ERNIE’S PIZZERIA

BY TRACY MORIN

WHEN ERNESTO “ERNIE” DeRISO

ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES from Italy, he was only supposed to be visiting family for a short trip. Instead, he ended up falling in love with his future wife, Jennie, and helping out in his uncle’s pizzeria. Eventually, he opened his own, Ernie’s Pizzeria, in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1971, enlisting his kids—Pasqual, Mary Ann and Ella—to help out. In 1989, Pasqual assumed ownership, while Mary Ann still pitches in part-time, along with Pasqual’s wife, Cindy, and a gaggle of nieces and nephews.

Having help is a must, because Pasqual is still running things old school-style. “Whatever we can do from scratch, we do: roast peppers, make meatballs, shred and grate cheeses,” he says. “We don’t do delivery; for this type of pizza, you want people here. I’ve been making the pizzas and dough since I was a teenager, and now I’m the only one. I’m probably the only owner/operator in New Haven doing that—the way it used to be done, the way it was meant to be done.”

For the five generations of customers who pass through Ernie’s doors, the formula is clearly a winner. But there’s another not-so-secret ingredient: Pasqual’s lifelong passion for the pizza business, which generates a genuine love for both customers and employees, whom he now considers extended family. Recently, he started hosting pizza making classes for locals of all ages, as a fun way to give back to the community (alongside the usual donations and charitable efforts).

“I don’t do any advertising—I don’t have to,” Pasqual says. “We’re a neighborhood place, a big part of the community. We’ve built a lot of nice relationships with customers. It’s very interactive here, and we’re also getting more exposure these days. It’s not getting any easier as I’m getting older, and it’s not an easy business—you have to make sacrifices, and we have—but I’m enjoying it more than ever. I get to make people happy every day! If you have a passion for something, it’s not work. For me, it’s a part of who I am.”