"Mystic Pizza" continues to lure travelers to Connecticut
More than two decades ago, screenwriter Amy Jones was vacationing in the Mystic, Conn., area and happened upon the pizza joint, Mystic Pizza. That visit inspired her to write the story that would eventually become a movie starring Julia Roberts as well as turn the life of the family that owned the place -- the Zeleposes -- upside down. "Well, it's the American dream, right?" said John Zelepos, son of Stefanos Zelepos, who bought the place in 1973. "An immigrant family comes to America, starts a little pizza shop. It's like hitting the lottery. It's a one-in-a-lifetime thing." And that "little pizza shop" continue to draw visitors to Mystic 20 years later. USA TODAY/The Associated Press (11/05)