Our Story

Palermo’s founders, Gaspare (Jack) Fallucca and his wife, Zina, immigrated to the U.S., bringing with them cherished family recipes and the Italian tradition of connecting food and family. They settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and were blessed with three sons, Peter, Giacomo, and Angelo.

The company began as an Italian bakery on Milwaukee’s East Side. Initially selling Italian breads, cookies and cannoli, they later added Italian soups and sandwiches. Soon they acquired the hardware store next door and expanded.

Jack and Zina opened a pizzeria & restaurant to satisfy customer demand for their homemade Italian foods. However, it was their Pizza and Pizza bread that really took off. During the same time, Palermo’s was named “Milwaukee’s Best Pizza” in a Milwaukee Journal article. A local grocery store owner, impressed with their Pizza products, urged Jack and Zina to go into the frozen food business. The rest is history.

The company began making frozen Pizza and Pizza bread in an old bakery that was renovated into a manufacturing facility. These Pizzas and Pizza breads were sold under the Palermo’s brand name, and Jack Fallucca soon became known as “Papa Palermo.”

Palermo’s introduced a revolutionary new product – the first frozen Pizza with a crust that rises while it bakes. It was an instant success, so much so that other Pizza manufacturers quickly began developing their version of this crust.

Palermo’s exhibited at the national Private Label Manufacturing Show, which launched the company into the private label Pizza business. At this time, Palermo’s introduced the first premium private label Pizza.

Demonstrating innovation once again, Palermo’s launched Primo Thin, the first frozen, ultra-thin crust Pizza. Aptly named Primo, meaning “first” in Italian, the crisp and flakey cracker-like crust was an immediate hit and became the company’s flagship brand.

Palermo’s headquarters moves to Milwaukee’s beautiful Menomonee Valley. Villa Palermo, our 137,000-sq-ft. facility, consolidates five locations and houses our corporate offices and manufacturing facility.

Using a hearth oven imported from Italy, Palermo’s created the first domestic hearth-baked crust on a frozen Pizza. The intense 600-degree heat of the bricks bakes the crust in 60 seconds, creating air pockets that give the Pizza a crispy crust, much like an Italian wood-fired Pizza.

Palermo’s introduces hand tossed style Pizza, which was inspired by a pizzeria-style crust. The crust is crispy on the outside, but chewy in the middle, making it the perfect choice for family Pizza night.

An expansion to our Villa added 113,000 sq. ft. for bakery, production and employee services.

Perfect as an appetizer or a meal for two, flatbreads offered sophisticated flavor combinations on a hearth-baked crust.

Palermo’s introduced Screamin’ Sicilian, an overtopped craft Pizza that took the industry by storm. With Screamin’s launch, Palermo’s earned the distinction of creating an entirely new, super premium category of frozen Pizza.

In celebration of our 50th anniversary, Palermo’s committed to donating 50,000 Pizzas to food banks across the country. By the end of our tour, we had delivered more than 75,000 Pizzas, feeding over 300,000 families!

P’mos, a cheesy pub-style Pizza, hits supermarket shelves.

We launched Urban Pie, a super premium line of small batch, craft Pizza made with real Wisconsin cheese and free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. We also extended our successful Screamin’ Sicilian line with the addition of Screamin’ Sicilian Stromboli, a handheld snack with all the flavor of the original. And we teamed up with a major retailer to create and launch Sasquatch, a huge Pizza with a big stompin’ crust, positioning Palermo’s as a leading Pizza partner.

Early in the year, Palermo’s acquired Connie’s Naturals, LLC, a frozen Pizza company with a loyal following. The acquisition helps solidify our position as one of the nation’s largest Pizza companies.

Palermo’s entered the Deli & Foodservice business, launched with the sale of 16” deli Pizza to a major nationwide retailer.

We capped off the year by introducing I’m Single, a single-serve, microwavable version of our popular Screamin’ Sicilian Pizzas. We also added Palermo’s King Cheese to our Family of Brands; the Ruler of Great Taste boasts a half pound of real Wisconsin Mozzarella and an abundance of premium toppings on a thin, rich, buttery crust.

We extended our popular Screamin’ Sicilian line with two new products. Screamin’ Sicilian Loaded Pan comes in its own baking pan and features a thick crust and toppings so good we put them on the bottom, too. Abundantly topped with restaurant-quality ingredients, Screamin’ Sicilian Take ‘N Bake Pizzas are refrigerated and ready to bake.

Urban Pie added Sweet Potato Crust BBQ Chicken, Broccoli Cheddar Crust Bianco and Cauliflower Crust Margherita to its line-up of thin-crust, small-batch craft Pizzas. Sweet Potato Crust BBQ Chicken features sliced chicken sausage, red onions, mozzarella, yellow cheddar and BBQ sauce. Broccoli Cheddar Crust Bianco is topped with garlic-infused olive oil, fresh sliced mozzarella, provolone, asiago and basil. Cauliflower Crust Margherita includes diced cherry tomatoes, fresh sliced mozzarella, garlic, basil and marinara sauce. 

Palermo Villa Inc. launched three new innovative lines within its portfolio of branded pizza products. 

• Screamin’ Sicilian ‘Za Brewski – a beer infused crust with premium beer flavored ingredients  
• Connie’s Deep Dish – all the flavors of Chicago straight from your home oven with the all-natural ingredients you expect from Connie’s Frozen Pizza 
• Palermo’s Neighborhood Pizzeria – the taste your family loves on a medium thickness crust with the nostalgia and flavor of your favorite neighborhood pizzeria  

Urban Pie™ Pizza Co. introduced artisan thin crust pizzas made with hemp seeds to the frozen pizza aisle and added a new flavor to its artisan thin crust line. The new artisan crust made with hemp seeds added functional ingredients to a well-loved household staple – frozen pizza. Urban Pie also debuted a new flavor to its original line of frozen pizzas: Uncured Pepperoni with Creamy Rosa Sauce, which puts a unique spin on a traditional pepperoni pizza.

Screamin' Sicilian Pizza Co. and Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company joined forces to create ‘Za Brewski, a new line of premium, frozen pizzas with beer-infused crusts. Bringing together two of Wisconsin’s most beloved brands, the collaboration combined Screamin’ Sicilian’s top-quality ingredients with a specialty crust baked with Leinenkugel’s Original, the first classic American Pilsner from Leinie’s, which is brewed with pale malts and cluster hops.

Palermo Villa, Inc. and Johnsonville, two Wisconsin based companies, collaborated to create a pizza Wisconsinites have only dreamed of – Screamin’ Sicilian Johnsonville Brat, Pepper & Onion Pizza. The premium, craft Pizza is loaded with slices of Johnsonville brats, fire roasted onions, red and green peppers, whole milk mozzarella cheese, and secret recipe tomato sauce atop Screamin’ Sicilian’s medium thickness, buttery, stone fired crust.

We re-invented and improved upon a classic pizza and brought Rising Crust back into our line-up. Palermo’s Rising Crust is available in nine varieties with something for everyone to love.  Palermo’s Rising Crust is perfect for families that are budget conscious who are looking for a great tasting, fast, and convenient meal solution. The Cheese pizza has half-pound of real Mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano & Asiago with our signature red sauce, the Pepperoni pizza is overloaded with pepperoni and our 4-Meat has real bacon pieces which you typically don’t find from other rising crust pizzas.  

We added two gluten-free options under the Primo Thin Pizza line. The new gluten-free crust offerings are on a thin crust that bakes crispy on the bottom but maintains a soft bite. They are available in two new flavors: Cheese and Roasted Vegetable. The Cheese Pizza has a classic Marinara sauce, Mozzarella, White Cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses. The Roasted Vegetable Pizza has Marinara sauce, red, green and yellow peppers, red onions, and Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses. 

Connie’s Single Serve Pizzas bring everything you love abut Connie’s - the cornmeal crust, the all-natural ingredients, and the pizzeria inspired flavors to name a few – but now in an even more convenient, microwavable, single-serve offering. 

A hot new take on dessert - Screamin' Sicilian Dessert Pizzas are a sweet treat, hot and ready from your oven with the convenience of a pizza! Available in two flavors - Cookie Brownie or S'mores. 

New to the scene – the snack scene! 

We know anytime is the perfect time for a snack and with marinara in our veins we wanted something suited for those times when holding a full slice just won’t do. Meet our Screamin’ Sicilian Loaded Rolls!  Available in four flavor options (Chicken Bacon Ranch, Combination, Pepperoni, and Supreme), our overloaded crispy rolls are perfect for a solo snack or the best app at the party!  

Palermo Villa, Inc. acquired a majority interest in and will partner with locally-owned Funky Fresh Spring Rolls as part of a plan to expand distribution and the availability of products offered by the company founded in 2013 by local entrepreneur TrueMan McGee. 

MO' to love from Screamin' Sicilian! 

Screamin' Sicilian I'm Stuffed is a stuffed crust pizza with over 2 1/2 feet of cheese in every pie! Every cheesy, overtopped slice leaves you saying "I'm Stuffed!" Available in four flavors; Supreme, Pepperoni, Sausage & Pepperoni, and Cheese. 

Screamin' Sicilian Loaded Breadstix are a snack lover's dream. Overloaded, pull apart breadstix, available in five flavors; Cheesy Garlic, Cheesy Buffalo, Pepperoni, Nacho Cheese, and Cinnamon Apple. 

To commemorate Season Four of the hit Netflix Series, Stranger Things, Palermo’s partnered with Netflix to create unique, pizzeria style pies, inspired by Surfer Boy Pizza. 

Palermo's expands production capabilities with 30,000 square-foot facility in Jefferson, Wisconsin. 

A snacking revolution from Urban Pie. Staying true to Urban Pie's promise, these bite-size snacks are committed to good - real ingredients with unreal flavor, now bite-sized and snackable. Available in four flavors: Chicken Pesto, Pepperoni Rosa, Spinach Mushroom, and Sausage Ricotta. 

Pizza inspired by your favorite neighborhood tavern. It delivers a crispy, cracker thin crust topped with whole milk mozzarella cheese, tons of premium toppings, and Screamin' Sicilian's secret recipe tomato sauce. 

Palermo’s enters the snacking category with Palermo’s Pizza Bagels. Available in four varieties: Three Cheese, Sausage & Pepperoni, Pepperoni, and Three Meat. Each package contains two half bagel snacks that are perfect for after school snacking or anytime you’re craving pizza for one!

2024 marks Palermo Villa, Inc's 60th Anniversary. We're proud of 60 years of Italian heritage and delivering a great pizza experience. 

Urban Pie introduces Pinzza - a Roman style pizza with a hand-pressed Italian imported dough that's aged for 24-hours. An authentic Pinsa crust that's light and airy, yet golden and crispy. Available in four flavors: Pepperoni Burrata, Roasted Garlic Bianco, San Marzano Margherita, and Sausage Burrata. 

Palermo’s is expanding its production capacity by building a new 200,000 square foot production facility in West Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The new facility, located at 3900 W. Lincoln Ave, only three miles from the company headquarters, will be used for pizza production and will provide 50 new skilled labor positions. Groundbreaking is slated for this August and the expected completion date is June 2025.

Screamin’ Sicilian is ditching the crust with their all-new Nothin’ But Toppings™ Pizza Bowls. Screamin’ Sicilian Nothin’ But Toppings ™ are available in four flavors - Pepperoni, Supreme, Italian Style Meatball, and Multi-Meat.

Screamin’ Sicilian does Detroit, but with SCREAMIN’ style. Screamin’ Sicilian Detroit Style Pizza – a bold and flavorful taste experience that starts with our crave-worthy, light and airy, Detroit style, bake in the pan crust, with a satisfying crunch and cheesy caramelized edges that hold piled high premium toppings that you expect from Screamin’ Sicilian. Available in four flavors: Cheese, Pepperoni, Supreme, and Multi-Meat.