The Sauce
“The Sauce” finds its origins with the Scavelli brother’s great grandfather, Casto Caiazza (pronounced Ki-azza). Casto was born in the late 1800s in the small village of Ciatz (pronounced See-ots) near Naples Italy, an area known for its Pizza Pie. Around the turn of the 20th century, the oppression of the “Black Hand” (aka, the Italian Mafia) led Casto to flee to America with hopes for a better life and a dream of sharing his family’s secret sauce with the New World.
During this time a young girl, Maria Zeppetelli, also living in Naples, Italy, was working in a family restaurant making pizza in stone ovens for local villagers. She also migrated to America in the early 1900’s. Casto and Maria settled in an Italian community in western Pennsylvania where they were wed through a family arranged marriage. While Maria was baking her famous pizza dough, Casto was perfecting his sauce-- not only was it an arrangement between man and woman but also between bread and sauce… a perfect combination!
This family recipe has been passed on through generations, bringing family and friends together in restaurants and home kitchens alike. At the heart of Crisp’s delicious pizza is “The Sauce”, a savory blend of Italian herbs and spices including oregano, parsley, garlic and other “proprietary” ingredients.
Best served with wine, as it was in Casto’s days, “The Sauce” will forever be in the hearts and cookbooks of the Scavelli family, and now in the mouths of Crisp’s valued guests.
