1940 - 1959

1942 - Newlyweds
Mary and Vincent’s daughter Loretta marries her neighborhood sweetheart, a young Italian immigrant named Nick Perrino.

1945 - Big changes ahead
Nick Perrino returns home after serving as a mess sergeant in World War II.

Later that year, Vincent Grittani passes away.

1946 - A delicious new pastime
As Nick looks for a way to support his family after the war, Mary looks for ways to pass the time since losing her husband. The two make their first pizza together in the kitchen of the Home Run Inn tavern.

1947 - The pizza goes public
With their recipe perfected, Nick and Mary begin sampling the pizza at Home Run Inn. Cut into small squares and served free with every drink, the pizza is a big success with bar patrons. Nick and Mary begin selling whole pizzas, and the little corner tavern turns into the first full-scale Home Run Inn pizzeria.

1950’s - Freezing to keep up with business
With customers asking for pizzas to take home, Nick starts freezing the handmade pizzas and sells them at Home Run Inn and neighborhood grocers. The frozen pizzas are a hit with customers who live far away and can’t make it to the South Side pizzeria as often as they’d like.