Most family businesses don’t make it to the second generation. The statistics are brutal—only about 30% of family-owned businesses survive the transition from founder to child. The restaurant business? Even tougher. The hours are unforgiving, the margins are thin, and the work never stops.
Mike has spent 50 years building Wise Guys, starting from that first job in Uncle Tommy’s deli back in the 1970s. He’s opened multiple locations across Brevard County, perfected his craft, and built something that means more than just profit—it’s his life’s work. But the ultimate measure of success isn’t just building something great. It’s passing it on. And that’s exactly what Mike is doing now.
His mission is clear: “For Daughter Stephanie to take over and run the business.” This isn’t just about business succession planning or finding someone to manage the pizzeria when he eventually steps back. This is about legacy—about ensuring that everything he’s learned, everything he’s built, everything he stands for continues for the next 50 years.
The journey started in the 1970s when young Mike worked in his Uncle Tommy’s deli. That’s where he learned the fundamentals—how to talk to customers, how to handle food with respect, how to run a business with integrity. In 1990, he opened his first store: Arthur Avenue Imports Italian Deli in Fort Lauderdale, working alongside his brothers Matty and Ralphy, his Uncle Tommy, and his lifelong friend Richy. In 1999 came Goodfellas Deli in Rockledge. After that, multiple locations throughout Brevard County, each one teaching him something new, refining his approach, sharpening his instincts.
Now, here at Wise Guys in Merritt Island, Mike operates with the confidence that comes from decades behind the counter. As he puts it: “35 plus years in the business i know how to make this work!” That’s not arrogance. That’s earned knowledge. That’s the wisdom that comes from making thousands of pizzas, managing hundreds of rushes, solving countless problems, and never compromising on quality.
But here’s the question that keeps him up at night: how do you transfer 50 years of knowledge to the next generation? How do you teach someone not just the recipes, but the philosophy? Not just the techniques, but the standards? Not just the business, but the way of life?
In the restaurant business, succession planning often fails spectacularly. Either the next generation doesn’t want the grueling lifestyle—the long hours, the physical labor, the constant pressure—or they want to take over and immediately change everything that made the business successful in the first place.
Mike and Stephanie are navigating this carefully. She’s not just inheriting a business. She’s inheriting a philosophy built over five decades. She’s inheriting standards that Mike learned from Uncle Tommy and refined through trial and error, through successes and failures, through 24/7 commitment to providing for his family.
The core values Mike lives by are non-negotiable: Product Quality – Presentation of the food – cleanliness. These aren’t suggestions. These aren’t ideals to strive for when it’s convenient. These are the foundation of everything Wise Guys stands for. And Stephanie knows it.
Mike’s approach to training is direct: “this is my way or the highway, 35 plus years in the business i know how to make this work!” Some people might call that old-school. Some might call it rigid. But Mike calls it necessary. When you’ve spent half a century perfecting your craft, you know what works and what doesn’t. You know which shortcuts lead to mediocrity. You know which standards can’t be compromised.
But teaching this to the next generation requires more than just telling them the rules. Stephanie isn’t learning from a textbook or a corporate training manual. She’s learning by doing—behind the counter, making pizzas, building subs, talking to customers, feeling the dough, watching the ovens, understanding the rhythm of the kitchen.
She’s learning that “just enough crunch and just enough chew” isn’t something you can measure with a recipe. It’s a feeling you develop through repetition, through making the same pizza a thousand times until your hands know what right feels like. She’s learning why Mike looks at every single pie before it leaves the shop: “We look at every pie or item before it leaves the shop to make sure it looks delicious.” That final inspection isn’t about catching mistakes—it’s about maintaining the promise Wise Guys makes to every customer.
She’s learning that cleanliness isn’t just about passing health inspections. It’s about respect—respect for the food, respect for the customers, respect for the craft. When Mike says cleanliness is one of his three core values, he means it. A clean kitchen is a professional kitchen. A clean shop is a shop that cares.
Look at the old family photos, and you see the lineage. Uncle Tommy and Aunt Angela in the 1970s. The crew at Arthur Avenue Imports—Matty, Ralphy, Uncle Tommy, Mike, and Richy, all standing together. Goodfellas Deli storefront in 1999. Each location, each era, each photo represents years of learning, building, refining.
Uncle Tommy taught Mike in the 1970s. Mike worked alongside his brothers and his best friend Richy, who’s been by his side for over 40 years, through every location, every challenge, every success. Now it’s Stephanie’s turn to join that lineage. That’s pressure—50 years of family reputation riding on her shoulders. But it’s also a gift. Not everyone gets to learn from someone who truly mastered their craft.
Mike’s generation came up the hard way. As he describes it: “Started a family young so had to provide for his family 24/7 no days off.” That was survival mode. That was grinding it out, day after day, year after year, because there was no other option. The business had to work because his family depended on it.
Stephanie’s generation faces different challenges. Social media means every customer can broadcast their experience to thousands. Online reviews can make or break a restaurant. Food delivery apps have changed customer expectations. Dietary restrictions and preferences have exploded—everyone wants something customized, something special, something that fits their particular needs.
Mike has adapted. Wise Guys now offers a cauliflower gluten-free crust. That wasn’t his generation’s concern, but he’s willing to evolve while maintaining core quality standards. New burgers and pies are coming soon. A new website is in development. Plans to sell shirts and merchandise in-store show a willingness to build brand loyalty beyond just the food.
Stephanie will likely drive many of these innovations. She understands the digital world, social media, how to connect with younger customers. But first, she has to master the foundation.
The three signature pizzas that define Wise Guys won’t change: the Cheese pizza (thin, not too much sauce, not too much cheese), the Deluxe (everything but the kitchen sink), and the White pizza (a delicious blend of mozzarella, ricotta, and provolone). These are the foundation. These are what customers expect. These are non-negotiable.
But innovation has its place. Wise Guys introduces limited-time or seasonal specials, usually around holidays or special times of year or big games like the Super Bowl. This is where Stephanie can bring new ideas. This is where she can test innovations without touching the core menu that loyal customers depend on.
The challenge is knowing the difference. When Mike brings on new hires, he delivers “a clear message that this is my way or the highway.” Stephanie has to learn both sides of that equation: how to maintain Mike’s uncompromising standards and how to lead the next era of Wise Guys. She has to know what can change and what can’t. She has to understand that you can add cauliflower crust without compromising the integrity of the original 14-minute golden crust that’s been perfected over decades.
The plans for Wise Guys are deliberately focused. As Mike notes: “No plans to expand but plans to sell shirts and Merch in store!” This isn’t about becoming a chain or franchising the concept. This is about deepening the connection with the community, building brand loyalty, creating something customers want to be part of beyond just eating great pizza.
The new website coming soon will help connect with younger, more digitally savvy customers. New burgers and pies will keep the menu fresh. But the core mission remains unchanged: quality pizza, authentic NY style, family values, uncompromising standards.
When Stephanie eventually takes full control, customers should still recognize Wise Guys. Same 14-minute golden crust with just enough crunch and just enough chew. Same inspection of every pie before it leaves. Same non-negotiables. The name on the door might say Wise Guys, but the standards say Mike—and soon, those standards will say Stephanie, too.
When you order from Wise Guys now, you might see Stephanie behind the counter. She’s not just working there to help out during busy shifts. She’s not just picking up some extra cash. She’s preparing to lead. She’s absorbing 50 years of knowledge, one shift at a time, one pizza at a time, one customer interaction at a time.
This ensures that the next 50 years will be as good as the last 50. The knowledge transfer is happening now, in real time. Every pizza she makes under Mike’s watchful eye is practice for the day when she’s making those decisions herself.
Mike learned from Uncle Tommy in the 1970s. Now, more than 50 years later, Mike is Uncle Tommy for Stephanie. The lineage continues: Uncle Tommy → Mike → Stephanie. Three generations of knowledge, standards, and values.
What’s being passed down isn’t just recipes for pizza dough or sauce. It’s values. It’s work ethic—the 24/7, no-days-off mentality when you’re building something that matters. It’s standards—never let something leave the shop if it doesn’t look delicious. It’s pride—if your name is on it, it better be right.
Uncle Tommy gave that to Mike. Mike is giving that to Stephanie. And someday, Stephanie will pass it to the next generation.
Not every family business makes it to the second generation. Not every restaurant survives 50 years in an industry where most fail within the first five. Wise Guys is positioned to do both—not because of luck, not because of favorable market conditions, but because Mike isn’t just handing Stephanie the keys and wishing her luck.
He’s teaching her everything. The hard way. The right way. His way.
The legacy that started in Uncle Tommy’s deli in the 1970s will continue. The standards that Mike has maintained for 35+ years will endure. The quality that customers have come to expect will remain non-negotiable.
When you support Wise Guys, you’re not just buying pizza. You’re supporting a family legacy built over five decades. You’re part of a story that spans three generations. You’re helping ensure that authentic New York-style pizza, made with uncompromising standards and genuine Italian-American pride, continues in Merritt Island for the next 50 years.
Be part of the next chapter.
Wise Guys Pizzeria
117 East Merritt Avenue
Merritt Island, FL 32953
321.305.4055
Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-9pm
Sunday-Monday: 11am-8pm (during football season)
Discover a location near you with delivery or pickup options available right now.
321.305.4055