Ray Liotta Spun Pizza Pies in New Jersey Long Before ‘Goodfellas’

New York Post ^ | May 28, 2022 | Dean Balsamini

[nickcarraway]

Years before Ray Liotta landed meaty roles in “Field of Dreams” and “Goodfellas,” the charismatic actor was rolling in dough at a pizzeria in Cranford, NJ.

Liotta was boyhood pals with Vincent Preziosi, Jr., whose mom, Ronnie, now 93, and dad, Vincent Sr., started Pizza House/Pizza Chef in Newark in the 1950s before relocating the business to Cranford in 1970.

Liotta worked at the pizzeria during his high summer vacations from 1971 to 1973. “We were making $3.50 an hour back then,” Preziosi Jr. recalled. “Ray was a great worker. … He used to show before me. He was a pizzamaker. He was excellent at tossing the pie, making the circle bigger.”

[nickcarraway]

[Rebelbase]

I had the same hair in high school.

[PghBaldy]

$3.50 per hour working at a pizza parlor in 1971-1973. That was a lot of money then for high school kids during the Summer here in Western PA. Maybe not so much in more expensive NJ?

[Dr. Sivana]

You are so right. I was happy to get $3.12 and hour in 1981 making pizzas.

[kiryandil]

Yeah, 3.50 an hour was good coin for that.

[markomalley]

Geez.

When I worked in a pizza parlor in the 70s, I was making only 2.25 an hour and thought I was doing pretty good.

I gotta admit, though, Jersey pizza was the best in the country. Chicago pizza and even pizza in the City couldn’t hold a candle to it. I remember when I lived in DC, we’d regularly drive up to Little Egg Harbor primarily to have pizza at this one hole in the wall place...omg it was amazing.

[minnesota_bound]

The pizza pie shop is probably a mob run joint.

[Larry Lucido]

What was your Frogger score?

[Adder]

Jersey pizza was the best in the country

Absolutely agree...and their subs beat anyone elses.
We used to order those large Sicilian party pizzas...to die for.

[ro_dreaming]

Shoot, in 1986 I was working as a bagger at Kroger and made on $3.35 an hour.