Latest news with #Pettinato
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pizza Week 2025: Mario's Pizza in Owego
OWEGO, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – News 34 is excited to announce the return of Pizza Week. 34 alum and now special pizza correspondent Mike Tanzini is resuming his tour of local pizzerias. First, Mike takes us out to Owego to learn about a familiar family recipe. 'It's just an ongoing tradition and a family-run business,' said Mario's Owner Jerry Pettinato. A staple in Owego, Mario's Pizza has been in business for over 45 years. A lot can change in four and a half decades. But if you ask Jerry Pettinato, if something ain't broke, you don't fix it. 'It hasn't been tweaked, it has not been changed, it's been the same recipe,' said Pettinato. Jerry knows a thing or two about the pizza business. His father and family managed an Italian restaurant in the Scranton area that's been in operation since the 1920s. Meanwhile, Jerry's father-in-law opened Mario's Pizza in the late 1970s. It wasn't long before Jerry jumped into the pizza biz to continue the family tradition. 'Between my wife being in the business, me being familiar with that, it seemed like a natural progression with me to get into this,' said Pettinato. It's a full family effort as Jerry, Amanda, Vinny, and Gina all work together to make the signature Mario's pizza, which starts with dough made fresh each day using a blend of flour, water, sugar, salt, and a special yeast. 'Fresh yeast is extremely fragile. It can't sit for a long time, or it will lose its potency,' said Pettinato. The dough will ferment for 24 to 36 hours, which enhances its flavor and makes it light, airy, and easy to work with. 'You go all the way around. Give it a little tug and pull. Let gravity stretch it out. Give it a little tug and a little turn. Unfortunately, it took me a little while to really get the technique. It's not about speed…oh there it goes. I jinxed myself here. Is this fixable? This is the magic of television. When this comes out, you probably won't be able to tell there was a hole in it,' said Pettinato. Next, it's time to drop down the sauce. 'One scoop of sauce dead center – kind of like target practice here,' said Pettinato. Mario's utilizes fresh California tomatoes. 'You want the best that you can possibly get. It's been the same brand of tomato for 45 years. That company is strict with their tolerances, and everything is perfect' said Pettinato. Along with a special blend of Italian seasonings, which packs a punch of fresh flavor. As with any loyal family business, Jerry isn't budging on revealing the family recipe. 'There are some traditional Italian seasonings. A little bit of TLC, a little bit of love, and we'll… just leave it at that,' said Pettinato. Now, time for the 100% whole milk, full cream mozzarella cheese that's going to melt beautifully and blanket our pie. After spreading what I'd consider a perfect layer of cheese, I feel like it might be time for a promotion! 'I'm in charge. My first order of business is giving everyone a half day. Jim is going to stay and make pizza with me.' After several minutes in the oven, we take it out, cut it up, and get ready to enjoy a meal as a family – the same meal that Mario's has been serving to customers, both young and old. 'They've been with us for generations. It's more than 45 years that we've been here. We're on second and third generations now coming up and seeing their kids and grandkids come in and have that same smile on their face when they take that first bite of pizza,' said Pettinato. I want to thank everybody at Mario's for helping me be a part of the family and for creating their signature Mario's pizza. There are some places out there that say, 'When you're here, you're family.' I can tell you firsthand that when you're down at Mario's, you're part of La Famiglia. Mario's is located at 51 Fox Street in Owego, which is the only location owned by the Pettinato family. Next, Mike heads to Vestal to learn about another long-time pizza staple in our community. Meanwhile, you can vote for your favorite local pie in our pizza poll by clicking here. Pizza Week 2025: Mario's Pizza in Owego 'Hurlyburly' at KNOW Theatre Demolition of IBM Old Building Group nears completion Van Cott Jewelers announces official closing date Hanagan's Heroes monument to be relocated to Southside Veterans Park Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Students team up with volunteers to give Scranton splash of color
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A group of young students is teaming up with community volunteers to bring a splash of color to downtown Scranton. It's all part of a citywide beautification effort that kicked off this week. Bright smiles and blooming flowers filled Christopher A Doherty Park on Tuesday morning. Volunteers of all ages came together to kick off Scranton City Pride. 'The kids are really enjoying it. We have some that are a little afraid to get dirty. Some that are ready to get dirty, so it's been a fun opportunity for me to just kinda watch them from what they've already learned,' The Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children Director Dean Pettinato told 28/22 News. Students and faculty from the Scranton School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children in South Abington Township spent weeks nurturing plants in preparation for this project. 'We have a program where we collaborate with the Master gardeners, and they'll come and they're teaching our kids about how to develop the flowers from the seeds. They're teaching them about the science of the flowers,' Pettinato explained. New Indian restaurant coming to the Back Mountain On Tuesday, they partnered with Scranton Tomorrow's Safe, Clean and Green team to plant their colorful creations downtown. 'This is a really good example of the power of partnership, where Scranton Tomorrow recruits volunteers for a very specific project tailored for them, really for the benefit of the overall community,' Scranton Tomorrow's Safe, Clean, Green & Design Programs Project Manager Steve Ward stated. Helping hands from the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County guided the young horticulturists as they transformed the pocket park at the corner of Linden Street and Wyoming Avenue into a vibrant urban garden. Now, each student can take this new skill with them for life. With more events planned throughout the next two weeks, organizers say this is just the beginning of a brighter, cleaner Scranton. The community beautification campaign runs through June 7. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Spotlight on Mario's Pizza in Owego
OWEGO, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Tioga County's Chamber of Commerce is shining a spotlight on an Owego restaurant that's become a local staple focused on food and family. The chamber is recognizing Mario's Pizza which has been in business for over four decades. It was originally founded by Angela and Jerry Pettinato. Over the years, the family has grown, and if you're a Pettinato, it's become a tradition to work at the restaurant. Mario's offers traditional Italian cuisine, including fresh pizza, pasta, homemade sauce, meatballs, chicken parm, and your other favorites. Co-Owner, Gina Pettinato, says she was basically born and raised back in the says the biggest key to their success is creating a family-friendly space, and pouring love into every dish. 'We keep doing what we're doing. We just show up every day and try to put out the best food and the friendliest service and atmosphere that we can. When you walk in here you're part of our family honestly,' says Pettinato. Mario's is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. They offer delivery, and catering, plus, a different specialty pizza every week. Mario's posts updates and dinner specials on its Facebook page called 'Mario's Pizza Owego.' Or, you can find a menu, and order through their website, Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chamber development program targets young professionals
A new professional development series — designed by the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce — aims to teach young workers ways to determine their specific strengths, acquire valuable workforce skills and act appropriately during formal business meetings. Emily Pettinato, workforce development specialist for the chamber, stressed the organization recognizes the importance of attracting more young professionals — specifically those graduating from college or moving to the area — and providing them with opportunities to advance their careers. Pettinato believes participating in the Xpand Professional Development Series could help up-and-coming workers find their footing in a competitive job market. 'I think it would be a really great confidence boost entering the workplace,' she said. 'I know when you first start somewhere it's scary and intimidating, so just being able to listen to others and learn from them, I think they'll get a sense of community, a sense of confidence and be able to excel in their positions.' Pettinato (Courtesy Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce) The Xpand series will consist of three sessions, but participants may sign up for one, two or all three. The program is open to young professionals under the age of 40 who work in Northeast Pennsylvania. Those interested in attending the session may register at until Feb. 21. For information on the sessions, including pricing, visit the chamber website. Nicole Morristell, executive director of Leadership Lackawanna, the chamber's community leadership and professional development organization, will lead the first session — 'Unlock Your Strengths' — March 6 from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at the chamber building, 222 Mulberry St., Scranton. 'We believe learning leadership skills at any time in life is essential to being a quality worker, so offering various workshops like these really fine-tunes the skills needed by today's employees,' Morristell said. 'We're hearing that call from employers, so we tried to think outside the box a little bit.' MORRISTELL (Submitted) Pettinato will facilitate the second session — 'Building Your Career Toolkit' — April 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Scranton Enterprise Center, 201 Lackawanna Ave. The session will cover tips for being more productive during meetings, building a professional network, and honing communication and teamwork skills. Stephanie Decker, associate vice president for advancement at Lackawanna College, who launched a School of Hospitality in 2010 when she first joined the college, will offer guidance for proper behavior in a professional dining setting — from table manners to greeting and cellphone use — during an interactive business etiquette dinner April 16 at 5 p.m. at the AV Restaurant, 320 Penn Ave., Scranton. Throughout a decade of leadership, Decker steadily built up the hospitality program at Lackawanna. 'When we started, we had a vision for building a world-class School of Hospitality locally for students who wanted an affordable education, but also wanted the best that would come from some of the biggest hospitality schools in the world,' she said. 'We assembled a team of professionals who all studied at those schools, and it's become our mission and 'secret sauce' to bring the best of those institutions right to our students' backyard at a price they can afford.' A big step occurred in 2018 with the opening of 409 on Adams — a student-run restaurant — which provides students with the necessary training to succeed in the hospitality business, Decker said. 'It's a really special place because we focus largely on workforce development,' she said. 'When you graduate with one of our four degrees, you've served customers in a live setting.' Morristell feels participating in development programs gives both job seekers and those looking for a promotion an advantage. 'Anytime you attend a workshop or training event, that shows you went above and beyond and it's putting you ahead of your competitors,' she said. 'You're one step ahead, which makes you valuable. It's a talking point during a job interview and something to put on your resume.'
