The story of pizza in America starts in New York City. In 1897 Gennaro Lombardi, a bread maker from Naples, opened a grocery store on Spring Street in lower Manhattan. From his coal-fired oven, he began selling tomato pies wrapped in paper and tied with a string to local factory workers.
In 1905, Lombardi was granted the first license in the United States to open a pizzeria
restaurant. His Little Italy location not only became a popular eatery, but also a community resource. “Italians met there and caught up on local news and gossip; Gennaro would also help other Italian immigrants find jobs when they first arrived,” according to current Lombardi owner John Brescio.
Eventually, Gennaro employees would go on to open their own pizzerias, including Totonno’s in Coney Island and John’s Pizzeria in the West Village. Business also grew because GIs had acquired a taste for pizza in Italy during World War II. As pizzerias opened across the United States, regional differences prevailed, just like in Italy. Chicago is known for deep-dish pizza, while New York pizza has thin crusts.
Americans, in general, like cheesier pizzas than Italians and some prefer breadier crusts This is why some Americans don’t understand the VPN (Verace Pizza Napoletana) designation. These authentic Neapolitan pizzas are thin and have modest amounts of toppings. The United States “equivalent” of the “Associazione Verace Pizza Napolentana”
is the Pizza Hall of Fame, which was established in 2005 by the industry’s pizza magazine. This virtual hall of fame 
(www.pizzahalloffame.com) showcases legendary pizzerias and pizzaioli who have helped build America’s pizza culture. For membership, a pizzeria must meet the following requirements:
- The pizzeria must be currently open for business
- The pizzeria must have been in operation for at least 50 years
- The pizzeria must be recognized as a pillar in the community
- The pizzeria must be able to provide photographs of its early days of operation, including original owners and their family
Not surprisingly, Lombardi’s is in the hall. So are Totonno’s and 
John’s Pizzeria in NYC, along with Patsy’s in East Harlem and Denino’s on Staten Island. New York City is one of the most competitive pizza markets in the world. Each pizzeria must find a way to survive. John’s, for example, is a cash-only business with a limited menu and a vintage environment, where a 1930s register still makes change for customers.
Another east coast restaurant worth noting is Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, another American city rich in Italian immigrant history and the home of my husband. Pepe was an immigrant from the Amalfi coast who came to New Haven in 1920. He opened a bakery and delivered goods to the neighborhood by cart. One day he flattened some bread dough, 
put some leftovers on top of it, and baked it. Pepe’s pizza was born. He is credited with New-Haven style pizzas, which are legendary for their misshapen appearance, thin crust, and charred edges. Today Pepe’s is best known for its white clam pizza.
It is not by accident that the Pizza Hall of Fame opened in 2005 and inducted Lombardi’s as its first member on the pizzeria’s 100th anniversary. To commemorate the anniversary, Lombardi sold entire pizzas for 5 cents, their 1905 price at the pizzeria’s opening.
possibile con l’introduzione del pomodoro in Europa dalle Americhe nel sedicesimo secolo. All’inizio si credeva che il pomodoro fosse velenoso. Entro la fine del secolo diciottesimo, era comune per i poveri di Napoli di aggiungere il pomodoro a loro focaccia a base di lievito, e così la pizza moderna nacque.
all’aperto e dai panifici, e le pizzerie napoletane mantengono questa
tradizione anche oggi. L’Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba a Napoli è considerata la prima pizzeria della città. Un’altra famosa pizzeria, Da Michele, che è fu fondata nel 1870, ritiene che ci siano solo due vere pizze—la marinara e la margherita—e queste sono tutte quelle che servono. Molti italiani preferiscono queste ancora oggi.
pesca nel Golfo di Napoli. La pizza alla margherita è guarnita da modeste quantità di salsa di pomodoro, mozzarella, e basilico fresco. Si è attribuita al fornaio Raffaele Esposito, che lavorava alla Pizzeria di Pietro, che fu istituita nel 1880. Secondo la leggenda, nel 1889 fece 3 diverse pizze per la visita del Re Umberto I e della Regina Margherita di Savoia. La favorita della regina fu quella che evocava i colori della bandiera italiana. La pizza fu chiamata così in suo onore.
L’Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana è stata fondata nel 1984 per promuovere e proteggere la vera pizza napoletana. Ha fissato regole ben precise che devono essere seguite per ricevere la certificazione VPN, che includono: la pizza deve essere cotta in un forno a cupola a legna a 800 
gradi F; gli ingredienti devono essere Tipo 00 di farina, pomodori San Marzano, tutto naturale Fior di Latte o mozzarella di bufala, basilico fresco, sale, e lievito; e la pasta deve essere impastata a mano e non preparata con mezzi meccanici o stesa con un mattarello.
sodo. La Pizza Pugliese utilizza capperi e olive. La Pizza Veronese ha funghi e prosciutto crudo. Le Pizze dalla Sicilia hanno ingredienti come olive verdi, pesce, uova sode, e piselli. In Liguria è possibile trovare la pizza al pesto senza la salsa di pomodoro. Le pizze popolari in tutta Italia includono Quattro Formaggi, che utilizzano la mozzarella e tre altri formaggi locali come il gorgonzola, la ricotta, e il parmigiano-reggiano. La Quattro Stagioni ha carciofi, salame o prosciutto cotto, funghi e pomodori. Una tendenza in Italia oggi è la pizza al taglio, o la pizza rustica, cotta su una teglia e venduta in bancarelle a peso. Si è spesso ricoperta di strati con funghi marinati, cipolle, o carciofi.
