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For decades
people have debated who makes the best pizza on the
Wildwood Boardwalk and personally, I sold my soul to
Mack's a long time ago. I am Italian and extremely passionate
about food and in my mind if you could take a bite out
of Wildwood it would taste like Mack's Pizza. |
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The Mack Pie
dates back more than sixty years to a time when Anthony
and Lena Maccaroni operated a restaurant located near
the old fairgrounds on Nottingham Way in Trenton, New
Jersey. It was there that the Mack's Tomato Pie was
born. Years later the family opened a pizza shop in
Seaside Heights on the Jersey shore but it wasn't until
1953 that this famous pie hit the Wildwood Boardwalk. |
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One day in 1952
Anthony took his son Dominic (better known as Duke)
on a road trip. They hopped in the car and headed out
on a journey that eventually ended on a little barrier
island at the southern tip of New Jersey called The
Wildwoods. Anthony and his wife Lena had previously
scouted the Wildwood location and fell in love with
it, however to Duke it seemed to be at the end of the
earth. Fortunately the family did choose the Wildwood
Boardwalk for a new store and the following year Anthony
and Lena along with their three sons Joseph, Vincent
and Duke opened up shop at Wildwood Avenue on Memorial
Day weekend - As always ( some say it is a tradition
) it rained for three days and only 8 pies were sold,
but things turned around quickly. The Wildwood business
did so well that within a few years Anthony and his
son Vincent opened a pizza shop on the Ocean City Boardwalk
(N.J.) along with cousin Vince Manco and created the
first Mack and Manco's. |
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The photo above was taken in
the 50's and shows a young Duke Mack (center) along
with brother Vince to the right. |
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The desire for
Mack's pizza was overwhelming and before long the family
had four stores on the Wildwood Boardwalk - Wildwood,
Glenwood, Lincoln and Robert's Avenues - plus the shops
in Seaside and Ocean City. (Years later Duke also opened a place on the Atlantic
City Boardwalk called Duke Mack's. ) |
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Above photo was taken in the
early 70's. |
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Some might remember
when Mack's first opened they also offered other Boardwalk
eats such as clams and corn on the cob, but the extended
menu did not last long. Their tomato pie gained a large
following which included a local Judge by the name of
Andrew Caferio. He was a loyal customer and a friend
of the Mack family and had stated on many visits that
the pizza was so good they should serve it exclusively.
The family agreed and so it came to be that Mack's Pizza
was just that... Mack's Pizza. |
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Pictured below are several photos
of the Wildwood Avenue shop. |
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Pictured left Bob Moloney
and Charlotte Mack. Joe Mack is shown above
working the dough. |
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Looking toward the front of the shop. |
A young Darryl Mack is pictured above at the counter. |
Looking toward the back dining area at Wildwood Avenue. |
All photographs come from the Mack family collection and used
with permission.
Copyright 2001 Ralph Grassi
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