'Everything We Had': Amore Pizzeria Celebrates 31 Years In Bay Shore

BAY SHORE, NY — The 800 square foot store on Union Boulevard was nestled in between a laundromat and a convenience store.

To Richard, "Richie" Graffeo, the size didn't matter. After working at four separate pizza places with his uncle throughout Long Island, the Brooklyn native decided it was time to grow roots with his wife and two young sons.

And Bay Shore was the place to do so.

So on Dec. 13, 1991, Graffeo bought the store, naming it "Amore Pizza,” after his uncle's stores, "Pizzeria Amore."

"It needed work," Graffeo told Patch. The place had to be fumigated, and renovated.

Exactly one month after its purchase, it was ready to serve pizza.

On Jan. 13, 1992, Amore Pizzeria opened for business.

He also quickly found support in Michael Di Tomasso, also a Brooklyn native. The two met through a mutual friend and became partners.

Di Tomasso would stand in the front behind the counter while Graffeo would work the kitchen.
"I used to stay in the back at the beginning, and he was all talkative," said Graffeo. "Now I'm talkative."

At the time, Bay Shore's downtown was not "what it is today," the duo told Patch. Businesses, especially ones just starting out, struggled.

"There was nothing in the town of Bay Shore," said Graffeo. "Compared to what it is now, it's really phenomenal. It's changed so much for the better."

Being so close to South Shore University Hospital, Graffeo and Di Tomasso realized that catering for pharmaceutical companies, medical events, and to nearby schools could boost business, Graffeo told Patch.

"We started doing corporate catering, and then after that realized for school districts was another way to go," said Graffeo.

In the middle of Long Island, their range of service has virtually no boundaries. More than 31 years later, Amore Pizza travels from New York City to the tip of Montauk.

The secret to their delicious menu: cheese.

In his 45-year pizza career, even before opening Amore Pizza, Graffeo has ordered from the same aged-cheese salesman.

And the pizza recipe has not once changed.

"If he gets complaints about the cheese, the guy calls me now, to ask what's the matter with it," he said.

Expanding

In 1997, Graffeo and Di Tomasso bought the former stationery store, adjacent to the pizzeria. The two knocked the walls down and created Amore Pizza's dining area, filled with three high tops and three low tables.

Their staff also grew.

Amore Pizza has about 15 to 20 employees. The duo has forged lifelong bonds with their staff, and even witnessed one of their employees become a United States citizen.

When the pandemic hit, not a single person was let go.

"My guys, my cook, have been here almost 20, 25 years," Graffeo said. "I couldn't lay him off. I couldn't."

With schools closed and events shifting from in-person to virtual, the business struggled financially. They only returned to normal this past September, Graffeo said.

"It's still hard because of the profit margin," he said. "But, we're still here."

The business has also expanded into a family affair. Steven Di Tomasso, the current manager, is Di Tomasso's cousin.

Through Graffeo, Di Tomasso met his wife, Melissa — Graffeo's niece.

"I tried to talk her out of it," Graffeo said. "She wouldn't listen."

Melissa and Graffeo's wife, Janet, have worked "late hours" behind the counter, Di Tomasso said. Anthony, one of Graffeo's sons, delivers pizza and operates its website.

In 2005 the duo bought the five-store shopping center, naming it "Amore Plaza."

"People tell me there's no parking here nowadays, but come in here 30 years ago there was more parking because it was empty," said Graffeo. "So it's a good thing."

More Than Pizza

So what's the secret to going from 800 square feet to catering for major hospitals? Community.

On a regular basis, Amore hosts fundraising events for groups like Boy Scouts and Little League. Every year, a club of student with special needs from Bay Shore High School is invited to Amore's kitchen, where they learn to make pizza. The duo is also friendly with the Suffolk County Police Department's Third Precinct and the Bay Shore Fire Department.

"When they do the parades and stop the trucks (and he's watching the parade), I gotta go bother them," said Graffeo. "

"If customers come in and say, 'I forgot my coupons, oh my God, what am I going to do?'," said Graffeo, "I'll go, 'Well, I won't tell the boss, don't worry about it.'"

Through kindness, Graffeo and Di Tomasso witness milestones of all ages. In their 31 years of business, they've seen teachers start their careers — and retire.

Children receive a special treat every time they patron the pizzeria.

"When we get the little kids that come in here, everybody gets chocolate cake," said Graffeo. "Now all the kids come in here to eat, so they get the chocolate cake."

Amore's respect for the community is mutual.

The duo will get recognized in numerous places, they said.

"I went to Disneyland and somebody yelled 'Amore!" Di Tomasso said.

Graffeo and Di Tomasso told Patch they plan to keep Amore going for as long as they possibly can.
"Bottom line is, we really killed ourselves to make this place what it is," said Di Tomasso. "Both of us, we really gave everything we had. There were times when it was really slow and we stuck it out."

As long as they have each other, things can only go up, they said.

"We've put a lot of years together, and we've been very good friends," said Di Tomasso. "I've been through friends from left and right. He's one of my closest friends, and I would do anything for him. I'll always be there for him."