Pizza parlors' customers place orders and offer mouse jokes

Mike Murray, a longtime patron of Verona Pizza, barely contained his grin Tuesday when he called out his order.

"Large pie, extra mice."

Owner John Facas didn't blink: "Sorry, we are out of those already."

So it went Tuesday as customers - and much of the wider universe - tittered about the strange tale of a pizza-parlor owner who allegedly tried to sabotage two competitors by leaving bags of mice in their restaurants.

Facas was one of the victims. As was Harry Saritsoglou, owner of Uncle Nick's Pizza, at 9000 West Chester Pike. "I don't get why he did it," said Saritsoglou. "An act of desperation, maybe?"

He is Nickolas Galiatsatos, 47, of Bryn Mawr, the owner of Nina's Bella Pizzeria, at 8445 West Chester Pike. Galiatsatos was arrested Monday. He was arraigned Tuesday and released on $10,000 unsecured bail on charges of disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, harassment, and cruelty to animals.

According to court documents, Galiatsatos tried to hide a bag of six mice - one dead - in the ceiling above a toilet in Verona at 8917 West Chester Pike. He then crossed the street to Uncle Nick's Pizza at 9000 West Chester Pike and dropped a bag of three mice into the trash can. He was arrested outside the store by the two police officers eating lunch at Verona, who were tipped off by Fanis Facas, who co-owns the shop with his brother, John.

Galiatsatos told police he bought the mice Sunday at World Wide Aquarium.

Police said he told them he was trying to undermine his competition because his own business was failing.

Township officials said current restaurant inspections showed all three establishments were mouse-free. But there were mouse traps at Galiatsatos' establishment.

Workers at Nina's said Tuesday that they were told not to talk about the incident. A man who answered the phone at Galiatsatos' Bryn Mawr apartment said the defendant was not there.

At Verona and Uncle Nick's on Tuesday, however, customers poured in to offer their support.

"It's been crazy," said Fanis Facas. He has received more than 20 supportive calls from his customers.

"This order was, of course, a vote of confidence," Murray said to Fanis Facas as he walked in Tuesday around noon to pick up a large brown bag of food from the counter.

Murray said his nearby business, Shelby Jones Co., would be over at Uncle Nick's on Wednesday for a "vote of confidence" order there.

Across the street, the lunch rush had just kicked in at Uncle Nick's. Saritsoglou, 35, said he has also received numerous calls from customers - and a fair number of mice jokes.

Tom Johnson, 47, who works nearby all three restaurants, is a frequent lunch customer at Verona. While waiting for his order, he admitted that he had tried - and liked - the pies at Nina's, but that he wouldn't go back because of what happened.

"Traitor!" Fanis Facas said in jest when he overheard Johnson had eaten elsewhere.

"What? He had good food," Johnson said, laughing.

As he waited for his favorite grilled-chicken wrap at Verona, Johnson looked over and said with a smile, "I asked them to hold the mice."