When Connecticut-born, Italy-raised Antonio “Tony” Tolli returned to his birth state in 1930, he learned the baking trade from his uncle, who owned a successful pastry shop in New Haven. His first solo venture, a pizzeria co-owned with that uncle’s son, lasted only two years, but he immediately went back into the business with the new Tony’s Apizza, opened on State Street in 1936 to serve the area’s mass of Italian immigrants.
That concept, renamed Modern Apizza in 1944, would change hands over the decades, but the beloved pizza recipe remained untouched. Even with the pizzeria’s lasting success over more than a half century, when current owners Bill and Mary Pustari took the helm in 1988, they focused on proving themselves in the shadow of the city’s more famous Wooster Street pizzerias—making renovations, expanding seating and recommitting to the customer experience.
Today, Modern Apizza has become a firmly established legend in a legendary pizza town, propelled by impassioned word-of-mouth and a stream of awards, accolades and media attention. But despite some employees clocking in since pre-Pustari days, Modern isn’t afraid to keep up with the times (think cool swag for sale on its website and a steady presence on social media).
Toting a degree in hospitality, Erica Pustari, daughter of Bill and Mary and Modern Apizza’s current manager, joined the family business around 2016 and quickly started using Instagram to spread the word about everything from new beers on tap to visits from its many celebrity fans.
“We’ve hosted Steven Spielberg here and bring the Yankees pizza when they’re training, but everyone is the same to us,” Erica told PMQ in 2018. “We’re very lucky to be known now all over the country, but we don’t seek that out. It happens because of the love people have for pizza.”
Indeed, Modern Apizza even landed its own starring role in a documentary, called Apizza Love Story, that delved into the iconic New Haven style. But, Erica asserts, the family’s real pleasure is providing a great experience every day for its customers—whether they’ve traveled cross-country to try a Clam Casino pie or visit every week from around the corner.
“It just makes us really happy that our pizza makes people happy,” she concludes. “We’re proud to be here every day, providing a great environment and product for people to enjoy. That’s what life is all about.”
