In 1975, a family friend, Salvatore Vitali (an inspiration to the name Sal's Pizza), found a prime location to own a pizzeria in the city of Charlottesville, VA. Uncle Carlo stayed in NJ while Uncle Joe and our father (along with his wife Paula and daughter Christina) packed up and moved to VA. Sal's Pizza was the first pizzeria co-owned by Joe and our father, Jerry. It was located in Charlottesville's Shoppers World shopping center off of 29N. Sal's Pizza, being the first real "pizzeria" in Charlottesville and surrounding areas, most of the C'ville locals remember, loved, and enjoyed what it offered and brought to the city of Charlottesville. As Charlottesville began to grow, the brothers, Jerry and Joe, made a decision to split up and open their very own pizzerias wherever their hearts desired. In their search for new locations, Joe found a spot on the Historic Downtown Mall (originally named Sal's Italian Delight, but currently named Sal's Café Italia). Our father immediately fell in love with the small town of Crozet, which was filled with many big-hearted people.
Today, there are 3 generations of our Finazzo family, all daughters and granddaughters, that work together to continue what was established in 1978. A menu of delicious authentic Italian foods, pizzas, and traditional American cuisine. We have worked very hard to keep our mother and father's legacy alive, not only in Crozet but also in Charlottesville, VA. Most importantly, it is a MUST to mention how the community of Crozet, VA, has been an important part of our family, especially our father's, from the very beginning. Jerry made such an impact on many hearts through food, the love of food, and his generosity. He and our mother will never forget the wonderful friends, families, and new faces that they had the privilege to have met and gotten to know (and that we grew up to know and love) over the many years of running Sal's Pizza. And they also will never be forgotten!
