Carol Grimaldi (née Lancieri, May 20, 1938 – April 10, 2014) was an American restaurateur and co-founder of Grimaldi's Pizzeria.[1]

In 1933, her uncle, Pasquale Lancieri, founded the Patsy's Pizzeria in Harlem, which was one of the first pizzerias in Harlem.[2] The Harlem-born Grimaldi and her husband were forced to change the name from Patsy's to Grimaldi's in the mid-1990s, due to a dispute with another restaurant.[3] Eight years after the opening of the pizzeria, Grimaldi and her husband sold the pizzeria, and retired from the restaurant business.[4][5] While still remaining in different business enterprises throughout the years, including Juliana's Pizzeria, the couple decided to re-open the former pizzeria business in 2011.[6]

Juliana's is located near the location of Grimaldi's, and serves modern-style pizzas.[3][7]

The couple was interviewed about pizza-eating techniques on NPR in 2014.[8] As of 2014, the Grimaldi brand has become global.[9]

Personal life

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Carol Grimaldi died of cancer in 2014 in Queens, New York, aged 75. She had been battling cancer for more than a year at the time of her death. She was survived by her husband/business partner, Pasquale Grimaldi.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Vitello, Paul (13 April 2014). "Carol Grimaldi, Co-Founder of Lauded Brooklyn Pizzeria, Dies at 76". The New York Times. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  2. ^ "Pizza legend Carol Grimaldi passes". The New York Daily News. 11 April 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Shunk, Laura (June 25, 2013). "The Juliana's and Grimaldi's Rivalry, Bite-by-Bite". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  4. ^ Rosenberg, Eli (December 17, 2012). "Pizza Legend Patsy Grimaldi is Making Pies Again -- But Not Under His Name". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  5. ^ Robbins, Liz (November 29, 2011). "A Dash of Drama in the Pizza World". The New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  6. ^ Robbins, Liz (December 16, 2011). "Close to Fetching Coal and Making Pizza". The New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  7. ^ "New York Pizza World Melts Down Over Grimaldi's Name, the Coal-fired Stove and Prime Brooklyn Real Estate". New York Daily News. December 5, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "Folding Your Pizza Inside-Out And Other Revolutionary Pro Tips". Weekend Edition Sunday. NPR. February 2, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
  9. ^ "Grimaldi's Pizzeria Co-Founder Dies". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  10. ^ "Grimaldi's Pizzeria Co-Founder Dies at 75". NBC New York News. Retrieved April 14, 2014.