The Father of American Pizza

By Tom Boyles

Who discovered America? Who was the first President of America? You know the answer to these; Christopher Columbus and George Washington. You were taught this information in school and it's something you should know if you live in America, but what do you know about the origins of American pizza? Who was the first to open a pizzeria in the U.S.? Whose pizzeria has been open the longest and where are they?

I have to admit, I am a History Channel geek and a big fan of Paul Harvey. I forget what I was watching, maybe it was the history of the hotdog or toothpick or something like that, but I got an idea. Why not do one of those History Explorer things for pizza. The PMQ staff was scheduled to go to New York and I knew that was where it is commonly believed that pizza in America was born. Well, like Paul Harvey says, "Now, let's hear the rest of the story."

According to documented history, Lombardi's was the first American pizzeria. Pizza didn't gain its popularity until just after World War II (see Pizza's History at http://www.pmq.com/mag/ 2003winter/pizzatypes.shtml), but Lombardi's, opened by Gennaro Lombardi, began selling pizza in New York City in 1897, so you might say Gennaro is the father of American pizza. Lombardi's was originally a grocery, but it soon became a popular stop for workers looking for something to take to work for lunch. Gennaro started selling cheese pies, which were wrapped in paper and tied with a string, and the many workers of Italian descent would take them to the job site.

Gennaro had a paesan from Naples who had immigrated to New York and made pizza for him for over 25 years, but in 1924, his pizziolo left to go into business for himself. The business remained open and continued to sell pizza. Gennaro's son, John took over after Genarro passed away and the business eventually went to Genarro's grandson, Jerry.

Over the years, Lombardi's continued to sell pizza, becoming a cult-like Mecca for pizza enthusiasts. They were featured in books, magazine articles and newspapers from all across the country. Locals continued to go there for the great pizza, but a new breed of customers, yuppies, also started to frequent the restaurant. The neighborhood took a turn for the worst and in 1984, Lombardi's closed its doors. In 1994, John Brescio, who was a childhood friend of Gennaro's grandson, Jerry, started talking to Jerry about reopening Lombardi's and in that same year they did, but not in the same location. They moved a block down the street to 32 Spring Street and that is where I met up with John.

"My grandma used to make pizzas at home and I wanted the same kind of pizza," John told me as I folded my oversized slice and let the olive oil drizzle down my elbow. You know you've been to a true New York Pizzeria when your notes have oil and sauce stains on them from the interview. This stuff was good. "I wanted to keep things the way they were, so we had the original oven moved from the old location and put in here. I don't make as much money here as I could, but I wanted to keep the quality and things the way they were. I want people to enjoy the food and have a good time.

"This area is about six blocks north of Little Italy, but I spent most of my time here. This building is at least 100 years old and all I did was take the plaster off the walls, but it isn't the name or location that makes you. When people come here, they are expecting something good, so I gotta give them something good. If you don't have a good pie, the name and history mean nothing."

The oven he speaks of is a coal-fired oven. This baby burns at 800°F to 900°F. Pizzas only take about three to four minutes to cook and they can only fit about seven pies in at once, but with the speed the oven tenders have to work and the cook time, this is plenty of capacity. I asked John what it was about New York pizza that makes it so different. "Hey, I hear it's the New York water. Is there any truth to this?"

"Maybe it's the water," John laughs. "Or maybe it's just New Yorkers learned to make pizza the right way. We only use fresh Mozzarella, Ricotta and Romano cheese. I have a guy here in New York who makes our Mozzarella fresh everyday. You gotta stay on top of things to be successful and we're doing okay."