We began in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh in 1935. My grandfather, Raphael Moio, had worked his way west from New York City after immigrating from Calabria, Italy, in 1913. After working as a chef in hotels, he finally settled in Pittsburgh, where he opened his own pastry shop.

At that time, East Liberty (specifically the Larimer Avenue section) was our Little Italy. His oldest son—my father—came into the business after returning from duty in WW2. We remained in East Liberty.

In 1972, my father moved the bakery to the Monroeville Mall Annex. Our store thrived in its new location, where we made lots of new friends! Sadly, in 1976/77, I lost both of my parents. At the age of 19, I unexpectedly became the new owner of Moio's Italian Pastry Shop. With help from my uncles, aunt, and sister, I grew into the position.

In 1978, I hired a young salesgirl named Meg Owens, who would later become my loving wife. Moio's continued to grow and prosper. So, in 1991, I moved the store to its present location on Rt. 22 near the Turnpike entrance. After over 80 years of sfogliatelle, rum cakes, and cannoli, Moio's Italian Pastry Shop is baking into the 21st century with the same care shown by young Raphael Moio back in 1935.

After more than 45 years of running the pastry shop, I am slowly handing over the reins to my daughter, Lisa, who will become the fourth generation to keep our traditions alive. We are so blessed to continue serving the Pittsburgh area with our delicious, homemade treats for over 90 years, and we look forward to doing so for generations to come.

- Tony Moio