Ninfa Rodríguez Laurenzo

Maria Ninfa Rodriguez Laurenzo
Born	Ninfa Rodriguez (1924-05-11)May 11, 1924 Harlingen, Texas
Died	June 17, 2001(2001-06-17) (aged 77) Houston, Texas
Cause of death	Bone cancer
Residence	Second Ward of Houston
Nationality	United States
Other names	Mama Ninfa
Citizenship	United States
Education	Henrietta M. King High School
Alma mater	Durhan Business School
Occupation	Restaurateur
Years active	1949-2001
Known for	Founding of Ninfa's restaurant
Political party	Republican
Board member of	7 Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Houston Community College System Foundation Houston International Festival Foundation Houston Hispanic Forum Houston Metro Authority John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts University Cancer Foundation-M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Spouse(s)	Domenic Laurenzo (1946-1964, his death)
Children	Jack, Phyllis, Tom, and Gino
Awards	7 Texas Restaurant Association "Woman Restaurateur of the Year" (1979) Texas Women's Hall of Fame inductee (1988) National Hispanic Chamber of Commerce "Business Woman of the Year" (1994) Humanitarian Award of the Arthritis Foundation Roundtable for Women in Foodservices' "Women in Foodservice Pacesetter's Award" U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce "Business Recognition Award" University Cancer Foundation-M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Website	www.twu.edu/twhf/tw-laurenzo.asp

Maria Ninfa Rodriguez Laurenzo (nicknamed Mama Ninfa, May 11, 1924 – June 17, 2001), born with the family name Rodriguez, was a restaurateur from Houston, Texas who founded the restaurant Ninfa's. Laurenzo started out running a single taco stand in Houston, Texas.

Ninfa Rodriguez, a Mexican American Catholic, was born on May 11, 1924 in Harlingen, Texas. Rodriguez, one of twelve brothers and sisters, was raised in Harlingen. She graduated from Henrietta M. King High School in Kingsville and Durhan Business School in Harlingen. Rodriguez's father grew crops in a patch of farmland in the Rio Grande Valley.

In 1945 she visited her twin sister, Pilar Di Meo, in Providence, Rhode Island. During her visit, she met Domenic Thomas Laurenzo, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Laurenzo, a native of Rhode Island, was of Italian descent. Rodriguez, who had nicknamed Domenic Laurenzo "D.T.," married him. In 1947 their first child, Roland, was born. The couple considered whether to move to Houston or Los Angeles. They read a 1948 newspaper article that stated that Houston was the fastest growing city in the United States. Tony Mandola, Ninfa Laurenzo's son in law and a member of the Mandola restaurant family, said that they decided to go to Houston after flipping a coin.

In 1949, they opened the Rio Grande Tortilla Company factory, which sold pizza dough and tortillas. The couple entered the business even though both of them had professional degrees. The factory was located in a Hispanic community in the East End. The Laurenzos lived in a wooden frame house next to the factory. The couple had four more children, with Jack born in 1949, Phyllis born in 1953, Tom born in 1958, and Gino born in 1963. The family sent the children to an area parochial private school.

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