A few words from the man himself…

Growing up in an Italian-American household, food was always front and center in all family gatherings. I found myself in the kitchen during any family event and have fond memories watching as my mother made sauce, my grandmother made meatballs, and my aunts made cookies. As I got older it became obvious to me that my passion and future profession would be cooking in one capacity or another. I started my training with Inspiration Kitchens in Chicago, followed by stints in my uncle's hot dog stand Mandino's located in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin. Eventually, I formalized my training in some of Chicago's most beloved restaurants with names such as Publican Quality Meats, Au Cheval, Formento's, and Table Donkey and Stick. While fine-dining kitchens help sharpen my skills, my Italian/American roots were calling. Nothing made me want to make my mark on this industry quite like pizza.

I knew I would need formal training and would need to train with the best. It was at that point I traveled west to San Francisco to learn from 13 Time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani & 2 Time World Pizza Champion Laura Meyer at Tony Gemignani's International School of Pizza. After spending time learning from both Tony and Laura, they encouraged me to head with them to Las Vegas and compete in the International Pizza Challenge. Since that moment, I have grown a love for competition and have competed in both Atlantic City and Las Vegas year after year.

Many ask, so where did the title Professor Pizza come from? The title Professor Pizza started shortly after returning home from my training in San Francisco. I had been asked to speak at Depaul University on a variety of Italian and Chicago food culture topics which included pizza of course. With a desire to leave my mark on the industry the name started with a simple hashtag after one of my speaking engagements. Soon thereafter a close family member reached out and said "That's It!" Years later the name has stuck.

As I continue to grow as Professor Pizza I strive to share both knowledge and comfort through my pizza. Pizza should be fun, and just as any good teacher, it should leave an impact that supersedes even years after your initial interaction. In summation, everything I do is in the name of my two children my daughter Veda, and my son Declan. I, just as any parent, strive to provide them with the best life I can. I am humbled and excited to share my pizza with Chicago and beyond. I am also proud to represent the World Pizza Champions here in The Windy City of Chicago along with two other close friends Leo Spizzirri, and Tony Troiano.