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Veteran Pizza Maker Dies in Auto Accident Near Berrien Springs

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A veteran pizza maker who brought great joy to many a customer for several years in Michigan’s Great Southwest first in St. Joseph and more recently with plans to set up in Baroda met a tragic end in a single car accident last evening near the intersection of Linco and Scottdale Roads north of Berrien Springs.

Mario Abbott and his wife Melanie created the popular Passero’s Pizzeria that operated for several years across from Martin’s Super Market of St. Joseph at Cleveland and Hilltop Road, before closing down and eventually planning relocation further south on Cleveland in the 9600 block as Passero’s Too. They had been hosting the RoundBelly BBQ food truck there will sorting through issues prior to re-opening to fly the Passero flag.

Abbott died when his car reportedly crashed into a ditch on Linco near Scottdale Road around 6:45 last night. The incident is being investigated by Berrien Springs/Oronoko Township Police with an accident reconstruction team from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department.

Mario’s wife of more than ten years, Melanie says her world “has been rocked.” She adds, “My heart is broken in a million pieces! My best friend, lover, confidant, and sweet husband died last night…and I have no idea what my life will be like without him.”

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Passero’s Pizzeria was originally established in 2006 and was incorporated in May of 2011. The popular pizzeria  drew a steady crowd of regulars along the way before the couple made the decision to close down a couple of years ago. They specialized in made from scratch recipes, including sandwiches made on homemade sourdough bread, a variety of pizzas, made to order, and calzone’s “as big as your head.”

Authorities have not established a cause for the accident at this time, and funeral arrangements for Mario Abbott are pending.

A Go Fund Me campaign has been established to help his family through. Click this link for more:

https://www.gofundme.com/the-abbott-family-fund