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Alex is the owner of Bella Maria Tomato Pies and has a family pedigree in the pizza business. Both sides of his family were bakers who emigrated from Naples and Calabria, Italy in the 1920's. Pizza is literally a part of Alex's DNA. His paternal grandmother's name: Raffaella Pizza.


Alex's father Carmen opened up his first pizzeria in Bristol PA in 1947.

Drafted into the army in 1951, Carmen sold his share of the pizzeria and served his country honorably in the Korean War. Upon his discharge from the US Army, Carmen married and supported his family working as both a steelworker and a pizza maker. (Pizzaiolo)


In 1970, Carmen opened his second pizzeria in Bensalem PA.  Carmen taught the pizza business to his three sons,and handed down to them a recipe for pizza dough that his uncle Pasquale gave to him in 1947. Carmen's uncle Pasquale was the founder of Italian Peoples Bakery in Trenton NJ.


Since 1976, Carmen’s three sons have developed, owned and operated several pizzeria restaurants in Bensalem PA, Levittown PA, Langhorne PA, Stone Harbor NJ, Avalon NJ, and Virginia Beach VA.


Alex left the pizza business in 2001 to venture into the corporate world but this did not satisfy, his passion was for making pizza and he was insistently urged by his beautiful daughter Maria to return to pizza making, Maria constantly told him "Daddy You make the Best Pizza you should open up another pizzeria the people just have to have your Pizza"


Just one day after she last said this to her dad, Maria was lost tragically in a terrible car accident. Alex's spirit was crushed, in losing his very precious daughter Maria and Alex desperately tried to find some meaning of this most tragic event in his life.   But with time Alex found new purpose in fulfilling Marias request to open up a pizzeria and so Bella Maria Tomato Pies was founded in loving tribute to his Precious and Beautiful Daughter Maria.


Alex has over 47 years of experience and expertise in the pizza restaurant business and has a true family pedigree in the pizza business, both sides of his family were bakers who emigrated from Naples and Calabria Italy in the 1920’s. Pizza is literally a part of Alex’s DNA his paternal grandmothers name “Rafaella Pizza”, and using a dough crust recipe that has been considered a family heirloom used for over the last 70 years.  Alex now has his own two sons working with him and learning the craft.


Bella Maria Tomato Pies offers a comfortable, friendly ambiance in house while also providing a fast delivery service from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm. The menu features Pizza,Tomato Pies, Sandwiches, Pastas, Fresh Salads and Italian Specialties.  The pizza dough and all sauces are made fresh on site everyday.


In 2019 it is hard to find an authentic Italian maestro pizzaiolo who is dedicated to the craft of expert pizza making which is in fact an art form, "Each of our pizzas are crafted with expertise and especially with Love.” Bella Maria Tomato Pies is more than just another pizza shop it is a Labor of Tribute, Dedication and especially Love, to his precious and beautiful daughter Maria and to the legacy of his father the “Maestro Pizzaiolo” Carmen