By Anthony G. Attrino
nj.com
(TNS)
The patriarch of one of Philadelphia and New Jersey’s most recognizable pizza chains pleaded guilty Thursday to federal tax charges after prosecutors accused him of concealing income from his family-run restaurants over four years.
Frank Santucci Sr., owner of Santucci’s Original Square Pizza, agreed to plead to two counts of tax evasion and two counts of filing false tax returns for failing to pay nearly $375,000 in taxes, federal court records show.
Santucci, 66, of Moorestown, faces up to 16 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines when he is sentenced on Nov. 3.
The pizza-maker’s attorney, Richard J. Fuschino, said Thursday his client “took responsibility from the beginning of this case.”
“By taking ownership of a mistake from nearly a decade ago, he is dealing with a mistake from the past, but the business he built is focused on the future,” Fuschino said.
Prosecutors said Santucci allegedly earned more than $4.8 million in business profits from 2015 through 2018, but failed to pay taxes amounting to $374,944.
According to court documents, Santucci provided false financial records to his tax preparers and omitted substantial cash sales.
He also maintained a second set of books that accurately reflected much higher earnings for at least one location.
“The defendant concealed from (his tax preparers) the totality of cash sales for the Santucci’s Pizza Restaurants,” prosecutors wrote in a plea memorandum.
The memorandum alleges Santucci deposited thousands of dollars in weekly and monthly intervals into undisclosed bank accounts, bypassing the restaurants’ official books.
Despite serving only as an informal bookkeeper, Santucci kept two sets of financial records and directed preparers to file false tax returns, underreporting income for himself and the business, prosecutors said.
In 2017, Santucci reported just $46,893 in corporation income when his actual earnings exceeded $314,000. A year later, he reported $142,580—but took home more than $739,000, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors allege the broader scheme resulted in more than $1.3 million in unpaid taxes when accounting for associated business partners and employment taxes.
“The defendant agrees to pay restitution to the IRS in the total amount of $374,944,” the plea agreement states, and he has also agreed to cooperate with the IRS going forward.
Under the terms of the plea deal, Santucci faces no more than 16 years in prison and $1 million in fines. He has also waived his right to appeal or challenge the conviction, except under limited circumstances.
Santucci was freed Thursday on a $50,000 recognizance bail under the conditions he receive mental health services, along with treatment for drug and alcohol use, according to court records.
The restaurateur was also ordered to surrender his passport, all firearms, and is restricted from traveling outside New Jersey pending disposition of the case.
In addition to the Pennsylvania restaurants, Santucci’s pizzerias are located in several New Jersey towns, including Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester counties. A new location is set to open soon in Deptford, according to the company website.
Fuschino, the attorney, called Santucci “a world-class pizza maker” who has been making square pies since the 1970s.
“Although he’s now retired, he has built a respected business and he’s standing up to fix his own personal tax issues. This has nothing to do with how the stores run or how the sauce gets made,” Fuschino said.
Photo caption: A slice from Santucci’s Original Square Pizza in Ocean City, N.J. (Tim Tai/TNS)
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©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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