Sbarro’s roots go back to Naples, Italy where for Gennaro and Carmela Sbarro the art of crafting Italian cuisine was a way of life. The couple and their three sons, Mario, Joseph and Anthony, immigrated to America in 1956 to pursue their dream of owning a successful business in the U. S. Their Sbarro Italian Delicatessen in Brooklyn, N.Y. was well received by the local community and was the first of what would grow to become over 1,000 Sbarro restaurants. Since January 2007, Sbarro is owned by MidOcean Partners, a premier private equity firm.