Owner Found Dead Inside Burning Euless Restaurant

EULESS (CBSDFW.COM) - The owner of a beloved Italian restaurant in Euless is dead after it went up in flames early Saturday morning.

Firefighters found heavy smoke coming from Napoli's Italian Cafe on West Euless Boulevard at around 3:30 a.m. Crews from several neighboring cities were called to help.

Inside the building, firefighters found the body of Tony Nasufi.

Family and friends confirmed the identity of the body as the owner. They said he opened up the family restaurant nearly 15 years ago when he was just 21 years old.

Tony Hajro, Nasufi's uncle, said his nephew was painting tables in the attic after he closed the restaurant for the day. He believes the fire started in the attic while Nasufi was sleeping.

"He went to the office to take a nap. And I guess he got caught in his sleep," said Hajro

Nasufi's former manager said he poured his heart into his business.

"It's a loss not just for his family but for the community. He did a lot of charity work for the school district... for the police department," said Charla Whitson.

A fire official said he doesn't believe there was anything suspicious about the fire. Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.