By Gabrielle Terrett

The Vicksburg Post

Piazza Plumbing is celebrating a century of servicing Vicksburg and surrounding areas.

The plumbing business started in 1919 by Julius A. Piazza and the plumbing trait seemed to travel through the family.

Over the past 100 years, the business has been owned by four generations with Julius Piazza passing it down to his son, Charles Louis Piazza.

“Charles took over the business from his daddy,” Joyce Piazza, wife of Charles Piazza and former bookkeeper for Piazza Plumbing, said. “He rode in the truck with him as a child and he always knew that’s what he was going to do.”

As the business grew, the family added more services in addition to plumbing.

The title of the company went from J.A. Piazza Plumbing & Gas to C.L. Piazza Plumbing and Heating when Charles Piazza took over, and then to Piazza Plumbing Heating and Air when the third generation of the family, John and Donnie Piazza, joined him.

Today, the company is owned by the fourth generation of plumbers in the family — a father and son duo of John and Johnny Piazza — and is named Piazza Plumbing.

Though the title of the business changed multiple times in the 100 years that it’s been open, their loyalty and service to the community has remained the same.

“My husband and his father, and I’m sure my sons, also say that their customers are their friends,” Joyce Piazza said. “That’s always the way it was. Word of mouth was and still is the best type of advertisement that you could get and that’s the way the business grew from 1919 up until now.”

Family tradition

With the employees of the business are related in some form or fashion, it’s easy to assume that everyone in the family gained an interest in the field from a family member and that it was taught to the younger generations as they grew up.

For many of the current and former employees this is true. However, some wanted to go their own way to continue the family’s legacy.

“I worked with my dad all my life and then I went to college and got a little experience elsewhere then came back into the business, worked with Donnie and daddy and we made it grow,” said John Piazza, a plumber and co-owner at Piazza Plumbing. “Since working here, we’ve gotten into larger jobs. Daddy was just in one truck and did everything virtually by himself, besides us, but we just made it grow. Donnie and I advanced the business a little further.”

Piazza Plumbing also services different areas other than the Vicksburg area. But the River City is still home to Piazza Plumbing.

“We don’t do a lot in Jackson because there are so many plumbers over there, but we do travel,” John Piazza said.

Charles Louis was not just a plumber. He was teacher to many others who worked for Piazza Plumbing and a wonderful family man. His sons have followed in his footsteps, as he did his father before him and Charles Louis’ grandson, Johnny, is following the footsteps of his father, John Piazza. There is a fifth generation now working at Piazza Plumbing. Johnny’s son Johnathan, who is a full-time technician learning the ropes of the business. Johnny’s other son, Jameson, may also follow in his daddy’s footsteps when he gets older. This would keep Piazza Plumbing going for the next 100 years.

“Piazza is a name that has been around for many generations here in Vicksburg,” said

John Piazza. “My grandfather was a plumber to many families here in Vicksburg and four generations later we are still servicing those families.”

Although the family has been in business for 100 years, they don’t plan on stopping any time soon. In fact, they plan to grow and further their business even more.

“We’re just growing in different directions as far as bigger and better things,” Johnny Piazza said. “Hopefully we can keep going and improving. We’re glad that we’ve been around for so long and hope to continue and keep going.”