Where did the New York slice come from? Legend has it that it comes courtesy of Patsy’s Pizzeria and its original location in East Harlem. 

In 1933, Pasquale “Patsy” Lancieri opened the doors to the down-to-earth pizza joint on First Ave between E 117th and E 118th street when the area was a hub for Italian immigrants. It was a dream for Pasquale and his wife Carmella to have a family-style restaurant where they could serve coal-oven pizza in the neighborhood.  According to their website, the atmosphere and, of course, the taste of the pizza, began attracting luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Tony Bennett. Famous Yankees players such as Phil Rizzutto, Joe Dimaggio and Yogi Berra also stopped by, thanks to the pizzeria’s convenient uptown location. 

To this day the restaurant still uses their original coal oven, giving the thin crust pizza a unique, smoky char that very few places in New York can offer.