The crippling one-two punch of a global pandemic following by the looting and rioting ignited by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has been a nightmare for businesses across America.

According to Claims Journal, the rioting that erupted in U.S. cities since Memorial Day may rival the 1992 Los Angeles riots in Los Angeles after a police video of the Rodney King beating sparked the most costly civil disorder in U.S. history, causing $775 million in damages.

Since Floyd’s death occurred in Minneapolis, businesses in the Twin Cities area have been devastated by rioting and looting. More than 1,500 buildings have been vandalized, looted or had doors and windows smashed. Some places were reduced to rubble, and dozens destroyed by fire.

It’s hard to calculate the number of lives that have been affected. Although some larger stores and franchises have been temporarily or indefinitely closed, it’s smaller businesses - the backbone of our economy - which will have the hardest time recovering.

An auto care business which in Minneapolis operated for 20 years is one example. Protesters supposedly stole five cars, driving them out through the garage doors. Only one was found, a block away at a McDonald’s.

Behind the obvious looting and destruction of property there are individual losses that can’t be tabulated. Some of the mechanics in that auto care business were seen combing the property the next morning, trying to find tools that were stolen during the previous night’s rioting. These were their personal possessions - literally the tools of their trade - which aren’t covered by business insurance.

Andrea Gambino, a friend of mine, has been living the American dream. It was his father who brought his hand-tossed pizza recipe from Palermo, Italy, opening a restaurant in New Jersey. His mother, who was from Philadelphia, later inspired him to add another culinary legend to his menu - the cheese steak.

After moving to the Twin Cities in 1972, Andrea opened his first pizza shop, and that became the flagship of three businesses employing 60 people in downtown Minneapolis. To supplement Andrea Pizza, the Gambinos incorporated a Philly cheesesteak shop, calling it Frank From Philly. In just a year, the new menu item garnered the best sandwich award among city restaurants.

Another boost for downtown was the city’s skyway, an interconnected system of pedestrian footbridges which protects people from the harsh weather and makes businesses much more accessible. Andrea was also able to attract local fraternities and sororities, thus tapping into the energy of the college clientele.

As more people began favoring mom-and-pop or smaller restaurants over the fast food franchise operations, the Gambino family remained true to its original mission: Give people flavors they want, and pair it with an experience they won’t forget.

After 40 years, Andrea turned over the day-to-day operations to his sons Frank and Antonio, who continued to grow the business. They gained a reputation for specialty pizzas like the “Good Morning America,” featuring eggs, hashed browns, and the contents of an omelet, or the Phillyrito, a pizza with guacamole in the middle and taco toppings all over the pie.

While weeks and months of inactivity have sapped the spirit and enthusiasm of many small-business owners, the resilient Andrea, who loves this country and its military veterans, remains optimistic.

He and his sons must rebuild on the successful business principles the family developed and refined over nearly half a century. At the core is a love of making pizza, dealing with people and making them feel happy … along with making a few bucks along the way. That, Andrea discovered over the past five decades, is the American way.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com