Jerry & Joe's

who is jerry & joe? this question has been asked by many customers who visit the store. the employees usually answer jokingly that they are “jerry or joe.” but the reality is that “jerry & joe’s pizza was a fictitious name. the founder of the first jerry and joe’s pizza was an italian immigrant named italo barone. italo was born in 1904 in salermo, itlay. at the age of 16, he boarded alone a ship bound for the united states. in 1920, italo arrived in new york city and began his new life. italo married and had a family, he opened several restaurant businesses in brooklyn and coney island. in 1958, at age 54, he moved to hialeah and opened the first pizzeria in the city, which was located at the corner of 41st and east 4th ave in hialeah. that first year he named the restaurant “jerry & maria.” in 1960, he changed the name to “jerry & joe’s.” joe was a friend, who although was never his business partner, he did lend italo $500 to help start the business. according to italo’s grandchildre