FROM MARKETPLACE TO PIZZERIA

Generations of Comfort Food and Family Business

The Manginos came to this country during the Great Depression when food supplies were rationed and jobs were tough to come by. But, tough times teach great lessons. The family perservered in the belief of hard work, welcoming smiles and dedication. A work ethic Charles Mangino Sr. handed down to his children and now to his grandchildren. These ethics surfaced in everything the family did in business and life.

Charles Sr. began it all in a small railroad town called New Castle, Pennsylvania (in the Mahoningtown area) located between bustling Pittsburgh and Youngstown, Ohio. A small town made up of hard working class people, where your neighbor was your friend and family. Charles started in the food business in 1952. He purchased a 120 year old building to start his new business, the S & C Food Mart. The letter S stood for Shirley his wife, who worked daily at their store. It seemed like a fitting town to build his dream marketplace and start their family.

The marketplace prospered, because everyone knew that this hometown marketplace carried only the highest quality breads, meats and food brands, found at the big city grocery stores, right here close to home. In 1977 he believed it was time to grow and revitalize the old building. Community was everything to Charles and he believed in the investing of the community that supported his business growth. This rehabilitation would provide needed jobs to the neighborhood’s construction families, give a sense of pride to the community and grow the Mangino business.

With growth came the need for more hands and like most big families running a business the Mangino’s turned to family. Little Charles (also known as Chuck) grew up helping his Dad alongside his bother and sister greeting customers and helping unload deliveries daily. He watched him greet each customer by name and felt his Dad’s pride in offering the very best. His Momma also worked in the marketplace, but ran the home kitchen as well. Her kitchen was always filled with love and Italian comfort food, perfect for growing children and hard working parents.

In 1979 the Mangino’s retired and passed the business to their son Chuck Jr. and his wife Johanna, so they could enjoy time to spend with their grandchildren. The younger Manginos took over and introduced a Pizzeria to the marketplace. The recipes were purchased from a local successful Italian Pizzeria family, who were about to retire. Chuck and Johanna worked side by side with the family for many years learning the handmade techniques of the special hand turned crust and unique pizza base. They perfected the special spices that were needed to create the delicious sweet Italian sauce that makes Mangino’s specialties so tasty. People travel for miles around to order the famous signature recipes like; homestyle pizza, sausage pie, spinach rolls, stromboli and Momma’s wedding soup—perfect for parties, and sporting events.

In 2006, the Mangino’s decided to expand their Italian pizzeria. They opened a second location in Naples, with the introduction of the first olive oil bar in Southwest Florida. They now have hopes of growing the Mangino’s Pizzeria nationwide.