Westchester is fortunate to be home to many excellent businesses and many dedicated business owners. When those two come together, the entire community is made stronger. Few stories capture this better than that of Paul Gattuso and his longtime business, Paul’s Pizza.
Although Paul’s Pizza recently closed its doors, Paul continues his work in the restaurant world as co-owner of GP Italiano in LaGrange. While Paul may not be a lifelong resident of Westchester, his contributions as a business owner, Village Trustee, and Village President have left a lasting mark on our community.
Paul’s story is one of determination and hard work. From his early years holding three jobs—at Sears in Berwyn, Sexton’s Paint, and the Berwyn Theatre—Paul dreamed of running his own hot dog stand. He saved diligently and eventually opened his first store at Harlem and Irving. Wanting to establish himself in the western suburbs, Paul found a small 600-square-foot shop on 31st Street in Westchester by Rosemary Joyce Real Estate, where he operated for more than 20 years.
Paul credits several community mentors—Tony Christopher, Angelo Luciano, John Sinde, and Wayne Busa to name a few—with helping him understand both business and community life. Their support, advice, and even hands-on assistance in his shop shaped his approach to leadership and service.
From the beginning, Paul embraced the belief that true business success comes from investing in the community. Starting with Westchester Baseball, his support extended to Girls Softball, Blind Baseball, local hockey leagues, churches, the “Soup for Veterans Run,” and countless police, fire, and emergency personnel throughout the western suburbs. His guiding principle has always been simple: “You do good because it’s good. If you do that, it will come back tenfold.”
In 1999, Paul relocated down the street to Westbrook Commons, where he built lasting relationships with neighboring businesses. Together, they formed a nonprofit group that organized craft fairs, car shows, movie nights, and concerts—events that strengthened local business and community ties alike.
Over the years, Paul’s Pizza became more than a restaurant—it became a gathering place. From the “Morning Coffee Clutch” to regular lunch groups, Paul knew his customers by name and by order. The Monday Hot Dog crowd, the Tuesday Beef Sandwich and Meatball group, and fans of his Eggplant Parmesan each added to the fabric of his business. Paul was thankful that Chauncey from Chauncey’s Great Outdoors on ESPN 1000 hosted a live remote every year on the first Saturday of August for 20 years. Paul is thankful for everyone who helped Paul’s Pizza be a success. Through it all, Paul felt every day was made brighter when his father, Anthony, worked alongside him, instilling lessons of hard work and integrity that Paul carries with him to this day.
Not only was Paul’s Pizza a Westchester institution, it also served as an important first job for many young people in Westchester. Over the years, Paul employed more than 75 individuals, including many local high school and college students. Paul is grateful for his first set of employees – Michael Sullivan, Jesus Marrillo, and Tom Bannon – as well as all the others who made Paul’s Pizza a neighborhood institution. Whether the employees were working the hot dog table, beef table, frier, pizza oven, or cleaning tables, Paul valued them all the same. His longest-serving employee, Luis Landeros, and his family became like family to Paul. For Paul, supporting and mentoring young workers was as rewarding as running a successful business.
Today, Paul has partnered with Joe Delcroce—a former Paul’s Pizza employee and Kendall College Culinary graduate—to operate GP Italiano. Together, they serve a mix of traditional Italian favorites and contemporary dishes, from Chicken Parmesan and steaks to short ribs, octopus, and wood-fired pizzas.
While many will miss Paul’s Pizza—the food, the staff, and even the hand-painted mural by Bruce Sirus (which Paul still has today)—Paul continues to serve with the same passion, work ethic, and love for community at GP Italiano. GP Italiano is located at 1 S. LaGrange Road, open Tuesday – Saturday 4:00-10:00, and Sunday 4:00-8:00.
On behalf of Westchester, we thank Paul Gattuso for over 46 years of outstanding business, leadership, and service.
Thank you, Paul
