Pizza Keeps Barone Family in Business

What started out as an act of efficiency became a trademark for Barone’s Famous Italian restaurant, helping make it one of the Valley’s most successful eateries for more than 50 years.

To fit more pizzas in the oven, the family shunned the traditional circular-shaped pie, instead choosing a rectangular-shaped pizza, served on a silver cookie sheet. The idea stuck, and the Barone pizza was born.

The half-century operation has truly been a family affair.

In 1945, the first Barone’s restaurant was opened in Sherman Oaks by siblings Josephine Barone, Tony Arpaia, Frank Arpaia and Mike Arpaia. They had purchased a restaurant called Barto’s, and simply dropped the “t” and added an “n” and an “e” to make the sign read Barone’s.

Four years later, the restaurant moved a few blocks east to its current home at 14151 Ventura Blvd., and other family members, including sister Rose Houser and brothers-in-law Joseph Izzo and Frank Monteleone, joined the operation.

The Valley’s second Barone’s restaurant was opened on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake in 1970. A third venture in Laguna Hills was opened in 1977 and sold in 1980.

Through the years, family members pitched in with cooking secret family recipes, serving, tending bar and even entertaining its youngest patrons.

Although siblings Josephine, Frank and Rose have died, the restaurants continue to be family-owned and -operated.