Santa Rosa Gnats 12 - 2

Cooking homemade Italian food is a rich part of our family history. It all began with the recipes our grandmother Mary Fazio served in the "shack". Mary Fazio was born in New York City to immigrants of Ischia, Italy, a small island just west of Naples. In 1959, Mary took her own pots and pans from home, $700 savings and a passion for great Italian food to start Mary's Pizza Shack and the restaurant became an instant success. "I love my customers," she would say. "I want to take care of them. I guess I just love people." Mary proved that everywhere she went. At grocery stores and local shops, she was notorious for scribbling her signature on a napkin for locals and friends, valid for a free pizza.