In 1960, Dominick, along with his brother-in-law Joe, and sister, Mary Jean Paglianite, ventured to Delaware to open a pizza restaurant. This was the birth of Grotto Pizza. During this first summer, pizza slices sold for 20 cents each and a whole pizza was $1.60. The challenge was to introduce pizza in an area where it was not recognized. To create a market for his pizza, Dominick and his sister spent long hours talking to people and handing out free samples to those who passed by his restaurant. In July of that summer, he noticed he was starting to get many repeat guests. It was the local Sussex County guests, and later the tourists from the DC and Maryland area, who put Grotto Pizza on the map. Since establishing our Grotto Gives Back program in 1985, Grotto Pizza has donated in excess of $15 million to our local communities through our Community Pizza Night program, holiday fundraising, and donations to youth programs, schools, the military, hospitals, first responders and other philanthropic giving.