Say “Pizza Man” in Sequoyah Hills, and everyone knows who you’re talking about. Mike Pizzolongo - no pressure to pronounce the last name - has been the go-to plaster and stucco guy in East Tennessee since the mid-90s, not just for private homes but also for historical landmarks such as the Tennessee Theatre, the Bijou, and Blount Mansion. Mike puts it plainly: “When there’s a plaster job, they call me.”
“I tell everybody that I was born and raised in the south, and then they look at me and say, ‘Yeah right,’ and I say, ‘Yeah, South Bronx’,” says Mike, laughing.
His accent and disposition is everything you want it to be. Originally from New York, Mike’s family moved to New Jersey, which is where he got his feet (or hands?) wet in plastering alongside Louie Iorio, who taught Mike everything he needed to know to start his own business. When his parents moved to Florida, Mike and his wife, Cheryl, followed them, and soon he was plastering for Pete Rose and other athletes who had luxury homes. When the Pizzolongos tired of Florida, a cousin suggested they check out East Tennessee. By 1995, they’d moved to Pigeon Forge.
“Plaster work is all interior, so that’s mainly walls and ceilings in older homes, built prior to 1950, before they started using drywall. Stucco is on the outside. Some places use white styrofoam, energy-efficient stuff from the 80s, but I still prefer the old way,” says Mike. “I’m a dinosaur.”
By dinosaur, he means classic - the attention to texture, aesthetic, longevity - the way a fireplace or rangehood or ceiling can look like it’s been there a hundred years and will stand for a hundred more. Mike and his son, also named Mike, take on the kind of jobs that require high-level expertise, like a recent crown moulding gig at The Vault, a new cocktail lounge on Gay Street.
Over the last 25 years, Mike’s reputation for plaster and stucco work led him from a steady work schedule and a stint on a DIY television show to not needing advertising at all. His daughter, Laura, manages his Instagram account (@PizzolongoPlastering), and word-of-mouth does the rest. Eventually, Mike’s son will take over the business so he can ease into some version of a proper retirement.
“I still push, but I don’t have to anymore. It’s in me. You stop, you die. Even if I just do a day or two a week, just to help out,” says Mike. “I enjoy everything I do. I take pride in everything I do. My son is the same.”