Author: Daniel Bellino

As well, it is known to the public that when first they will be annexed to the pizzeria a Casereccia Kitchen for fork collection.

The gourmets go to eat the delicious pizza at Signor Filippo Milone’s friendly New Pizzeria at 192 Grand Street.

.

.

Recently found documents are disputing the claims that Genaro Lombardi opened what is now known as Lomabrdi’s Pizzeria in 1905. Documents show Signor Filippo Milone opening a Pizzeria at 192 Grand Street, New York NY , so this pre-dates the claim of Lombardi’s being America’s 1st ever Pizzeria.

As far as there being a pizzeria at 53 1/2 Spring Street where Lombardi’s now stands, documents show that there was a pizzeria there in 1905, but it was not owned then by Lombardi, but by Giovanni Santillo, who opened it in 1901. This pizzeria was called Antica Pizzeria Napoletana.

Other documents show Genaro Lombardi immigrating to New York in 1905 at age 17, and being classified at Ellis Island as a “laborer.” It’s possible that Genaro Lombardi was at the pizzeria at 53 1/2 Spring Street as an employee, but certainly not an owner in 1905. Lombardi did end up buying the pizzeria at a later date.

53 1/2 SPRING STREET

NEW YORK NY

1905

The picture above shows Antonino Tottono Pero (left) and Genaro Lomardi (r) in front of 53 1/2 Spring Street, New York. If you consider the newspaper ad of Antica Pizzeria Napoletana, and if the ad was in 1905, then maybe the picture of Anthony Pero and Genaro Lombardi that has 1905 pasted over the picture shown here, and hangs in Totottono’s Pizzeria on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn, then this picture may very well be at a later date (1907? 1909??? whatever ???). You can see the sign in the window says Genaro Lombardi Pro. (proprietor), and that the shop is an Italian Grocery Store, of which one of the products they sell is fresh baked pizza which the Pero family claims, their ancestor Antonino Tottono Pero is the pizzaiolo (pizza maker / baker), as the family points out the he has flour on his shoes in the picture, and that bakers always have flour on their shows. There is no evidence of Lombardi having flours on his shoes.

Atonino Pero went on to open his own Pizzeria, Tottono’s on Neptune Avenue in Coney Island Brooklyn in 1924. The Pero family states that Tottono’s is the oldest pizzeria in America, continuously operated by the same family, the Pero’s.

Tottono’s Pizzeria Napolitana

Circa 1950s

“Don’t Mess with COOKIE” !!!

Cookie Ciminieri at Tottono’s, 2015. Don’t mess with Cookie, “she’s a Tough Cookie.” If you’ve ever been to Tottonos’s, you know what we mean.

Anthony Pero

1950s ???

John’s Pizzeria

Since 1929

John’s Pizzeria of Bleecker Street .  The neon sign JOHN’S PIZZERIA PROT’ALBA. The neon sign, Port’Alba aludes to the original name of the pizzeria opened in 1929 by John Sasso at 175 Sullivan Street, Greenwich Village, New York. Note that the original Faicco’s Salumeria Italian Deli was also first located on Sullivan Street and later moved to Bleecker Street a few block away.

JOHN SASSO of JOHN’S PIZZA

A old picture of John Sasso in front of his pizzeria. Not sure if this is the original location at 175 Sullivan Street, or the current location on Bleecker Street. Note the words Spaghetti on the window.