The 1960s Frozen Pizza Company Behind Several Of Your Favorite Brands

Few meals are as easy to make as a frozen pizza. There's little assembly required, and dinner is as simple as tossing your favorite pie into a pre-heated oven. Pizza lovers have an abundance of choices in the frozen section at even the most unique grocery stores. While there's a large number of delicious store-bought frozen pizzas, one major company is the supplier of most of them: Palermo's. 

For those not aware of this company's decades-long history, the family-owned private business is the name behind brands like Screamin' Sicilian, Urban Pie Pizza Co., and many generic labels. Palermo's company history and its process of manufacturing frozen pizzas were even featured on the Discovery Channel's "Factory Made" and Food Network's "Unwrapped."

Starting as a small bakery in 1964, Palermo's was founded by Gaspare "Jack" and Zina Fallucca in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Jack and Zina named Palermo's after their homeland of Palermo, Sicily. The Falluccas embodied the American Dream, as Jack learned English on his own and funded the business by working as a hotel dishwasher and laying tiles. While the bakery started off selling items like Italian bread, cannolis, and cookies, the Falluccas acquired the hardware store next door and turned it into an Italian restaurant in 1969. At the suggestion of a local grocery store, Jack began pre-baking and selling frozen Italian bread, which served as his first step into the frozen food business.

Aside from the aforementioned Screamin' Sicilian product line, Palermo's also acquired Connie's Pizza and launched other lines such as Surfer Boy Pizza, which is inspired by the popular Netflix show "Stranger Things." In 2025, Palermo also teamed up with Cheez-It and Ragu to create frozen pizzas inspired by the iconic snack cracker and sauce brands. Similar to other major manufacturers, Palermo supplies many private-label frozen pizzas as well. (Safeway is a major client). It was also confirmed in 2012 that Palermo was the company behind Costco's Kirkland-brand frozen pizza. The chain's present private label supplier is unknown, but Palermo's Pizza is currently unavailable on Costco's site, which may signify that their partnership is no more.

Although Jack Fallucca passed away in 2012, Palermo's Pizza is still owned and operated by the Fallucca family. Palermo's success continues to flourish under the oversight of members like Jack's grandson, Nick, who is the chief product and innovation officer and head of the human resources department. Under his leadership, the company continues to be the very brand behind some of our favorite frozen pies on the shelf.