Maria Pizzale

Easier to laugh than to cry.

Credit: Maria Pizzale

They say it’s easier to laugh than to cry – and Maria Pizzale has always chosen laughter. Her story is one of love, resilience and the kind of warmth that turns a restaurant into a second home. In 1957, Maria and her husband Corrado arrived in Fremantle aboard the Oceania, deeply in love and full of hope for the life they would build together. Their first stop was the Capri Restaurant, soon to become the heart of their family and a Fremantle institution.

Maria was born in 1935 in Codroipo, a picturesque town in Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. Childhood sweethearts, she and Corrado married in 1956 and soon decided to join Corrado’s parents in Australia.

Maria and husband Corrado aboard the Oceania bound for Fremantle in 1957 – deeply in love and full of hope for the life ahead. 
Credit: Maria Pizzale

Fremantle Harbour.
Credit: Maria Pizzale

Corrado’s father Oddone migrated to Australia before the Second World War and found work on the mines in Kalgoorlie. Like many Italians, he was arrested and interned during the war. His wife Santina preferred to remain in Italy rather than join him in Australia. But when Corrado visited his father in 1952, he was captivated by Fremantle’s charm. Determined, he brought his mother to Australia so the family could begin a new chapter together.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Fremantle buzzed with new arrivals. Italian shops flourished and boarding houses offered temporary homes for European migrants as they worked and saved to reunite with their families. One such boarding house on Essex Lane had a restaurant attached, facing South Terrace. That restaurant was the Capri.

The Capri Restaurant, on Fremantle’s famous cappuccino strip, has been serving authentic Italian fare since 1954. 
Credit: Georgina Barker

Oddone bought the Capri in 1954 with business partner Osvaldo Tagliaferri. Their partnership was short-lived, and two years later, they sold the restaurant. When the new buyer defaulted on payments and vanished, Oddone resumed ownership.

On 25 April 1957, when Maria and Corrado arrived in Fremantle, their very first stop after disembarking was the Capri. Maria recalls the restaurant being closed after the lunch trade. Sitting in a booth now known as the ‘family table’ with Corrado’s parents, she enjoyed a quarter chicken with spaghetti – a dish still on the menu today.

From the moment she arrived in Australia, Maria poured her heart into building a life with Corrado and into the Capri. After Oddone’s passing in 1966, she and Corrado took over the restaurant, carrying the family legacy forward with passion and pride.

Maria soon became its heart and soul. Her warmth, charm and tireless work ethic helped transform the Capri into a thriving, welcoming hub – a place that served not just delicious meals but also celebrated and shared Italian food culture with Fremantle. Maria was known for serving with a smile and could famously balance up to five plates at once — a feat not easily matched. It wasn’t just the food that brought people back, it was Maria. Her joyful presence turned patrons into friends and meals into memories. Dining at the Capri was always more than just a meal — it was an experience. For nearly seven decades, the Capri has been a place of stories, celebrations and community – a legacy Maria helped to build, plate by plate.

Maria and Corrado raised four children in and around the Capri. Today, their grandchildren carry the story into the fourth generation, nearly seven decades on. Beloved as a mother, nonna and friend, Maria is also celebrated as one of Fremantle’s living treasures.

Maria and Corrado with children under the pines at Fremantle’s Esplanade. 
Credit: Maria Pizzale

Behind the Capri, Maria takes a quiet moment away from the bustle of the restaurant. 
Credit: Maria Pizzale

Maria with family at the Capri, the restaurant that became their second home.
Credit: Maria Pizzale

Maria and Corrado’s closeness shines at the Capri, the restaurant they ran side by side from 1966. 
Credit: Maria Pizzale

In the Capri kitchen, Maria frying with her usual smile – turning simple meals into lasting memories.
Credit: Maria Pizzale

Maria with her children and mother-in-law Santina Genuina. 
Credit: Maria Pizzale

Maria and Corrado in later years, their steadfast love clear to all. 
Credit: Maria Pizzale

Wine glasses in hand, Maria and Corrado toast to life’s celebrations. 
Credit: Maria Pizzale