I am not sure if I posted this article in my opening post,
http://njmonthly.com/articles/restaurants/the-original.html but if I already did I just wanted to take out the excerpt of this part of the article and how it says Anthony Mack and Vincent Mack grew up in Trenton, where they absorbed tomato pie culture:
“In Jersey, Trenton’s tentacles have reached other towns. Tony’s in Long Branch was started by the husband of one of Joe Papa’s sisters. Anthony Mack and Vincent Manco grew up in Trenton, where they absorbed tomato pie culture before starting their three Mack and Manco pizzerias in Ocean City (see story, page 44).
In 1950, asserts Nick Azzaro, Papa’s became one of the first pizzerias in New Jersey to deliver. The pies would be wrapped in newspaper, and Jimmy Giannini would make the rounds in his 1946 Dodge”.
Note: I can not find see story page 44.
It also seems from the above article that Joe's Tomato Pies in Trenton opened in 1910. This is another excerpt from the article that tells how Papa of Papa's Tomato Pies worked at Joe's Tomato Pies, before lanuching his own Pizzeria.
“Papa opened Papa’s Tomato Pies on South Clinton Avenue in 1912, at age 17. He had emigrated from Naples during the prior decade and settled in Trenton in the burgeoning Italian neighborhood of Chambersburg. Before launching his own restaurant, he worked at Joe’s Tomato Pies. Joe’s opened in 1910 and is regarded as the second pizzeria established in America after Lombardi’s, which opened on Spring Street in Manhattan in 1905”.
Joe Sivestro says in the below article that his father, Joe Sr., was the reason shy “Joe's Tomato Pies” got it's name. (last poster)
Joe Silvestro says:
December 15, 2010 at 3:00 pm
I love reading about all of the great tomato pie restaurants (past and present) in Trenton, and the Trenton area. My father, Joe Sr., was the reason why “Joe’s Tomato Pies” got it’s name. He was the oldest of 5 brothers and my grandmother named the restaurant – established in 1910 – after him. Joe’s was the originator of tomato pie in Trenton. There is still one surviving brother – Ceasar – (Lew) and he had a superb “pizza” restaurant of his own in Hamilton on Route 33 for many years. My Uncle Lew is 90 years old. I still frequent Papa’s with my high school buddies about once a month. I also like Gennaro’s (the Old Nick and Nonna’s) tomato pie in Hamilton. I was pleasantly surprised last evening to try another very, very good thin crust, old Chambersburg recipe, tomato pie. It was at a restaurant called La Villa in Morrisville, Pa. Keep the old traditions going, guys – you will never eat pizza again, once you have had an old style Trenton Tomato Pie. (Joe’s was in operation for 89 years – until 1999)
http://hiddentrenton.com/?p=15 This is a bloggers post about Joe's Tomato Pies in Trenton that is now closed.
http://mackstruckofwisdom.blogspot.com/2010/03/joes-tomato-pies-south-clinton-avenue.html I think what is said in that article is also interesting.
Another article.
http://articles.latimes.com/1991-06-20/food/fo-1109_1_tomato-pie Tomato Pies, 25 cents by Grace Cavalieri
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/240986 I don't think I have ever seen Joe's tomato pie, but think in the below article that is a photo of what Joe's tomato pie might have looked like.
http://eatyourworld.com/blog/pizza_around_the_world Another article about Maruca's tomato pies which I have never tasted.
http://tomsriver.patch.com/groups/business-news/p/more-than-50-years-of-maruca-s-tomato-pies In this article it tells how Pizza Became an American Classic and also explains about Tomato Pies.
http://americanprofile.com/articles/how-pizza-became-an-american-classic/ I wish I could find a direct link to the man that opens the dough on the video on the above link. It is called “How to Toss a Pizza”. I also wonder what hydration that dough is.
In this next article it gives the timelines for pizzas, including tomato pies.
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Pizza/PizzaHistory.htm I don't know if Capitol Tomato Pie was a tomato pie like I am trying to find out or not.
http://glover320.blogspot.com/2012/07/1946-freont-street-capitol-tomato-pie.html Trenton's Tomato Pie Cult from a blogger.
http://www.philadelphia-reflections.com/blog/1462.htm Another timeline for pizzas.
http://clubpizza.org/timeline/ In this bloggers article it says that tomato pies at Joe's Pizza sold for 10-15 cents almost until the outbreak of World War II.
http://hamiltonhigh1951.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/1990joestomatopiestogowith550so-clintonavenue.jpg I guess Trenton tomato pies are almost the oldest kinds of pizzas in the US.
Norma
