DiFonzo Bakery announced Sunday it would be moving back to its original Wilmington location.

The popular, iconic bakery, which reopened three years ago in a renovated garage near Elsmere after nearly a 10-year absence, says it's "going home" this spring to its 812 N. Union St. location in the city's Little Italy neighborhood.

After DiFonzo's closed there in 2004, the site had been home to Black Labs Breads for 10 years. But, in 2015, bakery owners Barry and Sandy Ciarrocchi decided not to renew their lease. The DiFonzo family still owns the building.

A DiFonzo sign briefly appeared in the window of the Union Street location in early 2016 after the Ciarrocchis moved out. The DiFonzo family declined to comment on the sign after a call from The News Journal. The sign was later removed.

The DiFonzo bakery at Old DuPont near Elsmere will be closed while renovations are ongoing at the Wilmington site, according to a post on its Facebook page Sunday night.

DiFonzo Bakery had been a city landmark for nearly six decades. The bakery was founded by Alexander DiFonzo, who emigrated to the U.S. from a town near Naples, Italy. He bought the Wilmington business from another baker in 1945. DiFonzo learned baking from cousins in Connecticut and later honed his craft all over the East Coast.

Alexander’s son, Anthony Sr., started baking at age 11, and became acquainted with the proper feel, touch and texture of dough. Anthony Sr. took over the business when Alexander died in 1964.

In 1987, Anthony Sr. decided to close the business “indefinitely.” Back problems caught up with him and he needed a break. Three months later, the family missed their customers and returned, but the bakery hours changed and they no longer took advance orders.

The second wind lasted for 17 years. But by July 2004, Anthony Sr. was once again ready to call it quits. Years of baking had taken its toll on his body and shoulder surgery was required.

Although the DiFonzos again used the word “indefinitely” when closing, in 2005, they leased the Union Street business to the Ciarrocchis for their Black Lab Breads Inc. After not renewing their lease in Wilmington, the Ciarrocchis said they plan to eventually relocate their bakery but have not yet found a suitable space.

"Black Lab Breads is still about a year out, unfortunately," Barry Ciarrocchi told The News Journal in October 2016.

Ciarrocchi said he is now working in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and is supervising Pizzeria Vetri Square Pie. It's a new eatery owned by famed Philadelphia chef/restaurateur Marc Vetri. Visit www.pizzeriavetri.com

In 2013, Anthony DiFonzo Jr. began renovating a squat, brick building off Old DuPont Road, near Elsmere, and resurrected DiFonzo Bakery that November. Lines snaked out the door for several weeks as grateful longtime patrons welcomed back the bakery.

But, for several months, the Old DuPont Road building has been listed for sale on a real estate website. The 2,352-square-foot building is listed at $299,900. Soon after the listing appeared, The News Journal called the bakery about the possible sale. The family referred questions to Anthony DiFonzo Jr., who did not return phone calls.

Here is a post that appeared Jan. 1 on the DiFonzo Bakery Facebook page:

We are very excited to announce that we will be returning to our original location at 812 N. Union Street.

It will take several months and a lot of hard work to complete the relocation and to open the new business.

In the meanwhile, A. DiFonzo Bakery at 724 Old Dupont Road will be closed.

We will update as we go along. We thank you, in advance, for your patience and we hope that you share in our joy.

We are going home to Union Street. Thank you, all!

Please look for us Spring 2017. Happy New Year and God bless.

The DiFonzo Family

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico