It all started in Leighton Buzzard England , 1964, when Francis Salamone showed Antonino Cimino a photograph of a beautiful young woman, her sister, Domenica, who was living in Sicily at the time. He instantly fell in love and, even though it was a time when most marriages were still arranged, flew to Sicily where the families met for the first time. Domenica fell in love with Antonino at once as well, and they were married on November 6, 1966.
Soon afterwards, the couple relocated to Leighton Buzzard, England where they gave birth to three children: Nicolo, Salvatore, and Vincenzo. In 1973, they moved to America, and made their new home in Rockford, Illinois. Once they settled in, their fourth little boy, Pietro, was born.
At the time, Antonino worked at Rockford Factory Gunite. The Cimino boys would frequently bring pizzas and other Italian dishes to work, and it wasn't long before the other workers caught wind of how great their food was. The employees asked if he could start bringing in food for them. Before long, Domenica and her sisters-in-law were catering lunch to the workers and word traveled fast around the city. Vincenzo opened the first Cimino's Pizza in 1975, located in Loves Park, IL. The ristorante was the first of many to come.
Francesco moved to Pecatonica, IL and Antonino to Freeport, IL. It was in 1977 that the first Cimino's restaurant in Freeport opened. During this time, Antonino taught his boys what he believed to be the most important things about running a restaurant - perfecting the product and the service. Lessons that his sons say they will never forget.
Tragedy struck the family in the year of 1985 when Antonino Cimino passed away. Nicolo, Salvatore, Vincenzo, and Pietro promised to keep their father's spirit alive. In 2017, when Domenica "Mama" Cimino passed away following a courageous battle with cancer, the Cimino children recommitted to preserving their parents' legacies, philosophies, and recipes moving forward. To this day, every single item brought to your table, from pizzas to cannolis, is of the highest quality and prepared with the unconditional care and respect of having you as our customer – just the way Antonino and Mama would have wanted it.
Mama Cimino's pizza has been in business since 1977. It has brought the Cimino name, tradition, and one-of-a-kind style of pizza to communities across the country. The tradition continues with the newest location at 310 E. Warm Springs Road in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit mamaciminosvegas.com or call 702.262.7222.
From the highest quality ingredients to the love and respect put into each fresh pizza, "No one cooks like Mama!"
