Pino "Joe" Pozzuoli immigrated to the U.S. from Naples, Italy in the late 1950's. He took the name Joe, as Pino is an Italian form of the name Joseph. Growing up in post-war Europe, he witnessed how American GIs gobbled up the Neapolitan dish known as pizza with great enthusiasm. So when his aunt Maggie invited him to live with her family in Boston, he thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce more Americans to this Italian specialty.

His pizza shops quickly became successful throughout Boston and surrounding areas. Among his most popular were his restaurants in Harvard Square, Cleveland Square and of course his shop right down the block from historic Fenway Park. "Soon as the games were over, we had to to fill the ovens and pour 300 sodas and hopefully they were in a good mood," recalls Joe.

           -----Early days in Boston, "Whenever 600 pound pro wrestler Haystacks Calhoun came in, we had to serve him 3 large pies at a time!"

Due to pressing family matters, Joe needed to sell his Boston businesses and move back to Italy for a while. However, he did return to America in 1974. This time he chose New York for his home. While back in Naples, he ran into several pizzaiolos who raved about New York water for pizza making. So he went scouting around and found a closed down corner storefront in Greenwich Village at 233 Bleecker Street. He liked the idea of operating a store in a unique neighborhood like Greenwich Village, with it's bohemian vibe and diverse population. Here you'll find lots of new, creative, artist types juxtaposed with old families that have been in the area for generations, then mix in the tourists that come from all over the world and also we're just a few blocks from NYU. There is truly no 'average' customer.

So in February 1975 Joe's Pizza opened for business and began earning it's reputation as one of the best slices in town. It was not easy at first but Joe with the help of his sons, Andy and Dino, persevered manning the little, corner shop 7 days a week till the wee hours of the morning as the business began to grow. By 1980, with the foundation in place and the business working well, Joe negotiated a new lease for the Bleecker Street store, a lease for 25 years! Talk about commitment.

By 1996, Joe's Pizza was cemented in New York as a "Greenwich Village institution" and New York Magazine named us "Best pizza in New York." Word got out about that little pizza shop the locals have been raving about for years. We also began delivery service at about this time so when a store a few doors down at 7 Carmine Street became available for rent, Joe was quick to lease it as the extra kitchen space would be essential. After our lease at the corner expired Jan 1, 2005, we operated exclusively from our 7 Carmine Street location. Joe even brought the original oven stone from Bleecker to the Carmine Street store and it is still being used today! So when you stop by Joe's Pizza, you know you really are getting a classic slice.

One of the reasons Joe's Pizza is so popular is that Joe always seemed to be in tune with the American palette. "People don't always want stuff that's too rich or heavy. I've been making and watching people eat pizza for over 50 years, I know what they want." Also, being that Joe has spent an average of 80 hours a week in his pizza shop for decades, of course he would be eating plenty of pizza himself. So being a stickler for quality ingredients, he always made his pizza with the best ingredients available. "Every pie here is made as if I'm going to eat it myself." Even today, all the pizza men Joe hires are personally instructed to follow his methods. "I have some of the best pizza men in the city working with me," Joe asserts. Most of the staff have been with us for well over a decade. Crowd favorites like Alex and Sam have been working here for over 20 years. There is definitely a certain consistency at Joe's Pizza that you don't find at most pizza shops.

Today, over 35 years after we served our first slice, we're just as popular as ever, located just about 50 feet from our original location, serving up the same great pizza. While you wont find an elaborate, complicated menu at Joe's Pizza, you will always find an authentic, quality New York pizza. We want to thank you all: From our loyal customers from way back in the 70's, all the way to the freshman college kids who have just had their first real New York slice this past September. We at Joe's Pizza thank you all. Whenever you're hungry, you know where to find us. See you soon!