Iconic Mercer Pizzeria Seized By State Division Of Taxation

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – The iconic DeLorenzo Pizza has been seized by the state for non-payment of taxes.

Located on 147 Sloan Avenue in Hamilton Township, DeLorenzo Pizza has a notice of seizure posted on its front door.

“The Division of Taxation can confirm the property was seized for failure to comply with New Jersey tax laws. Every taxpayer has the right to bring themselves into tax compliance,” Danielle Currie from the Division of Taxation told Patch. The pizzeria is currently owned by Rick DeLorenzo, Jr.

The first DeLorenzo Pizza shop opened around 1938 at the corner of Hudson and Mott Streets in Trenton by Rick’s uncle, Joe.

He was one of 12 children of Pasquale and Maria DeLorenzo who emigrated from a small town near Naples, Italy called San Fele. The couple settled in a small row home on Hudson Street in Trenton, where they raised 12 children.

Joe, mastered the art of the Pizzaiolo (pizza maker), while working for another pizzeria in the neighborhood. When Joe and his brothers Tony, Jimmy, Chick, and John were called in World War II, Rick Jr’s father, Rick Sr., and his brothers Pat and Raymond began running the family business.

As the popularity of the DeLorenzo pizza grew, so did the need for larger buildings and various locations.

In 1961 they opened a location on Hamilton Avenue in Trenton. They then moved to Sloan Avenue in Hamilton in 2013.

Separate Delorenzo family pizzerias opened in Robbinsville, Levittown, and Yardley, PA. Although operated by "blood related relatives," these locations are not affiliated with the one in Hamilton, Rick Jr. said on his website.

There is no official statement from the pizzeria on the current closure. It’s not clear when they will reopen again.

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