Giovanni's, Fair Lawn's iconic Italian deli, will hold a culinary scholarship dinner fundraiser on Thursday.

Inside Fair Lawn's Wayne Robbins dropped in at Gio's last week to chat with co-owner Anthony Aluotto about the fundraiser, which raises money to provide scholarships for Fair Lawn High School students interested in pursuing a career in the culinary arts.

Giovanni's, a family-owned restaurant, started its scholarship fund three years ago in memory of deli founder and patriarch Mike Aluotto, who died suddenly in February 2011.

"It's kind of a celebration of my dad's life because he loved to cook so much," Anthony Aluotto said. "We're going to be serving a buffet, we're going to be cooking some of his favorite dishes and celebrating his life."

The dinner fundraiser starts at 5 p.m. 

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