'Dem's Diner' draws many notable visitors

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“If you build it, they will come.”

Perhaps no one knows that old adage better than Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena and Richard DelFino Jr., who chairs the town’s Democratic Party.

One reason, in particular, is that from what started out as a private place to meet for lunch and discuss party business has developed into an extremely popular place for lunch beginning at noon Wednesdays.

“We set up banquet tables in the shape of a U,” DelFino noted. “We had 60 chairs there were all filled. Plus, we had other available chairs and some people were even standing up.”

This was the scene recently at Johnston’s Democratic headquarters, which has since taken on the tag Dem’s Diner.

“We had our first sellout,” DelFino, who doubles as the town’s Municipal Court administrator, said. “At one point we had 70 people eating here at headquarters [located at 1351 Hartford Ave. next to Luigi’s Gourmet and Restaurant].”

The gathering has drawn visitors such as U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, U.S. Reps. David Cicilline and James Langevin, Attorney General Peter Kilmartin, governor hopeful Clay Pell, lieutenant governor candidate Dan McKee and general treasurer candidate Frank Caprio. Other local legislators, officials and high-ranking Democrats have also attended.

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