In 1953, 22-year-old Michael Angelo “Mickey” Mance took a leap of faith and opened his dream business, a deli, market and liquor store serving up Italian faves like pizza and spaghetti, in Hermosa Beach, California. “With no other pizza places, we sold tons, because no one else had it,” explains Paul Mance, Mickey’s son and owner of Mickey’s. “My dad was a brilliant guy—everything he touched turned to gold, and he was the nicest man you’d ever meet. Even if kids came in with no money, he’d give them a sandwich. He just wanted everyone to eat and leave happy.”
