ROSELLE, NJ — On Wednesday, Jan. 19, Roselle Borough Council members presented Teresa Candido, owner of Mama’s Gourmet Pizza, with a proclamation recognizing her retirement and service to the community.
Fifth Ward Councilman John Fortuna read the proclamation that honored Candido, affectionately known as “Mama,” and her efforts to serve the Roselle community.
“Whereas we are celebrating the retirement of Teresa Candido, who has serviced the borough of Roselle in good standing for 39 years as an owner of Mama’s Gourmet, and whereas Teresa Candido, born in Calabria, Italy, moved to the United States in 1975, settling in Brooklyn, N.Y.,” Fortuna read during the meeting. “Whereas in 1982, she had an opportunity to open a pizzeria in Roselle Shopping Center, which, after a brief hiatus, reopened in 1998 as Mama’s Gourmet, and whereas, Ms. Candido traveled back and forth for two years in 1982 and 1984 from Brooklyn before buying a house on Cristiani Street in Roselle, where she raised her two daughters, Maria and Silvana, and her son, Joseph, and whereas Teresa is now the proud grandmother of Maria’s 3-year-old son, Giovanni, and Silvana’s 2-year-old daughter, Guiliana, and is looking forward to becoming a grandmother for the third time when Maria’s second child is born this June.
“Now, therefore, be it resolved the council of the borough of Roselle hereby honor and applaud Teresa Candido and wish her the best in all of her future endeavors this 19th day of January, 2022.”
Friends, family and loved ones spoke highly and lovingly of Candido, especially her friend, Noreen Croteau, owner of From Head to Toe Salon in Clark.
“You should all be proud of yourselves. To recognize a woman as special as this, who has given to your community and who has considered this her home with her family here to support her,” Croteau said during the meeting. “This woman has a heart of gold, the way she has endorsed this community and the people in it — strangers, friends and family alike — time and time again. For you to honor such a person makes my heart filled.
“She came from Italy and became a citizen. This is what it’s all about. When you come from another country and you believe in your dream and then it becomes a reality — not by yourself, but by family, friends and her community — you all made this possible. She’s a staple in this community, and she has sat in that pizzeria, time and time again, through many storms and many different things. She has given … pizza to a whole hospital of Trinitas workers. Thank you for honoring such a friend that I’m proud to call family.”
Michael Palumbo also spoke kind words of his mother-in-law.
“I’m proud to call Theresa my mother-in-law,” Palumbo said during the meeting. “I first want to thank the mayor and council for acknowledging her with this proclamation. I especially want to thank the residents of Roselle for all the years of support that they’ve bestowed upon her and her business, and for close to 40 years, that’s a lot of pizza. On behalf of our family and friends, we wanted to congratulate you, Mama, on this milestone, and we look forward to the next pizzeria, possibly in the near future.”
While Candido thanked the council, friends and family for recognizing her with a proclamation, she mentioned that she will miss everyone in her retirement. Mayor Donald Shaw also thanked Candido and her family.