How Pizza Conquered America

America was in crisis. Millions of people didn’t have jobs. It was the early 1930s, and the United States was in the midst of one of its darkest times: the Great Depression.

In New York City, Frank Mastro wanted to help. His community—mostly recent immigrants from Italy—had been hit hard. Many families were struggling to put food on the table. Mastro, who made his living selling restaurant supplies, wanted to do something for them.

But what?

And then it came to him.

Pizza!

America was in crisis. Millions of people had no jobs. It was the early 1930s, and the United States was in the middle of the Great Depression.

In New York City, Frank Mastro wanted to help. His community—mostly recent immigrants from Italy— had been hit hard. Many families were struggling to put food on the table. Mastro, who worked selling restaurant supplies, wanted to do something for them.

But what?

And then the answer came to him.

Pizza!

Today, America eats more pizza than any other country—a whopping 350 slices per second. But in the 1930s, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone in the U.S. who had even heard of it. Pizza was known only among Italian Americans and, for the most part, was available only in Italian bakeries and grocery stores.

Mastro, who had come to New York with his family when he was 10, remembered fondly the delicious pizzas he ate as a child in Italy. He knew that Americans were open to foods that hd come from other countries. The hamburger, a German favorite, had recently become a hit in America. Why not pizza?

If pizza caught on, Mastro thought, it could do more than delight American diners. Owning a pizzeria would be a way for families to make a good living. At the same time, because pizza was cheap, struggling families would have an inexpensive option for dinner.

There was one problem though.

Making pizza was a total pain.

Today, people in America eat more pizza than in any other country—350 slices per second. But in the 1930s, few people in the U.S. had even heard of it. Pizza was known only among Italian Americans. It was found mainly in Italian bakeries.

Mastro had come to New York with his family when he was 10. He remembered the delicious pizzas he ate as a child in Italy. He knew that Americans were open to foods from other countries, The hamburger, a German favorite, had recently become a hit in America. Why not pizza?

If pizza caught on, Mastro thought, it could do a lot of good. Owning a pizzeria would be a way for families to make a living. And because pizza was cheap, struggling families could have an inexpensive dinner.

There was one problem though.

Making pizza was a total pain.

In the 1930s, pizza was baked in an enormous oven the size of an elephant. These ovens were heated with coal and took hours to get hot. A skilled baker had to watch constantly to make sure the pizza didn’t burst into flames. To make his pizza dreams come true, Mastro knew he would need to get creative.

So he decided to invent a new oven.

After a few months of tinkering, Mastro had designed a pizza oven that was simple, sleek, and efficient. It was powered by inexpensive gas, baked multiple pizzas in minutes, and could be operated by anyone. Perfect!

Except nobody wanted to buy one. Pizza, Italian bakers said, wouldn’t taste the same if it wasn’t made the traditional way.

Mastro was frustrated, but he refused to give up. Instead, he opened Frank Mastro’s Model Pizzeria, where a chef made pizzas in front of a huge window for all to see. Mastro demonstrated how fast and easy it was to make delicious pizza in his new gas oven, and he invited curious passersby to come in and sample a slice. Sales for Mastro’s ovens soon skyrocketed.

With each oven he sold, Mastro provided instructions on how to bake the perfect pie. He also created a guide for how to open and run a successful pizza restaurant. He helped hundreds of families start their own pizzerias; sometimes he even loaned people money to help get their businesses up and running.

Over the next two decades, the number of pizzerias in America soared from 500 to 20,000, and Mastro was dubbed “The Pizza King.

In the 1930s, pizza was baked in an oven the size of an elephant. These ovens were heated with coal. They took hours to get hot. A skilled baker had to watch nonstop to make sure the pizza didn’t catch fire. To make his pizza dreams come true, Mastro knew he would need to get creative.

So he decided to invent a new oven.

Mastro designed a new pizza oven. It was simple, sleek, and efficient. It was powered by inexpensive gas. It baked several pizzas in minutes. And it could be operated by anyone. Perfect!

Except no one wanted to buy one. People said pizza wouldn’t taste the same if it was made in a new way.

Mastro was frustrated. But he didn’t give up. He opened Frank Mastro’s Model Pizzeria. There, a chef made pizzas in front of a big window for all to see. Mastro showed how fast and easy it was to make pizza in his new oven. He invited people to come in and try a slice. Soon his ovens were selling like crazy.

With each oven he sold, Mastro gave instructions on how to bake the perfect pie. He also created a guide for how to open and run a pizza restaurant. He helped hundreds of families start their own pizzerias. Sometimes he even lent them money to get started.

Over the next 20 years, the number of pizzerias in America grew from 500 to 20,000. Mastro became known as “The Pizza King.”

At the time of Mastro’s death in 1957, pizzerias were flourishing in New York and several other East Coast cities. Frank’s son, Vinnie, took over the family business and expanded it further, even introducing frozen pizza dough. But when Vinnie died suddenly in 1965, the Mastro business collapsed and the family name was lost to time.

Nevertheless, Mastro’s legacy lives on in the 30 million slices of pizza eaten in the United States every day.

Today, you can grab a thin-crust slice in New York for $2.50. In Chicago, you can dig into a deep-dish pie smothered in mozzarella and sausage. In Detroit, you can enjoy a rectangular pie with the tomato sauce on top of the cheese. Indeed, nearly anywhere you go in America today, you can find pizza, often with a unique regional twist.

“My father used to say that pizza would become as popular as the hot dog,” Mastro’s daughter Madeline said. “Nobody believed him. Now I say, ‘Do you see, Dad? You were right.’ ”

Mastro died in 1957. By then, pizzerias were flourishing in New York and other East Coast cities. Frank’s son, Vinnie, took over the business. He expanded it further. He even helped invent frozen pizza dough. But when Vinnie died in 1965, the Mastro business closed down. And people forgot about the Mastros.

Still, Frank’s legacy lives on in the 30 million slices of pizza eaten in the U.S. every day.

Today, you can grab a thincrust slice in New York for $2.50. In Chicago, you can get a deep-dish pie smothered in mozzarella and sausage. In Detroit, you can enjoy a rectangular pie with the sauce on top of the cheese. You can find pizza all across America, often with a special regional twist.

“My father used to say that pizza would become as popular as the hot dog,” Mastro’s daughter Madeline said. “Nobody believed him. Now I say, ‘Do you see, Dad? You were right.’ "

Word got out, and soon Japanese businessmen longing for a taste of home were flocking to the new sushi bar—and bringing their American friends with them. Other sushi restaurants began to pop up in L.A., New York, and Chicago. In Hollywood, eating sushi became a fad among celebrities. Today, Americans spend more than $2 billion a year on sushi. It’s praised by health experts for its protein and healthy fats.

Before Kanai died in 2017 at age 94, he walked with a sense of pride through the streets of Los Angeles, where there are now more than 3,300 sushi restaurants.

His dream had come true.

Soon Japanese businessmen were flocking to the new sushi bar. They wanted a taste of home. And they brought American friends with them. Other sushi restaurants began to pop up in New York and Chicago. In Hollywood, eating sushi became a fad among celebrities. Today, Americans spend more than $2 billion a year on sushi. Health experts praise its protein and healthy fats.

Kanai died in 2017 at age 94. But he lived to see the change he had caused in Los Angeles. The city now has more than 3,300 sushi restaurants.

His dream had come true.