- Date Of Birth: June 6, 1936
- Date Of Death: June 5, 2022
- State: Pennsylvania
Salvatore Venezia, 85, of Macungie, passed away peacefully in his home on Sunday June 5, 2022, with his loving wife and family by his side. He was the husband of Rosa (DeVito) Venezia, with whom he shared over 61 years of loving marriage. Salvatore (Sal to his friends) was born on June 6, 1936 to Carmine and Finizia (Russo) Venezia in the town of Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi, Avellino, Italy. After an adventurous youth that led him to working in Switzerland for a period of time, Sal emigrated to the United States in 1958, where he started his first career as a shoemaker in lower Manhattan, New York City and later in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. But most importantly, he reunited with the love of his life from his hometown, Rosa Devito. Sal and Rosa married in May 1961 and went on to have three children, Roseann, Carmine and Valerie. In 1971, Sal embarked on his second career when he moved the family to the Lehigh Valley and opened the first of many restaurants, Pizza Como USA in Allentown, PA. During the course of a career that spanned over 40 years, Sal would go on to open many restaurants throughout eastern Pennsylvania, including numerous Pizza Como locations, Carmine’s Restaurant in Allentown and the Vineyard Restaurant in Bethlehem. And in 1988, Sal was part of a group that brought the first American pizza franchise, Astro Pizza, to the Soviet Union. Many of those who worked and trained under Sal would go on to their own successful careers in the restaurant business.
Survivors: In addition to his wife Rosa, he will be lovingly remembered by his children Roseann Hassick (Edward) of Palmer Twp., Carmine Venezia (Linda) of Lincroft, NJ and Valerie Singley (Ryan) of Emmaus; grandchildren Joseph Hassick (Gina), Coriann Hassick, Michael Hassick, Matthew Venezia, Andrew Venezia, Kathleen Venezia, Emily Venezia, Jonathan Singley, Rosie Singley and Michael Singley and great-grandchildren Jace, Weston and Riley; brother Giuseppe of Italy and sister Antoinette of Belgium; nieces and nephews.
