He is New Jersey’s Tok.
Salvatore Mandreucci, 25, works behind the counter every day at Marcello’s Pizza-Grill, a 20-year-old landmark outside Trenton.
However, Mandreucci is better known as SallySlices on TikTok and Instagram, where his combined 4 million social media followers may make him the most well-known pizza maker in the country.
His writing is heartfelt and illegible at the same time. Mandreucci records his daily shifts while leaning his phone against the kitchen wall. A short, melancholy caption flashes across the screen as a wistful Spanish hymn plays in the background. One of them says, “Be a good person, but don’t waste your time trying to prove it.” Similar videos of Italian cuisine and existential bon mots can be found in hundreds of his videos. The title “CEO of Inspiration” appears in Mandreucci’s TikTok bio, and over the past year, that position has made him a household name.
On TikTok and Instagram, where he has a combined four million social media followers, Salvatore Mandreucci, 25, is known as SallySlices.
Mandreucci is employed by Marcello’s Pizzeria.
for the New York Post, Stefan Jeremiah
“When I first started using TikTok, I told my father, ‘Look, I have 6,000 followers.’ You are aware of what he told me? This is nonsense, But the following week I had 20,000, and I noticed a change in his attitude. And once I reached 50,000, he began to appreciate the value of social media, Mandreucci said in a Pesci-like Jersey accent to The Post.
“My father has been my staunchest ally. Every day, people from different states stop by, he continued, mentioning how great his TikTok fame has been for Marcello’s, a restaurant in Hamilton Square that is situated in a strip mall. Florida, Texas, and California. They stop by while engaged in another activity nearby.
Mandreucci must completely avoid the phone due to the 25 calls from fans who want to speak with him that come into the restaurant every day. How did Mandreucci, a first-generation Sicilian immigrant, end up sharing a manager with UFC lightweight Charles Oliveira and Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk? Mandreucci’s father works in the oven of the family pizzeria.
“My father has been my staunchest ally. We get visitors every day from different states, he told The Post. Mandreucci, a client and Mandreucci’s father, is pictured above.
Outside of Trenton, Marchello’s Pizza-Grill has been a staple for 20 years.
for the New York Post, Stefan Jeremiah
Mandreucci’s height and cuteness are definitely advantages. He reminds me of a young, kinder Nicolas Cage or the bright-eyed Ray Liotta at the start of “Goodfellas.” Mandreucci’s triceps flex as he presses dough and pours olive oil, as seen by the numerous thirsty commenters on his uploads, one of which reads, “Sauce up my pizza anytime.”
Although Mandreucci describes this content strategy as combining “authentic pizza restaurant” work and “inspiration,” other fans appear to be genuinely moved by his melancholy inscriptions that drift across the pepperoni pies. Since he was 16 years old, he has been making deliveries and washing dishes, and his father has taught him the lessons of the old country’s hardscrabble ways.
“I’ve always had to deal with mental conflict. As a child, I felt excluded. And as time went on, I became wiser,” Mandreucci said, describing the appeal of his videos. I gained so much knowledge from my childhood experiences. If others are interested, what then?
“CEO of Inspiration,” according to Mandreucci’s TikTok bio.
Despite prioritizing making pizza, Mandreucci is already extending his reach beyond Marcello’s. On his website, he offers merchandise bearing the SallySlices logo, and “A Man’s Mind,” an acoustic ballad, is available on Spotify. About 60,000 people have viewed it.
He eventually wants to use his TikTok fame to launch a film career. And while doing that will undoubtedly distance him from the family business, his parents are supportive of his dream.
“All of my parents support it. They want me to pursue my passions, Mandreucci said. Actually, my father wants me to leave the pizza shop. He says he doesn’t want me to hurt myself the way he did for the previous 50 years.
