Vincenzo “Vinny” Cimino was born in England in 1971 to Sicilian parents who had immigrated to the U.K. for more opportunity. In 1972 his parents decided to follow other family members to the United States, where they settled in Rockford, Illinois. A few years later, the Cimino family opened their first Italian restaurant and pizzeria, before branching off into several locations throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.

Vinny started making pizzas full time at the age of 14 after his father passed away suddenly, to help his mother support their family. He opened his first restaurant on his own in 1990 after graduating from high school, and developed a passion for opening pizzerias. He went on to open more than 25 locations throughout the Northern Illinois area before moving to Nevada in 2012 where he continues to own and operate his successful Vinny’s Little Italy Restaurant in Boulder City. 

Since opening that first restaurant, Vinny as always dreamed of franchising and sharing his passion for pizza and pizzerias with others. Vinny has always had a passion for staring new pizzerias, from finding the location to sourcing equipment and the best ingredients, and he cannot wait to share this passion and knowledge with newcomers to the pizza industry across the United States.