Born and raised in Potenza Italy, Mr. G was surrounded by amazing Italian food. Thus, Mr. G’s Pizzeria was always destined to be amazing.While going to college studying law, Mr. G was also studying music at the Conservatory of Music in Napoli. After graduating, he started his career at I.N.A. (Instituto Nazionale di Assicurazioni) and climbing the corporate ladder, he worked for three years wining all his cases just to be called in a different direction.
It was time to discover new horizons and try to excel in another professional field, leaving behind the desks and offices.Starting a musical band and traveling around the world, "I MARENGHI' (Gold Ancient Coins), was successful and well-known. For 14 years they went to Switzerland, France, the Principato of Monaco, Italy, Greece, Nicosia, Iran (then Persia), several African countries, Arabic countries like Tripoli, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Baghdad, Kuwait City, Damascus Syria, Beirut & Lebanon.
While in Africa, Mr G. trained daily in martial arts at the Foreign Legion Academy. I MARENGHI was given the opportunity to perform in the best theaters, clubs, hotels, TV stations, and reached a level of success beyond their wildest dreams. They performed for foreign royal families and traveled to exotic locations. Mr. G spoke of those 14 years as an indescribable, amazing journey.During a concert in Beirut, was when MR G. met Houda. “A beautiful girl that became my wife.”
It was then Mr. G decided to leave the band and settled down in London. Because of his knowledge of foreign languages (five of them), I offered my services to an American air conditioning company, assisting them with the introduction into foreign countries. Taking an all-inclusive extended vacation to the United States, Visiting Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New York City, we decided to move here permanently.
Due to their love and exquisite taste in food, Mr. G and Houda decided to open Italian restaurants starting in New Jersey.After years of success up north, Mr. G wanted to own horses, so he moved to Texas. Let’s face it, if you want to own horses, you have to move to Texas. Thus Italian-New Yorker, bought a farm, drove his new tractor home in a suit. (Italian of course) and did all things farm in Waco, TX.
Once his children grew and got into TAMU, everyone moved to Bryan, College Station, TX opening Mr. G’s Pizzeria in 1996. To this day, his New York proven Italian Pizza is one of a kind and only 2 people know how to make this secret crust recipe.How did the girl from East Texas come into play? … Susan was celebrating her 10th anniversary across the street at then, Downtown Uncorked. Being the great parents we are, we stopped by this pizzeria we had heard so much about on our way home.
I met Mr. G at the pizza counter, two hours later, a friendship had been forged that would run deeper than either of us would have imagined. My poor husband was hanging out with our cold pizza waiting for me after my extensive debate with a little Italian man. He would become one of my best friends. Now, I didn’t train in the foreign legion, or travel in a band, in fact my story is so dull compared to his that we will skip it entirely.
I would stop in weekly and G & I would talk for hours. He was the Italian overprotective grandparent that I didn’t know I needed. We talked about past adventures, our dreams, our kids, work. We cried over family illnesses and laughed over pretty much everything else. My favorite story was of how he met Houda, that is a movie worthy love story. I guess I had an old soul, but I loved our time at the little bar in the back over a chilled glass of Chablis.
My feisty Italian started talking to me about retiring in 2015. He finally did it 2020. During this time, he refused to sell to anyone that I found that would’ve been perfect. No one measured up to care for his beloved Pizzeria as he did.Our last friendship conversation went like this,,, in an Italian accent.:Susson, ima gonna shut the door at the end of the montha if you don’ta takea it!I guess waiting tables in college, and drinking copious amounts of Chablis with the man himself qualified me.
But, to be honest I was extremely shocked, honored and scared in an enormous dumbfounded could not answer way. It took a beat for the shock to wear off for me to ask what size Italian shoe he wore, because that was what I needed to fill. This community loved Mr. G. He got away with things, us mere mortals only dream about. But here I am, with this 5,000 sf white elephant trying to fulfill not only a legacy, but one that was lovingly handed to me.
We had 1 year of being business partners together before my friend passed away. And in his Italian, you will remember me kinda way, he passed on the day we met, 11 years later.Mr. G’s Pizzeria is going strong and is the staple for pizza in BCS. As the oldest pizzeria in BCS, we look forward to many more happy years with amazing food and friendships!“I am telling you all this for a good reason...
Mr. G’s pizza is the very best in the world; it is because the recipe is one of a kind.”- Mr G.
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