Your family has been in the food business for decades with the A&S Pork Store. What drew you to Neapolitan pizza over something more familiar like New York style?

Emily: Yes, our family pork business has been open since 1967 and is a staple in our community. However, my husband Saverio has always had a passion for pizza ever since our children were little. He would make wood-fired pies in our fireplace at home. The idea of offering Neapolitan pizza was born from a family trip to Naples where we ate our very first authentic Neapolitan pies! We knew in that moment that we had to open an authentic pizza place to introduce this style of pizza to our home town. Massapequa is referred to as Massa pizza, so there are many NY style pizza places to enjoy. Saverio's was the first of its kind here!

What has been the biggest surprise since launching the pizzeria side of your business just a few years ago?

Emily: The biggest surprise has to be the growth of the business over these 7 years. We truly are blessed by the most amazing guests that keep coming back and keep bringing their friends and loved ones with them! It's wonderful and very rewarding to hear them say, "This is the best pizza they have ever eaten" or "this is better than pizza that I’ve had in Italy!" We are truly humbled. 

We also never expected to veer from our Neapolitan roots and add a new item to the menu during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our COVID baby is called the Depequa pizza. It is our twist on a Detroit-style pizza. We make two Depequa with classic red stripes and Del Nonno covered with marinara sauce!

You’ve been very involved in multiple Slice Out Hunger projects like Pizza Across America and Pizza on the Pier. What are some of your favorite local community projects?

Emily: We believe that supporting our community in good times and bad times is what sets us apart in the industry. We are involved in many school functions. Last year, we offered pizza kits as a fundraiser for Albany Avenue Elementary School. They sold over 300 kits and raised money for their 5th graders! We also host the Girl Scouts to help young girls earn their pizza badges and learn about the history of Neapolitan pizza! 

 During the pandemic we sent hundreds of dollars in gift cards to the local schools for families in need while parents were out of work. We support the local police departments and recently raised $5000 for the Rivera and Mora families of the NYPD. We also have a pay it forward board for our local community where we hang donations for pies that we match them whenever someone claims it; no questions asked.

On a more national and international scale, we collect for St.Jude's yearly and we recently held a diaper drive for the Ukrainian moms.

Why do you think pizzerias are so involved with their communities?

Emily: Pizza is a food that everyone loves.  And everyone has their favorite pizza spot. So for us, it's important to support our community to show our appreciation for the love and support for almost 55 years at A&S and 7 years of Saverio's. 

How do you see Saverio’s growing in terms of both the pizzeria and its impact on the Massapequa community?

Emily: Our little place has grown beyond what we ever could have imagined. The community and, really, the whole island loves Saverio's and what we represent. Yelp placed us 16th in all of the United States for pizza places in February of this year!  We are just blown away by the reviews and kind words.  Massapequa knows that we are here and will be here to stay for many many more years to come. Generations of our family are here on this corner. 

Massapequa residents know that we will always do whatever we can to thank them for helping us grow and establish Saverio's. We made a name for ourselves through hard work and dedication. Saverio tries to make every pie better than the last, and the community loves him for it!