Timeline & History

Bocce Club Pizza History

Running the most successful pizzeria in Western New York wasn’t even a dream for Dino Pacciotti when he returned from the Second World War and began work as an accountant for General Mills. Dino, who was born in Buffalo to Italian immigrants in 1922, had spent his war service years as a court reporter at the Nuremberg trials. His travels led him to the homeland of his parents, where he renewed his experience with Italian traditions like bocce ball, pizza pies, and other dishes.

Eager to get ahead after the war, Dino took a part-time job in addition to his day job at a bar on Hickory Street called Bocce’s. Many of Buffalo’s World War II veterans gathered there to participate in one of their favorite pastimes, bocce ball. Dino and his sister, Melvina Sacco, soon saw a future at Bocce’s. They purchased the bar in 1946 and began serving sandwiches and their favorite Italian foods. The bar developed quite a following, due in part to the tasty pizza snacks Dino created.

Innovations Spur Growth

Full of the entrepreneurial spirit, Dino introduced pizza packaged for take-out in corrugated boxes in 1955. Young families and college students welcomed the convenience, affordability and great taste. In 1958, Bocce Club Pizza moved to a larger location on Clinton Street, and opened a second location on Bailey Ave in 1959.

In 1978, Dino Pacciotti passed away, leaving the business in the hands of his capable family.

In the mid 1980s, Bocce Club included wings and subs on the menu and added delivery service. In addition to being the first in Buffalo to offer take-out pizza, Bocce’s also was among the first to sell half-baked pizza for those who wanted fresh-cooked pies on their own timetable. Bocce Club continued its growth in popularity.

Bocce Club Pizza continued to flourish, opening the Hopkins Road location in 1988. As sole owner, Jim (Dino’s son), continues the Bocce tradition, using the same recipes, ingredients and suppliers his father used when he began the business back in 1946.