the sector’s scale, but by itself does not show how employment changed since the pandemic or whether it returned to its pre-pandemic level.
Potenza Centrale closed at 38 Avenue B.
