By Tracy Morin
In 1950, Leona Szemla, owner of Leona’s Pizzeria in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, wasn’t your typical pizzeria founder. For starters, she was female—and she wasn’t your typical 1950s female, either. “She was quite the Italian, but not your old lady stirring sauce in the kitchen,” recalls her grandson, Leon Toia. “She was the fireball in a fur coat and lipstick, amazingly ahead of her time and very strong, because she had to be. The only way to describe her is bigger than life.”
Billy Marino, current CEO and owner, adds that Szemla—whom he calls “a force to be reckoned with”—hasn’t received proper credit for her pizza industry innovations. For example, in 1952, she topped a fleet of cars with massive Leona’s Pizza signs. “She must have been the first in the world with branded delivery cars,” says Marino, whose dad and uncle drove for the pizzeria. “She was known for delivering virtually anywhere around Chicago.”
Szemla’s vivacious, no-nonsense personality and creative spirit made her a formidable entrepreneur. Toia recalls her opening the pizzeria on holidays, feeding anyone who showed up, and streamlining service by running orders on a wire with clothespins. The business inevitably bloomed into more locations—up to 12 under Toia’s decades-long leadership—and became a Windy City household name.
Related: The World’s Largest Pizzeria First Opened at a Cost of $2,500 (in 1959)
However, after aggressive growth with too-large footprints, the late-2000s economic downturn, and a sale in 2013, Marino inherited a troubled two-location business (with only one open) when he took over in 2022. Since then, he’s downsized square footage while updating operations, and Leona’s now-four locations are thriving as it celebrates 75 years.
Marino, who logged decades in real estate and construction, learned the pizza ropes under Chicago meat legend Gene Fontanini and sets his sights on further growth for “Leona’s 2.0.”
“Leona’s needed new life, and we’re giving it: focusing on carryout and delivery; revamping POS, online ordering and catering; digitizing recipes; revitalizing supply and ingredients; and embracing slice culture,” he says. “We always had thin and Sicilian crusts, but we added Detroit—and run out of it almost every night. We want to honor Leona by being creative and at the forefront of what’s happening in pizza while respecting where this brand came from. I told Leon, ‘Your grandmother’s legacy is safe with me.’”
Tracy Morin is PMQ’s associate editor.
