Pinocchio’s is a family tradition that spans 4 generations. My great grandparents, Tony and Mary Lamendola Pinocchio, first opened a restaurant over 80 years ago in downtown LA where the specialties were old country Italian dishes and fresh seafood. My grandparents, Joe Sr. and Alyce Bogosian Pinocchio, first opened an Italian delicatessen in Lakewood, CA, in 1959 but soon added a kitchen and then a dining room.
It was at this time that our current signature homemade menu items and oven-baked sandwiches were first created. The family expanded to Cerritos in 1969 and then relocated to Sonora in 1975. My parents, Joe Jr. and Peggie Perea Pinocchio, continued the tradition and opened their own restaurant in 1979 in Merced. Mom and Dad moved back to Sonora and have been operating this restaurant until their retirement in 2015.
Just as my dad and grandpa were, I was born into the business, with many of my earliest memories being of restaurants. I am proud to continue the ongoing Pinocchio Family Tradition into its fourth generation.
Along with the rest of my family, we welcome you. We are excited to keep the tradition alive by continuing to offer the quality food and service for which my family has been known. Thank you for your patronage and friendship.
God Bless,
Ricky, Krysta, and Lily Pinocchio
