La Casa Pizzaria's iconic 'Peppi' is back after months of repairs

La Casa Pizzaria's iconic 'Peppi' is back after months of repairs
A large truck hit the pole holding up the beloved Peppi back in November
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Updated: 6:22 PM CDT Apr 12, 2021
A large truck hit the pole holding up the beloved Peppi back in November
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Updated: 6:22 PM CDT Apr 12, 2021
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EVER. KATHERINE: IT’S BEEN TEN MONTHS SINCE THE 10-FOOT ICONIC PEPPI HAS STRUMMED HIS MANDOLIN ATOP THE LA CASA PIZZARIA SIGN. >> IT’S BEEN SAD. PEOPLE HAVE MISSED HIM. KATHERINE: CO-OWNER AND GENERAL MANAGER NICOLE JESSE SAYS, IN NOVEMBER, A LARGE TRUCK HIT THE POLE HOLDING UP THE BELOVED PEPPI. >> THE DAY THAT HE WAS HIT, WE HAD NUMEROUS PEOPLE CALL AND SAY, "WHAT HAPPENED?" OR "WHERE DID HE GO? KATHERINE: FOR JESSE AND OTHER FANS OF THE HISTORIC RESTAURANT, PEPPI’S ABSENCE HAS BEEN AKIN TO THE LOSS OF A FAMILY MEMBER. >> THIS IS KIND OF A COMFORT PLACE FOR PEOPLE. KATHERINE: FORMERLY HER GRANDPARENTS’ HOME, LA CASA PIZZARIA TRANSFORMED INTO THE FIRST PIZZA PLACE IN OMAHA BACK IN 1953. PEPPI MOVED TO HIS POST A FEW YEARS LATE LOCAL NEON RESTORATION COMPANY, SIGNWORKS, SAYS IT WAS A LONG SHOT FOR OL’ PEPPI, WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE AND ORIGINAL CRAFTSMANSHIP ON THE LINE. >> THE WAY IT WAS DAMAGED, IT COMPLETELY BENT HIM IN HALF, BASICALLY. WE WERE LUCKY WE HAD ALL OF THE ORIGINAL DRAWINGS, PHOTOS, SOME OF THE PATTERNS OF NEON. KATHERINE: BUT AFTER MONTHS OF HARD WORK, THEY WERE ABLE TO BRING PEPPI BACK TO HIS AUTHENTIC SELF. >> EVERYTHING ON THE SIGN IS EXACTLY HOW IT WOULD’VE BEEN MADE 60 YEARS AGO. KATHERINE: AND AT 60-YEARS-OLD, PEPPI HAS NEVER LOOKED BETTER. >> HE’S CUTE. YOU KNOW? HE’S JUST KIND OF ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT’S VERY LOVEABLE. KATHERINE: KATHERINE GARCIA, KETV NEWSWAT

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