HOBOKEN -- Much has changed in the Mile Square City over the last half century, but one thing that's remained the same is the pizza at Benny Tudino's.

"Time has changed and everything changes, but you know what, everyone still comes back for the good pizza," said Arbend Drishti, 47, a local police sergeant whose father and mother started the business in 1968.

Known for its massive slices, the old school Washington Street joint that Mayor Ravi Bhalla called "a Hoboken institution" and "an immigrant success story" held a special 50th anniversary celebration on Sunday, where dozens of locals got free pizza.

When his father Bahri (Benny) and mother Zylfije (Sophia) -- who immigrated to the United States from Albania -- first opened for business, Hoboken was a much different town.

"They had an opportunity to purchase the place (and) they took a chance," Arbend said.

They started out small, with Benny making the pies and Sophia delivering them herself. But through perseverance, they eventually cultivated a reputation for good pizza.

A big #Hoboken CONGRATS to the 50th Anniversary of Benny Tudinos @BennyTudinos , home of America's biggest slice, a Hoboken institution, an immigrant success story. We miss you Benny! pic.twitter.com/4tZRbMTzqp — Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) October 14, 2018

If it weren't for the locals, the business "wouldn't have been able to stay open this long," Arbend Drishti said.

"We love seeing the people come in," he added. "You may not see them for years but they come back and have a Benny's slice."

Part of the experience is the aesthetic. The pizzeria remains a nostalgic stop on Washington Street, with dozens of photos hanging on the walls commemorating the memories made over the years. There have been plenty of people to order one of Benny Tudino's famous slices over the years -- from Hoboken regulars to former Vice President Joe Biden, who paid the pizzeria a visit while touring Hurricane Sandy damage in 2012.

"That picture was on the wall the very next day," Arbend Drishti said of the photo of Biden with his arm wrapped around his father.

Sophia died in 2004 and Benny died three years ago in 2015. The business is now run by Arbend's wife Artemis and sister-in-law Eriola, but it shows no signs of slowing down.

"To be here 50 years is almost unheard of, especially under one family," said Agron Dushaj, Arbend's cousin and the day-to-day manager of the business. "McDonalds could be here 50 years with 20 different owners. This has been one family. That's very impressive."

Much more may change in the city but one thing that isn't changing anytime soon is the famous slices at Benny Tudino's.

"No matter what changes, you use the same ingredients. My wife and my sister-in-law are the owners and they know they can't change what's been working for us for 50 years," Arbend said. "If you do anything different, (the customers) will know. They're the best judge of how thing are run."

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.