Special occasions? Duranti's has had a million of them.

They include: a campaign dinner for U.S. Sen. John Heinz; a rally organized by the late Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll for Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton during the spring primary season; installations for the last several bishops of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese; and numerous weddings and reunions.

The restaurant, at 128 N. Craig St., Oakland, has been a social focal point since it opened in 1979. It also is known for its homey, family atmosphere, and its stuffed pork chops, roasted potato carrot soup, rolls and lemon meringue pie.

Last month, however, the Duranti family announced that it would close its business, which is in the basement of the Park Plaza condominiums. It was supposed to have closed before New Year's Day, but the restaurant remains open until details of real estate negotiations can be worked out. A final day of operation has not been determined.

Roam Investments, of Greensburg, is buying the space and will lease it to the University of Pittsburgh.

Rocco and Anastasia Duranti, who were living in Edgewood at that time, took over what had been a Stouffer's restaurant. They are now deceased and their business is run by three of their eight children -- Frank, 52, of Mt. Lebanon; Maria, 48, of Bridgeville; and Theodora, 47, of Natrona.

A piece of Pittsburgh history endures at Duranti's. An original brick wall in the Teak room is from Duquesne Gardens, an entertainment venue in which the minor-league Pittsburgh Hornets played hockey and the Ice Capades were held. The Gardens were demolished in 1956 to make way for the Park Plaza and Stouffer's.

On another wall are two oil paintings -- one of young Rocco Duranti, the other of his future wife. There is a story behind them the portraits that tells so much more.

The couple met in Greece at the end of World War II. He was in the U.S. Army, she was a translator for the State Department, and both were stationed at the Grand Bretagne Hotel in Athens.

They traveled throughout Greece for the next two weeks, visiting her relatives, before he was transferred to Germany. Mr. Duranti met a German prisoner of war with artistic ability, and gave him a carton of cigarettes if he would paint their portraits. The one of Anastasia was based on a photo taken while the couple traveled through Greece.

Diners have been looking at them for nearly three decades.

Nine weeks after meeting, Rocco and Anastasia were married in Washington, D.C. Their bond remained strong.

"My parents went into the restaurant business so they could work together," Theodora said.

Before opening at the Craig Street location, the elder Durantis ran other eateries. The work was always a family endeavor.

"I remember being 3 years old and sitting in a storage room on cases, watching my brothers and sisters working in the back," Theodora said. "My brother, Christopher, was 16 and washing pots."

All eight Duranti children have worked there, and so have a number of other relatives.

"I have 27 nieces and nephews," Theodora Duranti said. "Most of them worked at the restaurant at one time or another.

"My nephew, Curtis Heidinger, started out at 11 or 12 in the coat room with his brothers and sisters. There were seven of them. They worked all the way through high school and in the summers when they came home from college."

Mr. Heidinger is now a vice president at PNC Bank.

Frank Duranti said: "I grew up working in the restaurant business. I met my wife, Julia, 22 years ago, while buying cheese and olives for the restaurant."

He made the purchases at Groceria Merante, which is on Bates Street in Oakland and is owned by Julia.

During its 29-plus years, Duranti's also was known for serving large portions of tender loving care.

Mary Christulides, of Edgewood, recalled Mrs. Duranti for going "table to table, talking with people and finding out what she could about them. Her children are just like her."

Mrs. Duranti also was known for inviting disadvantaged families to have dinner at the restaurant. One time, she allowed one woman to leave literally with the coat off the hostess' back.

Maria Duranti said that her parents "hired a lot of handicapped people. This is a place where they can come, feel safe, do a good job and feel like part of the community. It's been a great honor for our family to give back."

One frequent patron had a number of beautiful days in this Oakland neighborhood: Fred Rogers.

"Mr. Rogers was a friend of my father and came in almost every day," Maria said. "He was a vegetarian and liked stir-fried vegetables, pasta and the grilled vegetable sandwich.

"He was as sweet in person as he was on TV. My father would have lunch with him when he came in and he joined our family on Christmas at the restaurant."

The Durantis aren't sure, but they are considering another venture into the restaurant business. There is sentiment for that.

"A small family gathering for us is 110 people," Maria said. "At the last one, a 5-year-old great niece started crying: 'Aunt Maria, please don't sell Grandpa's restaurant!' "