PERSONALITY
Tony Martinez, longtime firefighter and proud owner of Tony’s Pizza.
TONY’S PIZZA OWNER KEEPS UP FAMILY TRADITIONS Tony Martinez and family carry on a legacy of great pizza in a family friendly atmosphere By Diana Greenlee
T
he parking lot is full on a Tuesday night at Tony’s Pizza on California Avenue, and there’s a faint scent of freshly baked pizza wafting through the air. Lilliana Basurto, 24, and Yvette Perez, 22, are polishing off a pepperoni pizza under the big screen. The Delano residents usually frequent Tony’s Pizza in their town. 128
Bakersfield Life Magazine
December 2014
But Perez says they don’t feel deprived tonight. “It’s the same; the fluffy crust, the excellent sauce,” she says. “It’s exactly the same as Delano.” And there’s a good reason, according to Tony Martinez, 52, whose father opened the original store in Delano in 1979. “It’s a 40-year-old recipe,” he said. “We’ve never changed it and we don’t skimp.” Martinez has a decisive confidence that comes from years of being right, and not just about how to make pizza. He spent 27 years with the Kern County Fire Department, retiring last year from a rewarding post as a battalion chief. “I would have done it for free,” he said. Born in Santa Maria, Martinez moved to Delano when he was 12. He played football and baseball and wrestled at Delano High. Following the urging of his baseball coach, also a fireman, Martinez graduated from the Fire Academy at Bakersfield College in 1986. He said fire fighting is a natural extension for those who love sports. “If you’re a great athlete, you can translate it into being a