Aldo Brozzetti, age 85, passed away in his home on March 25, 2026. Aldo was born to Alfred and Ida Brozzetti on May 12, 1940 in Old Forge, Pennsylvania, which some consider to be the “pizza capital of the world”. It must have been fate that Aldo would spend most of his years dedicated to building the legacy of Brozzetti’s Pizza, and making some of the best pizza in the world.
Aldo graduated from Johnson City High School in 1958 and then attended King’s College. When his father passed away in 1959, as the youngest of three brothers he was the one who went home to help his mother run their restaurant that had been started in 1949. It was here that Aldo would build his legacy.
Aldo poured his heart and soul into Brozzetti’s Pizza, just as he did in every facet of his life. He married his beloved “Patty”, Patricia (Shoen) in 1962, and for 64 years they built the foundation to a life and a legacy that will endure beyond their years. The love he had for her was the magic and the motivation behind everything he did, and he reminded the family of that fact when he said grace at every holiday table. Hard work, however, was in Aldo’s blood. Even up until his 84th year you would find him at Brozzetti’s making sure the pizza was just right for his customers, and ensuring his son Rob was carrying on each family tradition at the shop. He wanted nothing more than to serve the community in the absolute best way, and he worked daily to build and protect what he so meticulously created. Connecting with his customers came easy to him with his warm smile, easy laugh and the most sincere heart of gold. He treated everyone he knew with such incredible kindness; his customers were his friends and his employees became his extended family. Clearly Aldo was a man who believed very strongly in tradition, and after 77 years the pizzeria is in the same place still using the same handwritten recipes that were passed down from his parents for “the sauce, the cheese and the crispy family dough”. He always loved when he would hear someone shout or remember to say “797-9960 call Brozzetti’s for pizza to go!” It would make him beam with pride for the name he worked so hard for, but for another reason as well; he wrote that jingle himself.
Before he was known for his pizza, he was known for being an amazing guitar player. Even at 85, his quick fingers could still thrill us with “Malaguena” or soothe us with “The Godfather Waltz”. Back in the day he and his band The Nomads played gigs in colleges and bars in the Binghamton area and beyond. Their song “Wild Weekend” was so catchy that Aldo rewrote it into that famous jingle you may still know today, and used it brilliantly to advertise for the business. Playing the guitar was one of his favorite pastimes, as was collecting and restoring cool antique cars. If it wasn’t the pizza or the jingle that made him recognizable, maybe it was his treasured 1932 blue Ford pickup truck. He found an old broken truck and brought it back to life, but of course it wouldn’t be complete until he proudly had it painted with Brozzetti’s Pizza on each side.
As much as he loved all these things, there is nothing he loved more than his family, and he was very blessed in that regard. Those that got to call him “Poppy” were definitely the luckiest. The thing that brought him the most joy was watching his grandchildren do any and all of the things they love. He would travel far and wide to be in theaters, bleachers, courts and fields just to cheer on his favorite people. He would always show up with that big smile, wearing the school colors, ready to be everyone’s biggest fan. It never mattered if it was freezing cold, or raining, or scorching hot, or snowing, or crowded, or far away, or really late, or really early, or he was sick, or in a lot of pain...he would show up. He would show up because that’s what he did, and that’s what he loved, and that’s how he and taught his family to love.
Aldo was predeceased by his parents Alfred and Ida Brozzetti, and his brothers Eugene (Beverly) Brozzetti, and Robert (Joan) Brozzetti.
He is survived by his wife Patricia and his five children: son Robert Brozzetti (Katy Bell), daughter Kristen Mitchell, daughter Holly (Frank) Fuller, daughter Amanda (David) Carter, and daughter Kelly (McNeil) Cronin.
Aldo adored the 14 grandchildren he left behind: Adelaide, Alesandra, Annabella, and Antonio Brozzetti; Ava, Reese, Matthew and Emery Fuller; Willa, Gillian and Lucia Carter; and Quinn, Janie and Case Cronin. He is also survived by many beloved nephews, nieces, and cousins.
A Funeral Mass for Aldo will be held on Tuesday, April 7th at 10 am at St. James Church, 147 Main Street, Johnson City. The family will receive family and friends on Monday, April 6th at the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 E. Main Street, Endicott, from 4-6 pm.
In honor of his granddaughter Quinn, any memorial tributes in his name may be made to the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem at 210 South Cherry Street, Suite 206, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.