From: http://id.essortment.com/historyofpizza_rmgf.htm

In reply to:

...Pizza spread to America, England, France and Spain very rapidly after its Italian birth. It was little-known in these respective countries, however, until World War Two. After occupying Italian territory, many American and European soldiers tasted pizza and brought the memory to their homeland. In America, Italian immigrants had been selling pizza in their stores, and the first pizzeria had been opened by Gennuardo Lombardi in 1905. The American GI’s popularized this feature of most Italian neighborhoods, drawing pizzerias out of Italian neighborhoods and into the hearts of every city in America. In fact, the square “Sicilian pizza” is an America invention! Real Sicilian pizza, made in Sicily, has no cheese and anchovies.

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Brad B.