Rosanna Scotto on 40 Years at Fox 5, Her Mother’s Legacy and Why She’s Not Slowing Down

For 40 years, Rosanna Scotto has been a familiar face to New Yorkers, bringing her Brooklyn warmth, quick wit and unmistakable personality to Fox 5.

As co-host of Good Day New York, she can trade stories with a Hollywood star, ask tough questions of a politician while making viewers feel as though they’re part of the conversation. It’s her ability to connect that has made her one of the city’s most recognizable and beloved television personalities.

Away from the cameras, Scotto’s world revolves around family, food and the traditions instilled by her mother, Marion Scotto, whose seemingly boundless energy helped shape the family and its celebrated Manhattan restaurant, Fresco by Scotto.

Marion’s passing on Aug. 17 at 90 is still understandably fresh for Scotto and the family.

“It’s a lot. It’s quite an adjustment,” Scotto told Spark Hamptons. “We took care of her. We did a lot of things with her.”

“She lived a beautiful, beautiful life, but we never wanted her to go.”

Her mother, she added, was “the eternal optimist” who woke up with positive energy every single day.

“We called her ‘gasoline ass’ because she just never stopped,” Scotto said with a laugh. “You could say I take after her a little bit.”

Marion mortgaged the family home in Brooklyn to open Fresco by Scotto in 1993.

“Over the objections of my dad, basically,” Rosanna recalled.

“She just believed that it was going to be great for us.”

More than three decades later, the restaurant remains in the family, now run by Rosanna and her children, LJ and Jenn.

Family Traditions and a Treasured Southampton Summer

This past summer in Southampton was a particularly meaningful time for Scotto and her family with Marion.

“We barbecued, we gathered on the enclosed porch, we enjoyed being together,” Scotto said. “I’m so glad I had that time.”

The family’s gatherings were rarely small affairs, particularly during the holidays.

“I don’t know how my mother used to do it, but every holiday, I don’t think you could count how many people were at our house,” Scotto recalled.

“People who didn’t have a place to go, they were included at our table.”

Then there were the Sunday dinners.

“I don’t even know how we ate that much food,” Scotto said. “We ate all day — meatballs, pork chops, braciole, pasta. And then, you know, food would be left out at six o’clock because you might get hungry.”

“I try to do the Sunday dinner. I’m not saying I do them regularly,” she said.

“We’ll have maybe the pasta and the salad and maybe we’ll have the piece of meat, but we’re not eating all that food. There’s no way.”

These days, Scotto toggles between the responsibilities at the restaurant and her longtime anchor duties on television. She seems to relish the busyness of life right now.

Forty Years at Fox 5

Scotto joined Fox 5 in 1986 and has co-hosted Good Day New York since 2008.

Ironically, her morning gig was something she says she didn’t even welcome at first.

At the time, she says she was happy anchoring the station’s 10 p.m. and 1 p.m. newscasts. Then her boss, Jack Abernethy, decided she should make the move to the morning shift.

“I really didn’t want to do it,” she recalled.

“I’ve been doing it ever since, and I’m so happy that I got a chance to do it,” she said. “Because it’s a lot of fun.”

The morning format gives Scotto the freedom to move between serious news, politics and entertainment, with conversations that can be unpredictable.

Her guests have included Martha Stewart, Stevie Nicks and Raquel Welch, along with governors, mayors and presidential candidates.

“Donald Trump used to call in all the time before he was president of the United States,” she recalled.

She has also interviewed Zohran Mamdani, part of a long history of conversations with political figures at different stages of their careers.

“Sometimes when you talk to people, you just know that they’re going to have longevity,” she said. “That it’s someone to watch.”

But the interviews that have stayed with Scotto aren’t necessarily the ones with famous names. 

“When you’re making a difference in somebody’s life, that’s important.”

“I love what I do, and I understand the responsibility of what I do,” she said. “And I don’t take it for granted.”

Her workdays begin around 4:30 a.m., and ideally she’d be in bed by 8 p.m., with the lights out by 9:30. But her schedule rarely allows for such an orderly routine.

In addition to Good Day New York, Scotto appears as a contributing panelist on Fox News’ Outnumbered.

And when the television workday ends, she’s often on her way to Fresco by Scotto.

A New Generation at Fresco by Scotto

“What started off as a family restaurant is still somewhat of a family restaurant, but basically it’s my son, my daughter and me running it,” Scotto said.

She regularly visits after her morning broadcast and often spends Friday and Saturday nights there, keeping an eye on the restaurant that has been part of the family for 33 years.

The family has brought in a new chef and is updating parts of the menu, while preserving the dishes that longtime customers associate with Fresco.

Mama Scotto’s meatballs, made with beef and a surprise of cheese inside, remain a signature.

And the No. 1 seller at Fresco by Scotto?

“The chicken Bolognese. It’s got some secret ingredients which I’m not sharing with you,” Scotto said.

Fresco by Scotto, NYC

Fresco by Scotto, NYC

The family is also introducing events designed to bring people together, including Saturday DJs, tequila and whiskey evenings, steak-and-bourbon nights and plans for mahjong.

“It’s about community building.”

Event planner Lawrence Scott continues to work his decorative magic for the holidays, creating what Scotto calls “the Larry magic.”

At a time when many independent Manhattan restaurants have been replaced by larger hospitality groups, Fresco remains a family operation.

“We are probably one of the last mom-and-pop restaurants in Midtown,” Scotto said.

“I felt like after Mom passed the torch on to us, that we have to establish ourselves as being committed and welcoming.”

Would she consider expanding Fresco by Scotto?

“Somebody comes with a lot of money and wants to expand us? Absolutely,” she said.

And what about a Hamptons location?

“We’ve been asked to do it. It’s a lot of work. I’m not sure.”

Southampton, a Favorite Place to Unwind

For all the demands of television and the restaurant, Scotto still makes time for Southampton, particularly on summer weekends.

“I love going out to Southampton,” she said. “It’s one of my favorite places.”

“I love that I can wake up and go in the backyard.”

She also enjoys dining out, naming Tutto il Giorno and Dopo Argento among her favorites.

No Plans to Slow Down

After 40 years at Fox 5, Scotto remains enthusiastic about her work.

“I’m excited to go to work every single day,” she said.

She’s been approached about writing a book and hasn’t ruled out the possibility, although she recognizes the time and work involved.

Retirement, however, isn’t something she’s planning for now.

“We’re gonna keep on keeping on until we realize that it’s time to relax a little bit,” she said. “But right now, I don’t want to relax. I’ve been enjoying my life.”

Between the morning show, the restaurant and the family, Scotto keeps it moving.

She is her mother’s daughter, and her determination to live life to the fullest runs deep. She knows Marion is close by.

“I get a ton of signs from my mother — all the time,” Scotto said. “Just the other day I was wearing a bracelet of my mother’s, and somebody comes up to me and says, I’ve got something for you. Turns out it was a necklace, with the exact same design as the bracelet. That’s my mother.”

When asked what values Marion had passed along and what Marion had taught her, Scotto grew emotional.

“I’m sorry,” she said, pausing before continuing.

“Family values. Being with your family. Enjoying your family. Taking care of your family.”

Family first is clearly the Scotto motto. Oh, and of course, food.

“Food is love,” Scotto said. “Whether we’re happy or sad, it’s around the table. It brings everybody together.”

Fresco by Scotto: 34 E. 52nd St., Manhattan. https://frescobyscotto.com

Watch Rosanna Scotto on Good Day New York: Weekdays, 7 to 10 a.m., on Fox 5 (WNYW), Channel 5 in New York. https://www.fox5ny.com/good-day/how-to-watch-live