Jerry Pizzitola

Michael Jerome Pizzitola Sr. — known to all as Jerry — was born May 29, 1942 and grew up in Galena Park before attending St. Thomas High School, class of 1960, where he was later inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 alongside his younger brothers Johnny Pizzitola and Jimmy Raley. Jerry played both football and baseball at Texas A&M University, graduating in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in business.

He went to work for his father at Regal Food Service, rising from early-morning route driver to president before striking out on his own. In 1983, longtime customer Jerry purchased Shepherd Drive BBQ from the Davis family — a Houston institution dating to 1935 with hand-built brick pits still in use today — and renamed it Pizzitola’s Bar-B-Cue. For nearly 40 years he built it into one of Houston’s most iconic barbecue restaurants, earning a Texas Treasure designation from the Texas Historical Commission. The restaurant’s history stretches back to John and Leila Davis, an African-American couple who founded Shepherd Drive BBQ during the segregation era and built the brick pits by hand — pits that remain the heartbeat of Pizzitola’s today.

Known for his endless warmth and generosity — and his Miller Lite longnecks at local icehouses — Jerry sold the restaurant to fellow STHS alumnus Willie Madden ’82 in 2019 and remained a beloved presence at the tables. He passed away peacefully on January 18, 2024 at the age of 81. His Celebration of Life was held at St. Thomas High School’s Cemo Auditorium.