Steve
Our dad’s knowledge of the food business dates back to his birth. From the minute he could walk, you could find him at his grandfather’s Deli Giuliano’s in Gardena. The passion he had for Giuliano’s was endless. He took his work very seriously but deep down, he was a jokester. Everyone knew him as the life of party.
Dori
Our mom was born into an Italian family filled with lots of love. She grew up in an apartment complex owned by her father, where 90% of the tenants were family members. If she came home after school and didn’t have aunts and uncles in her kitchen, it would have been odd. Her mom, Dotty, would cook wonderful Italian meals for the whole family, much of her recipes you can find on our
menu today.
“The Store”
In 1993, our parent’s opened Gaetano’s Deli. The deli featured fresh baked breads, an authentic wood burning pizza oven, fresh sandwiches, pastas, salads and specialty pastries. The beginning was extremely exciting. Everyone worked there. Cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, and of course, grandma Dot. If we had enough room in this page to mention all those that helped us over the years, it would be fifteen pages. You know who you are.
Gaetano’s Restaurant
Although the deli was a great operation, our family decided to transform the deli into a restaurant. The tables went from plastic to wood. The menu went from sandwiches to entrees. The team members went from check stand attendants to servers. It was a bold move, but it turned out to be successful.
New Beginnings
Throughout the opening and soon after the deli became a restaurant, our Dad’s diabetes became too much for his body to handle and he passed away. The blow to our family was immense and the success of the restaurant was lying on our mom’s wounded shoulders. With the help of many wonderful family, friends and team members, our mom pulled through and kept the business running. Our Dad’s legacy of hard work, quality foods and service with a huge smile, still lives within Gaetano’s today.
The Son and Daughter
If you are born into a family that owned a business, it’s very common to feel like you were a part of the business, especially at an early age. Growing up, we spent more time at Gaetano’s than we did at home. Carpools would take us to the restaurant after school/practice/games, rather than our home. This was our special world we lived in. When it came time for us to choose our professions, our path had already been slightly paved. We love food, wine, people & Italy.
We are in the right place.
Our Other Restaurants – Piccini Italian Takeout
Year over year, we have seen much growth in our takeout department. Long before the pandemic, we knew our next venture would be a takeout spot. In February 2022, Vince & Giordana opened Piccini Italian Takeout in West Torrance. Focused on pizza, pasta, sandwiches and salads, Piccini is quick & convenient while also giving a great experience at in store pickup as well as our curbside pickup. In Italian, PICCINI means “little ones”. We named our takeout spot after our two little boys, Luca and Nico. With life being so fast-paced, sometimes putting together a meal is the last thing you want to do, and that’s where Piccini comes in!
Our Other Restaurants – Bettolino Kitchen
In 2015, after dreaming up what a modern Italian Restaurant would look like, Vince Giuliano, Andreanna and Sean Liguore decided it was time to open Bettolino Kitchen in the Riviera Village of Redondo Beach.
If you visit Piccini Italian Takeout or Bettolino Kitchen, you might find the same familiar faces that you see at Gaetano’s.
Gaetano’s Today
Although our mom has retired, there is not a day that goes by where we don’t hear, “How’s your mom doing?” She’s an amazing lady. It gives us much pleasure to see her dine at the restaurant without a care in the world. She has become a guest in an environment she worked so hard in. Our kitchen team works like a well oiled machine and our service management team has never been better. Our team members have worked with us for an average of six years!
Whatever the future holds, we will always remember our roots and never forget that number one principle.
“Serve people quality food with extraordinary service.”
Thank you for your interest and continued support.
– Vince & Giordana Giuliano and Andreanna & Sean Liguore
