About Us

The history behind Lucia Pizzeria goes back over 4 decades. The owner and head chef Salvatore Carlino comes from a Pizza lineage with roots in Sicily. Sal’s family are the owners of Papa Leone Pizzeria, which opened 43 years ago in Sheepshead Bay. With Lucia Pizza, Sal is bringing old flavors with a new twist back to where it all began. 

The Lucia brand and ethos began 4 decades ago, when Salvatore’s parents, a pair of Greek and Scilican immigrants, decided to open up Papa Leones in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Manhattan Beach shortly after arriving to the United States. With an impressive 4 decades of operation, Papa Leone closed its door when Sal’s parents retired. Sal clearly was brought up around NYC pizza culture, so it is of no surprise that Lucia Pizza of Avenue X beckons back to the old days of NYC Pizza with a fresh and new twist. Lucia, a Latin word meaning “Light” hints at a more wholesome approach to pizza, producing a lighter and healthier product, making for an elevated New York style pizza. 

The Lucia style of pizza came about when Sal returned from 3 years working abroad in the music industry. In an effort to reignite his passion for Pizza, Sal purchased a brick oven for his Long Island backyard. With a little bit of social media push, the pre-orders began to roll in. The demand grew to a point where a brick and mortar location was necessary. Sal and a group of old friends decided to come together to bring Lucia to a storefront, Opening a restaurant or any business during the Coronavirus Pandemic is a daunting task, but determination and a Brooklyn attitude did not hold back the partners at Lucia. The previous business located at 2201 Avenue X was struggling due to the pandemic, and this presented the opportunity for Lucia to bring back something to the community in a time of uncertainty. The name “Lucia Pizza of Avenue X” itself suggests that the partners intend on expanding to other neighborhoods and cities throughout the US.