Nu Yalk Pizza (then called Crocitto's, a night club, pool hall, and pizza parlor built on the site of a former Catholic Church) was founded in 1919 by Rick Crocitto's grandfather Frank Crocitto, on Sand Lane in South Beach, Staten Island, New York. The enterprise was passed to Rick's father, Dominic, and later to his uncle, Pasquale.

Even Though Rick's father didn't want his sons to go into the pizza business, Rick and his brother renovated a bankrupt pizza parlor in Honolulu, Hawaii, and called it Mama Mia!! Pizza. In 1973, Rick had a parting of ways with his brother, and moved to South Lake Tahoe, opening his first New York Pizza location. utilizing the family tradition of combining secret and ancient preparation methods with top-grade ingredients and New York finesse, Rick developed and refined the modern and classic Italian and Sicilian recipes you can enjoy in Nu Yalk Pizza today.

In 1978, Rick Crocitto and his family moved to Reno, Nevada and our city was blessed with the arrival of these delicious family recipes. Since then, Nu Yalk Pizza has become the premiere example of Big Apple-style dining here in the Biggest Little City in the World.