John’s of Bleecker Street, a landmark pizzeria nestled in the heart of Greenwich Village, has recently undertaken a renovation that touched a deeply sentimental chord with its patrons. The pizzeria, renowned for its coal-fired pies and old-school charm, has begun replacing its classic wooden benches. These benches, more than just seating, were an integral part of John’s identity, bearing the carved names and initials of countless customers who have frequented the establishment over the decades. While management had postponed the repairs as long as possible, the mounting complaints about splinters made the replacement unavoidable. Loyal customers will be relieved to hear the new benches are almost indistinguishable from the originals, ensuring the pizzeria’s beloved aesthetic remains intact. It’s only a matter of time before the tradition of carving names into the wood is enthusiastically resumed.
Close-up of new benches at John's of Bleecker Street, replacing the old engraved wooden seating in Greenwich Village pizzeria.
Pizza Nerd Alert: A Call to Action and a Piece of Pizza History Saved
News of the bench replacement reached the pizza aficionado community swiftly. While in Italy during June, I learned about the situation through the Stooping NYC Instagram account. Fellow “pizza nerds” immediately sounded the alarm – these weren’t just benches; they were artifacts of pizza history. Being out of the country, I put out a call for assistance to the pizza community, and the response was incredible. Frank Pinello, the owner of Best Pizza in Williamsburg and the charismatic host of The Pizza Show and Pizza With Frank, stepped up with a generous offer. Frank, possessing a rare commodity in New York City – a truck – volunteered to help rescue some of these historic benches and transport them to safety.
Frank Pinello and Scott Weiner moving salvaged John's of Bleecker Street benches in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, preserving pizza history.
Last week, Frank and I met at John’s and successfully moved three benches across the Williamsburg Bridge. Our initial plan was to house them at Best Pizza, but attempts to fit them into the pizzeria’s space proved unsuccessful. As a next best solution, we opted to store them in my pizza box storage space in Midwood, Brooklyn. Here, these pieces of John’s history will reside alongside my Guinness World Record pizza box collection while we determine a more permanent home. It’s highly likely that at least one of these benches will be auctioned off to benefit Slice Out Hunger, a fantastic organization fighting hunger through pizza.
John's of Bleecker Street benches stored in a Brooklyn storage space alongside a pizza box collection, preserving pizzeria artifacts.
So far, we’ve identified one of the saved benches as belonging to Table 1, which was positioned prominently by the window at John’s. Intriguingly, a portion of this very bench can be glimpsed in the background of a scene from Woody Allen’s iconic film Manhattan. The other benches we rescued were likely situated on the same side of the dining room, possibly from tables 3-4 and 5-6. The investigation into the history of these benches continues, so stay tuned for further updates as we piece together more of their story.
A collage image comparing a John's of Bleecker Street bench in storage with a screenshot from Woody Allen's Manhattan, highlighting the bench's history.
The Craftsmanship Behind the Classic Benches
Delving into the history of John’s of Bleecker Street reveals a fascinating lineage, passed down through generations via marriages and in-laws – a family tree that could indeed warrant a flow chart. The pizzeria relocated to its current Bleecker Street location in 1938, marking the official name change to John’s Pizzeria. Tracing the ownership, John’s son-in-law Joe Vesce eventually sold the business to his brother Augustine “Chubby” Vesce. It’s Chubby Vesce’s wife’s sister, Kitty (Katherine), who married Rudy Cascone – the craftsman who built the now-iconic benches for the main dining room in the late 1950s. This insightful piece of history comes directly from Bobby Vittoria, the current majority owner of John’s.
The second dining room at John’s opened in the early 1980s, and the benches in that section are consequently a couple of decades younger, exhibiting subtle design variations. Notably, the end caps of these later benches feature a distinct notch, unlike the rounded, bulbous tops of the end caps on the older benches from the original room. For us pizza history enthusiasts, the priority was clear: to preserve the oldest benches, those imbued with the richest history and character of John’s of Bleecker Street. And thankfully, that mission was accomplished.
