Breaking Bread with Tom Papa - Episode 9 - Vito's Pizza

Episode Date: July 7, 2020

Come along to Vito's Pizza, the best New York Style pizza in LA! Vito shares a lifetime of stories and experience and sends me home with his secret dough. Give a listen and stop by 846 N. La Cienega��Blvd. You'll love me forever.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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It's time for breaking bread with Papa. Hey! Don't you know? Hey! It's how we go. Hey! It's time for breaking bread with. with Papa.

Hey! Don't you know? Hey, it's also a show. Hey! Well, well, well, welcome everybody to another episode of Breaking Bread, your most delicious podcast of all the podcasts. This week, I went to Vito's Pizza. Yeah, that's right. I got in my car.

I drove to Vito's Pizza on Las Jenaga in Los Angeles, California to meet up with my good friend Vito D. Donato. He is from New Jersey. He is from Italy. He is the master of New York style pizza on the West Coast. He's a great personality, but he makes even better pizza. I mean, he's a nice guy and all that stuff. And he's got great stories. And he's funny. But it's really just so I can be inside a New Jersey style pizza place. I'm sorry. I'm saying New Jersey style, because that's where I grew up. And there's the New York style, but there's also the New Jersey style. The pizza's the same.

But the attitude is just a little funnier and a little more wise-assy when you go inside the New Jersey pizza place. He is the best. He's got amazing stories. He's hilarious. And while you're listening to this, I just recommend you get in your car. I don't care where you're listening to this. You could be in Sweden and you just start heading to Vito's Pizza in Los Angeles, California,

and you and I will be best friends forever. Vito, it's so good to see you. Man, you know, you and I, we met, I don't know, probably five years ago, something like that. I don't keep track. Yeah, me neither. That's my motto in life. Don't do the math. No.

Don't add it up. Don't do it. And when you, when we spoke, this was on the food network show. Right. And when you and I hung out and back, we made pizza and dough and all the rest of it. And, but you told me, you were talking, off camera, you said, what I like to do is come in really early in the morning before the place opens up. And I just have my coffee and my paper. And I've carried that image of you in the pizza shop alone.

early and that we're doing this before your shop opens up. It's like, I feel like I'm getting closer. Well, you came in early. Yeah. You came in a half hour early. I'm like, what the, you know? I don't know if I'm allowed to curse or not. You can curse.

You can say whatever you want. Yeah. What was the thing? What did you want to call this podcast? Well, when you're, the assistant called, she seems so sweet. Yeah. And I said, can we call it the fucking top off of fucking rocking weekend?

And she's like, well, I don't know if we can call it back. I don't know if that'll be allowed. But she remained very elegant, which I really respect it. It was cool. It's like, you know, I'm from the street. We're cursing every other word. Well, Vito, I have, I feel like in the time since we spoke, I'm kind of responsible for your success

because and not the Food Network show that was nothing but the number of people who have called me and said what was the name of that group place? I always say it's the best pizza in L.A.

They still come in now off of that because it's like oh I'm from Florida but now I got here on vacation. So they're coming in now like literally last week. Oh yeah? And I was like, are they still showing this?

It's like, no, I marked it down for when I come out here. See? Well, because it's real. Yeah. You know, this isn't like, you know, I'm some top chef guy that never freaking gets his hands dirty. No, exactly. You know? It's the real deal.

I know. And as someone from New Jersey, I knew it as soon as I saw your face. I was like, I don't even have to eat the pizza. I know this guy is making the real thing. That's what it's all about. Yeah. We had like, there's a restaurant next door and it's like one of these big network guys come in there. And, you know, in the beginning it's really packed because, you know, it's got a popular name.

Then little by little, little, little by little, like, you know, he's out of business. And he goes, you know, what did I do wrong? You know, you're successful, Vito. And I, without, you know, any show or anything. And I'm like, I said, I go to work seven days a week. I have not seen you go to work once. I have never seen you come in and prep anything. Oh, really?

You know, and there's a point that a person's going to be like, hey, I come, I'm coming for the food. Right, right. Yeah, exactly. No, I know. We don't have, like, foodies for the week and then let's go see somebody else. We have real diehard people who actually like to eat and want something good. Right. That's it.

I know. And it literally, it's the best pizza. I mean, we, I live on the other side of the hill. And to get your pizza, to have someone pick it up and bring it over, it's just a little too far. No, I get it. You know, it's just a little too far. So we are just milling around. It's like pizza roulette.

We're like, who should we try now? And every time we get something, it's like, no, it's not it. You know, I had, you know, you become friends with, you know, actors that come in or whatever. So like Paula Abdullah was their birthday. birthday last week. Ooh. And she's, hey, can he come in with the pizza to deliver? And I would if I had a time.

Yeah. But I said, I'm making pizza today. So I can't. So like every actor that works here, I'll go do it. I'll go do it. It's like, what do you think you're going to do? Get a job from this person. Right.

It's like fucking, I'm not delivering pizza. Stick to what I know. Right. So when the person came to pick up the pies, they're like looking at all these, you know, pizzas that I'm making. and they're like, oh man, you're really busy. I'm like, that's what I'm saying. I'm not going to like lock the door.

Right. You know, but it's a sweetheart. Yeah. I mean, she's great. Have you known her for a long time? Yeah, I know her for a few years. Right. And, you know, she'll come in.

But like I said, it was her birthday. Right. And then one of my friends went to go deliver it and she's just a sweetheart. Yeah. You know, just there's so many good people. Yeah. You know, I hate to meet people I like. because you might hate them.

I know, exactly. You know, like you. Yeah. Wait, say that again. I didn't know if I like, like you're just hoping that they're not a dick. Right, exactly. You know?

Like, I love to show Threys Company. I don't want to meet anybody from Thre's Company. You know. Are you still going to sleep to Three's Company? I love Thre's Company. That's how you go to sleep, isn't it? That's how I go to sleep. I have a sticker on my

car that says, I'd rather be home watching Three's company on the car. One of my friends bought it for me and put it on, which I loved. It just makes you sleep, you know, so wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on. You go, you lock up,

you're done making the pizzas all day. You drive home. Right. Say hello to the cats. Say hi, Dominic and Paul. No wife, no kids. It's just you pizza. Dominic Pauli.

Dominic Polly. And you, they're twins. Take off your AP. and lay down in bed. Three's Company goes on. First, I'll start in the living room. Uh-huh.

And, you know, sometimes I may have a snack, whatever, watch a couple things. Because I don't want to watch anything bad. Right. Nothing heavy. Nothing heavy. Yeah, I'm with you. Yeah. And then, you know, it started that I watched like a Three's Company marathon and realized, like,

I slept really well while it was on. You're right. You know? And one day I had been watching regular TV and I woke up with this like anger and it was like about a death and right. You know how they talk like this. Next thing you know he wasn't going to wake up from that evening of partying and whatever. And I'm like, wow. Who.

So that's for me. I know. Well, because I have enough drama here. No, I know. You know how like, you know, you go watch one of these fake reality shows. And they're looking like for trouble. It's like you just open up a door of a pizzeria. You don't have enough fucking problems.

You know, this is why every time something happens I say to somebody, you know, I'm just fucking trying to make a pizza. You know, I don't want to be your psychiatrist, your daddy, your father figure. I don't, I'm just trying to make a fucking pizza. That's it. It's very simple. Well, you have, I have to say, though, you have a way about you where I could see if you were, if I was coming in here every day, I'd be like.

like, this guy kind of has it together. Yeah. This guy feels like my dad. Oh, no, yeah. I got it together. I'm having trouble with my girlfriend, Pito. Exactly. What do I do?

All day, all day long. Really? I swear, that should be the show. Look, this is the deal. It's funny that you're saying that because, like, they'll come in with these problems. Yeah. Especially, like, I call them my kids because even the kids that leave, they'll come back. Like, I have this kid from England of Riley.

I love him to death. Yeah. And I got him when he was first 17 and then he went through college and everything that he has asked me, it was, you know, I had the right answer. He goes, I'm not to get into you 10 times. And I'm like, but they're easy things. You know, like what they think is a problem. Yeah. One of the guys that works in my apartment building, it's like, well, I could go to work for more money than I ever did.

but I never worked in Glendale before I said okay well let me think you're out of fucking work for six months You're gonna make more money than you ever did What the fuck's the problem? Like wow is this really a fucking problem? Get the fuck out of here go to work I know, but you know what it is? It's it's literally like taking a guy from New Jersey and dropping them in L.A. I mean that's literally what it is There's like a lot more feelings and thinking it out and thinking it's it through, but you, and this is the same way that you

make your pizzas and run your business, it's just direct. It's just, I'm, we're not getting involved in all of the feely, touchy, feelies parts of it. Just, no, let's just, I'm like you said, I'm just making pizzas here. But they're complicating things. Yeah, I know. Well, that's the,

that's the L.A. It's too much sunshine. Maybe that's what it is. I'm indoors a lot. I don't know. Right, exactly. But like, I came with a fucking t-shirt on, you know, fucking 30 years ago. Right. And it's the same thing. I still feel like I didn't start yet.

You know? Right, exactly. You know, they'll come in and it's like, I need to make more money. Well, why don't you work more than fucking 15, 20 hours a week? Let's start with that. Right. You know? All right.

So 30 years ago, where are you 30 years ago? First, I was working at my father's gas station. Right. Where is that? In Elizabeth, New Jersey. Right. Now, you know, we're talking about tough. you know that's why everything else is easy no Elizabeth Elizabeth was the place where

people from Newark were like no I'm not going over there no it was you know it was a you know it was tough yeah 30 years ago in Elizabeth New Jersey yeah that's no joke you know and you got up early and you know if it was freezing cold you know we were mechanics right so it's like okay it's freezing cold or somebody's tire is you know blown out and or you got to tell where you got a plow or you know it was like constant Then in the summer, it's freaking hot as hell. Yeah. Humid, Jersey, humidity.

Oh, God. Yeah. And it's not like today's AAA where, like, you know, they come and get you really nice and fancy. It's true. You know, like, we have, like, these mobster customers, right? Yeah. So, like, they're calling you because they don't want people to know where they're at. Right.

You know, because back then, you know, back then, like, batteries were different. They didn't have, like, the cold cranking, like. today's batteries have. So if you had like a 20 below zero day, 20 cars are going to be stuck. Right. So you get a phone call and it's like, it's like two in the morning.

And it's like, what the fuck? You know, and back then it's not like your cell phone or it's going to record. You know, those old-fashioned phones keep ringing until they wake you up. Right, exactly. Connected to a cord. Yeah, exactly.

It's like, hello. You know, yeah. It's like, I'm over here at the hotel. And I'm like, oh, shit. You know, you make believe you don't see nothing. It's like, you know. Driving your dirty truck. Oh, God.

It was hell, man. And your father did that your whole life? Like he was... And then so once you got old enough, you were just dragged into it. Oh, yeah. I was seven years old when I got dragged into it. Seven years old? Yeah, seven years old.

You're a man today, Vito. I got the man speech at seven. Oh, my God. It's like, okay, so now you go and... you know, make money to buy your own shoes or whatever you need. And I'm like, but I don't get paid. You don't need money. You're seven.

What are you going to do with money? You don't even have a wallet. Were you there? Yeah, I was. I literally was 30 miles north of you. There you got. Yeah. Oh, that was like considered a fucking chagrel off.

Oh, no, it was fancy. It was fancy. When we drove by Elizabeth, my dad said lock the doors. Oh, yeah. Yeah, close the windows. Because we had a, the slaughterhouse was at our exit. Right. So everybody's like, why the fuck does this smell so bad?

So you had Exxon next to the slaughterhouse. Oh, my God. Man, the freaking smell in there. Oh, my God. That can't be there anymore. I remember. Well, the slaughterhouse is not there, but Exxon's still there. Yeah, yeah.

No, it's all refineries around there. Yeah, I remember like limbo jarvers said, yeah, whatever we had to let out some gas. We did it near Exxon. They're like, what? the hell is that? You're like, it's Exxon. So we'd fart in the car? I would laugh, man. Because they're like, you can't let out gas until you get there, X-Ox-on.

Because your passenger will now. Yeah, and then he just blame Exxon. They might fucking X-Op for everything. And that's your hometown. All right, so you're working there and you're, this is a slog. This is, this is rough stuff. Oh, yeah. So at what age, so at what age do you feel like, I'm sure all along you're thinking,

I got there's got to be something else. At what point did you discover something else? No, you didn't really think. You didn't? No, because you're just, you know. Just in it. Yeah, you're just in it. Right.

And my brother, my brother always did things before I did, even though he's younger than I am. Uh-huh. You know, my brother was like a tall kid and handsome and great dancer and all this. So it's like he went to New York first, like, you know, because it's only like, you know, 10 minutes away. Yeah. And it's like, oh, let's go get burgers at this Riviera cafe. Oh, they're really good here.

Like, he always made the jump before me. Right, right. I was more of that working guy. Uh-huh. And then it's like, oh, now we're going to clubs. So it's like, hey, listen, we ain't got any money. So what are we going to do? Like, you know, my brother was a great dancer.

And so they would let them in. Wow. Because everybody. So is this, is a Saturday Night Fever? Well, yeah. Well, this is like, you know, Studio 54, literally. Right. Yeah, yeah.

And the limelight and all these xenons and all these clubs, you know, we're young kids. Right. So because, you know, we had a good-looking crew that went there. I wasn't always this heavy. So we would get there. And he was like one of the guys that would be dancing on the speaker. Right. And then it's like, then Madonna gives him a video.

Oh, wow. Because he's a great dancer. Really? And so I was like, listen, you know, when you have. no money, you have to dance. Yeah. You know, so like a girl, you know, you don't have money to buy a drink. Right.

You're not going to be hanging at the bar. No, like, mind you, like a six-pack's like fucking two bucks at home. And these drinks were like $10 at the time. Right, exactly. Right? So here's like a girl that wants a drink. You don't have the money. It's not like because you want to be cheap.

You got to swivel your hips. Yeah. God, I swear, like you were there. Right. So it's like, you know, you got to learn how to dance. So it's like what? It's like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. It ain't hard.

Just go to the beat. So then it's like, okay, now I'm doing that. Yeah. So I remember, like, you know, you would have tricks because, you know, you just want to have a good time. If a girl already has a full drink, you're like, hey, could I buy you a drink? And it's like, no, I got a drink. Oh, do you want to dance to this song? Yeah, great.

You know, so then you go dance. Then it's like, hey, I'll take that drink now. And it's like, no, I love this song. No, go ahead. Love this song. I love this song. I can't get off the stencil. Because you just didn't have the money.

And you moonwalk away. I wasn't that good. But, you know. And like I said, you just didn't have the money. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you had to learn, you know, other things. It's such great. So then like, so like late at, you'd stay till the end, late at night and then drive back to Jersey.

Well, that's just why I learned how to cook. Well, because we already learned that, we already knew how to cook. Right. What do you mean? What do you mean? How did that happen? Well, my mom passed away when we were kids. We were five of us.

I was two years old. My brother was 10 months old when my mom died. Oh, wow. My grandmother raised us. You know, didn't speak a word of English. Great people, like my grandmother and grandfather. Where'd she come from, your grandmother? I'm from Avalino.

Avilino. Where's that? It's like north, it's in the mountains and now we're out of Naples. Okay. So like central-ish. Yeah. It's central. Central South.

But in the Mount Avellino. Right. You know. Yeah. Naples, Rome area. Rome was a few hours away. Right. But you know what?

She had, so she taught us how to like, it was like games for us. Uh-huh. The cut garlic for everybody. Yeah, because there's a lot of us. How many? Well, five kids. It's us five kids. She had nine of her own children.

Nine? Nine. Wow. So there was still a couple of left there. Yeah. When my mom passed. away. Right. And, you know, and there's us five and my grandparents and my father, you know. Wow. So every day was like a Thanksgiving dinner. Jeez, Louise. So it's like, here's garlic and

oh, here we're learning how to chopper. We're making yokee by hand. You know, all the pasta was made by hand only because it was cheap. Right. Just flour and water. There you go. It's an egg. Yeah. It's like, you didn't go buy the pasta, not because it tasted better. It's because you couldn't afford it. Right. You know? So she taught her. But even. But even. It's like, you didn't go buy the pasta. It's like, you didn't My parents were born in Italy, and my oldest sister was. Okay. So now we're learning how to cook. So by the time I'm going out to clubs, and it's like, hey, you want to get something to eat?

It's like, hey, I can make you a dish of pasta. That's not going to cost me a nickel. Right. You know what I mean? It's just like, oh, my God, you're cooking. I'm romantic. But wait a minute. You meet a girl in the club.

Yes. This is not in the one of 15 or 16. That's not going to happen. Right. You know, you're not taking them. anywhere. No, I was going to say that you're not like, I'm going to, yeah, do you have a sack of flour? I'll come over and make your pasta when you're 16.

Like I said, if you have stuff at home. Yeah. Like, you know, we had one of those, you know, one of those cellars that is a full kitchen? Uh-huh. You know, so once in a while, you try to sneak somebody down there and you're cooked for it. Wait, wait, wait, wait. A cellar that's a full kitchen? Yeah, because a lot of the Italians were like, that came over, the cellar would be the coolest place in the house.

Oh, okay. So they would make, you know, they would make nice cellars. Oh. You know, and the cellar had, you know, tables and chairs and, you know, ovens and a bathroom, everything you needed. It was all set up downstairs. Yeah. Yeah.

And it would always be cooler. Oh. So either you did that or outside. We had like a grapevine. You let the grape vines grow. Right. And then, you know, you sit under the grapevine in the shade. You're creating Avalino in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

And it was so great. It's like you didn't realize it. Yeah. But now I'm like, wow, how smart were they? Yeah, no kidding. You know? Yeah. It's perfect.

It's not only that. It's like you're not, like I said, you don't have the money and you're not running air condition all day. No. Like that didn't exist. Didn't even have air conditioning. Didn't even have the air conditioning. One old fan. And it went in dad's room.

I remember my grandpa all the hitting it with the wooden stick to get it to fucking start. You know? And when that thing blew, you're like, fucking thought you were in Alaska. 12 kids in front of a rusty fan praying for relief. It's true. It's true. Well, you didn't know.

No. You didn't know to complain. Of course not. That was just your world. No, I know. It's amazing. Kids have no clue. There was no complaining. No. You don't know anything different. No. But also, I mean, not to belittle this. But when your mom passes when you're five.

No, I'm two. You're two. So you're two. So you're not even aware. Not even aware. Not even aware. I mean, probably subconsciously a little bit, but you're absorbed into this family. Right. You've got all of these people. Your family is intact and they just absorbed you. And so grandma's, grandma's it. Oh, no. Yeah. Grandma's it.

Yeah. Grandma's like the center of the universe. Yeah. And she was really like tough. First of all, she was tall. Oh, yeah? She was bigger than me. my grandfather.

Really? So they always called her La Gilles, the big German woman because she had blue eyes. Like, I don't fucking know. Was she German? Was there some German? No. But, you know, who knows? Yeah, who knows?

No, I mean, we're all, we could follow our, you know, lineage in Italy to the same village. Right, right. Hundreds of years, literally. Yeah. But there might have been a German guy that went through. Yeah, well, I mean, you know, you're getting it from somewhere. Yeah, yeah. How the fuck you're getting this hype from?

I know. Right. Exactly. That's not the Nona you picture. You always picture someone about three feet tall. Oh, my grandma will take you out to fucking take you out. Man, like, you know, she was just very, like, serious. Uh-huh. But, like, she made you feel like an individual.

Uh-huh. Like, you like these chocolate chips. Uh-huh. So I'm going to give you, like, you know, made you seem like you were the only one there. Right. To each one of us. Amazing, yeah. You know, I mean, those are gifts.

that are. Yeah. And like, so now your teacher me how to cook. She signed with an X, you know, illiterate. My oldest sister

who winds up being a teacher. You know, she taught her how to sign her name, you know, before she passed away. Right. To go to the bank and everything.

Right. It would take her time. And, you know, when it was like, yeah, it's like being illiterate, there's nothing. wrong with that? Sure. It's just like how do you come into this world

and how, what you're doing to contribute to this world. Right. Like all of us kids you know, all did well. We all did, you know, we learned from her. Yeah. She was very appreciative. Right. Like here's that one apple. It's like we're cutting it up and sharing

it and you know, it was beautiful. Yeah. Yeah. You know, some of the best times of my life. So when she, so her whole objective was wake up and feed these people. Oh, it was non-stop. That was her thing. Non-stop.

Non-stop. Yeah. You know, years later, when I'm like literally in my 30s, Italian guy comes out and he's like saying they would call her Zia Maria for respectful, like my aunt. Oh man, when she had like these

strokes and she was still taking care he said my grandma had strokes. What are you talking about? You know, when she had strokes And I said, I didn't know she had a stroke And then I call my sister Now mind you, I'm in my 30s Yeah

And then I said Grandma had strokes She goes, oh yeah, she had like 16 strokes 16 I'm like, are you fucking crazy? She goes, oh yeah Don't you remember like when she would be like A little luck fly, blah, blah, yeah

I was like since she didn't miss a day Of taking care of us She's and didn't complain And we didn't even know Wow I mean, I'm not saying it's good Yeah, no, but she's... Just the way she was.

Yeah, she just kept going. What else was she going to do? Yeah, exactly. You know. So you learn out all of... What was your favorite thing that she would make? Do you... I mean, I'm sure that the list is endless, but...

Oh, well, like, my favorite thing is like a potato pie. Uh-huh. So, like, they mash potatoes. Right. What you have to do is you have to boil the potatoes and then you have to skin them. Uh-huh. Or else the flavor isn't the same. Uh-huh.

And then you make them mass, and then you put, like, a layer, and then you put hard-boiled eggs and salami and mozzarella inside. Oh, boy. Or a burjuto, whatever you wanted. And then you put a layer on top. Oh. Then you bake, and then you put, like, bread crumbs over the top to make it crunchy. Oh, my God.

Man, it's the only time that I really, my sisters will make stuff and send it to me. Yeah. Oh, my sister, Mimi, and Antonet. Uh-huh. They're both good at different things. You know, my sister, Mimi will make like oatmeal cookies, chocolate to a cookie price. Sister Anthony will make Italian cookies.

Oh, boy. Ammon cookies. As a matter of fact, I have some that she said. Oh, yeah? If you want one. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I was not great.

No, I look, this is fun and all, like talking to you is fun. But I have ideas of what I'm eating before I go home. No, that's what I'm saying. So they'll still send me stuff. Yeah, yeah. And it's worth more than money or. jewelry or anything. Oh, God, yeah.

Now? Oh, my God. Yeah. My brother Marion made me a potato pie for my birthday. And that can ship? You can ship a potato pie? Oh, he was here. He's in Studio City.

He has four kids of his own. Oh, okay. Four sons. Can you make the potato pie? Yeah, you can make it. But you know what it is? It's like, okay, it takes a couple of hours to make. Yeah.

It's just nice when somebody else makes it. Oh, of course. Like, you know what I mean? No, I know. It's like, oh, look at this gift. I know. That's amazing. Yeah. Is there an Italian word for that Italian pie? Oh, bitz de baan. Potato pie. Bitsa de padan. Bittsida padan. Yeah.

And like I said, some people make it plainer. Uh-huh. I'm thinking about making like small ones for next door. Oh. Because, you know, you could keep a simple potato and take care of vegans or people that don't eat meat or whatever. Right. Yeah, yeah. Cheese or whatever. But, you know, everything in it obviously is better. Oh, of course. Let me ask you that. I mean, when you say, uh, prosciutto is expensive. Yeah.

How was, how was their prosciutto around in the old days? Well, because they get, they would get a whole leg. Oh, yeah. You know, right. Because like I have my stepmother's families are all butchers. Oh, okay. Yeah, it's not like today that you're saying, hey, I'm going to go spend $30 on a pound of prosciutto. I know. No, you had one hanging in your cellar. Right. The seller. Or even the cheese. you know, you're hanging in. I mean, we would get the big things of cheese from Italy. Like, they would bring it in the luggage. Right.

You know what I mean? Yeah. It's like, why? Because it's a dollar a pound. Right. You know what I mean? Get a giant wheel of it and hang it up. Huge wheel of it.

God. And anybody I was coming from Italy, like, they had these gajgabalo and they're like some of my favorite cheese. Yeah. When my father was a, when my father was born in 1938, it's up in the mountains. He was born in September, September 13th. So when he was born, my grandmother in Italy, the other one was the opposite.

She was like 4 foot 11, right? The classic. Yeah. The classic. Yeah, she was 4 foot 11. Yeah. So she had twins. Yeah.

Very small woman and couldn't feed both twins. There was a person that had a child at the same time. and the baby died. So back then, they breastfed you. Like, here, bring them to my house. I'll breastfeed them because I just lost a kid. Right. And so my father went there.

I mean, you know, they brought them there. And then the big snows came. They're in the mountains. Oh, boy. So now my father stayed there and got breastfed from this woman until, like, April. Yeah, because it's like you couldn't get through and this. You know, it's not like today that they're breastfed. plowing the road.

No, right. There was no fucking road. Yeah. And no one really care. They're just like, he's over there now. Yeah. Well, you know, he's there and he's getting fed. Right.

He's safe. And can you imagine that? Like, here's this woman. Oh, she got breast milk. We don't know if it's going to work or, you know. Are you allergic? You know. See you in the spring.

Yeah. So that's what happened. So now obviously she took a liking to my father. Yeah. Like it's your son. Your boyfriend is good. Right? Right. So I kept on wondering why do we always get these best

cheeses, you know, from Italy. And nobody could bring them because she doesn't trust anyone. So she was in charge of like this big cheese farm, like she had all the cows and everything and they would do these cheese and the best of the best, she

would say for her family. So because my father was considered her family, you know, she would give that. So I was like 17 when I went the first time to Italy to my house. Yeah. So he goes, go see her because, you know, this is, you know, my mom.

Yeah, yeah. So I said, what should I say? He goes, don't say nothing. Right? Yeah. She goes, don't say nothing. Just go into the cheese store like you're looking to buy something. And don't say a word.

Uh-huh. So I said, okay, because she's going to start knowing that I'm from America, my Italian. Right. You know, even though I speak Italian, you know. Yeah. So I'm in the cheese store. I see this old lady. She sees me just looking, not saying a word.

Then I turn and she's crying. Literally crying. Had no idea you were coming. No. I said, what's wrong? And then she goes, oh, my grandson finally came from America to visit. She knew who I was. Oh, my God.

I mean, obviously we looked somewhat the same. Yeah, but I mean, how many people could. And she brings it to the back and she shows us these are the cheese for the family. She takes these back to America. And then I said, why don't you give it to one of my uncles like the Chidiag? You know, my father's from a family of 14. Yeah. I don't trust none of them.

You can fucking tell us to nobody. Oh, really? Yeah. I don't trust them. Yeah. Don't trust anybody. And she was right. That's such a sweet story.

Yeah. I mean, if you think about that today, like if you were to go, there would be emails, there would be texts, there would be WhatsApp, there would be all this arrangement over and over and over. where you just walk into this tiny cheese shop and she knows. Crying. Oh, my God. No, it was such a sweet moment for me too. Yeah, of course.

It's like I had tears in my eyes. Of course. I'm like, fuck, I feel like I met this woman that I didn't even know. Yeah. And she's my grandmother. God. Did you ask if you could breastfeed? Well, she had a granddaughter and my father.

Like back then, I'm a young kid. Yeah. You know? Yeah. You know, what the fuck did I know? Uh-huh. And she's like, you should go out with the granddaughter. He should marry.

her and then you had the cheese farm and you stay there. Oh. I was like, I'm fucking 17 years old. It's like, you know, I'm looking to date. Was she cute? Yeah, she was cute. I fucked up, I guess. You blew it.

You totally blew it. I mean, this is great. I love you and I love this place and this is nice that you're here. But holy cow. But, you know, like I say, it's like, you know, you have a young daughter. Yeah. It's like you don't push her to go get married. I would if there was a cheese farm in it.

Are you kidding me? You know. She's saying, what the fuck is this cheese bar? You're selling me out for a fucking cheese bar, dad. You know what I mean? I'm like, you'll know when you're, when you're 40 years old, you'll know. I know that I was right. I said I fucked up.

What was the fate? What was you skimmed over what your favorite cheese was? No, no. I said, Gascovalo. Gascovalo. I don't know. I don't know. It's like the, the horse.

calf. Because it looks like a horse's calf. Oh, okay. And once in a while, they'll have it like for like this crazy amount of money. Yeah. Like at a Beverly Hills cheese shot because they started to import it. But like I said, it's never going to be that.

No, not. No. It's always like some shitty version. Right. Yeah, exactly. You know? But man, when you think about that leg of prosciutto and the and all the the cheeses and I'm sure these other saloomies that are in there And I mean, that is like you would spend top dollar to get that stuff in New York or L.A. right now. I remember like they would say, like I said, we had our own blocks of cheese and we have to grade it by hand, right?

Yeah. Oh, how many times you fucking hit your knuckles? You're like, the worst. So they're like, oh, go to Kalamazza friggin meat store and tell them to grind it for us. Yeah. And it's just like, there isn't like, no, I'm embarrassed or this, that, and the other. it's just like you got to do it. Yeah.

Like there's no, you know, even though you are embarrassing, like, why I'm going to let this guy do it for me? Right. You know, he's selling cheese. Yeah. So it's like, here, could you grind this cheese for me? Yeah. And then they were like, why don't I got to grind the cheese? Why do you go get it away?

Well, because it came by your uncle sent him from Italy. Blu, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. This is going to be the last time. It's like, oh, God, Jesus Christ, let me die now. You know what I mean? Yeah, I know. And they send you because they don't want to catch that storm. Yeah, exactly.

Yeah. Exactly. So what, so when's the inkling that I'm going to take this from cooking with my family and cooking just here and making this into a career? Well, it's about not thinking. It's about not thinking. It's just thinking has nothing to do with it. The river's just taking you and you're just. Well, I'm into a gas station.

Yeah. And, you know, like it was one of those fucking hot days. I'm talking to my brother who now moved out here. Okay. I told you. He was always, even the dancer. Madonna took him out here. Well, he did a bunch of different videos and different things.

And then, you know, and then he wind up doing, like, parts like he was in seven with Brad Pitt. Oh, wow. And he wind up, you know, making a career out of him. Oh, nice. And, you know. Wow. But he said to me, uh, he goes. Why don't you just come?

Because when I would, I would come to visit him and say, why isn't there good pizza out here? So you always say, why don't you open one up? How do you want to fucking want to open up a pizzeria? I'm an auto mechanic. Right. Yeah. So one day he caught me like, you know, one of those, you know, bad, not bad moods, but, you know, it's a hot day. You're cranky in New Jersey.

You fucking burned your hand on freaking a car. You did that, you know. He's like, just come out here and do that. And I'm like, he goes, what are you doing right now? I'm dropping this engine in this car. He goes, okay, now you have to learn how to drop an engine. You do, there's a hundred nuts and bolts that you have to remember. When you come over here and open up a pizzerie, you think these people are any smarter than you are.

So, you know, hey, that sounds good. Yeah. Yeah. I don't think they're any smarter than I am. Yeah. Okay. And the cars aren't changing all the time. They're always changing.

Nothing changes. Right. I said, hey, sounds good on paper. Yeah. I get my fucking, let me go. So every time that I would, you, I would argue with my father. Uh-huh. There was no arguing, like, you know, there was no, like, I'm going to curse you out.

Right. You know, like that didn't exist. No, unless you want to die. Yeah, no. You respected your father. Yeah, you respected your father. Of course. So it's like whenever you would argue, you know, leave for a little bar, you know, every once in a while.

So I said, I'm going to go out to California. and I brought my, you know, luggage, and mind you, I was coming out, and there was like this old Polish guy that used to get us our kibati. And that was the other thing about the neighborhood that was good. You know, we're the auto mechanic. Right. You know, you're going to kiss our ass because you don't want to get ripped off. Yeah. Your battery is going to go cold.

Yeah. You're going to want me to come and pick you up in the middle of the night. Right. So here's like Stanley, the Polish neighborhood. he makes smoke kabbasi that was like great like in his little illegal shed in the back yeah and fuck it was good man yeah oh my god it was fucking great oh must have been insane yeah and then you went to the jewish neighborhood and you had bagels are so fucking hot you can't hold them you know yeah you know until i got here we never ate butter or toasted a bagel or you know they were so good you just ate them i know you didn't have to yeah you just ate them it's like

kind of yummy. Like I said, you can just not hold it. Yeah. And you just ate them. And then now they're like toast them and put this on it. I know. Whenever we're out here and we get a bagel and they ask me, do you want to toast it? I'm like, yeah. Because you know that it's a shitty bagel. Let's see. You're pretending. Or I put butter on it. I know. Yeah. I know. It's so sad. I know. I know. No. Then I said there was a customer that came in. And mind you, I'm around like all these philosophers like you're not knowing it you know these older Italian guys that in jersey yeah yeah yeah yeah that would you know tell you know the right thing all the time uh-huh you know and then you'd learn how to be patient with people right like oh why is this guy a fucking dickhead uh-huh maybe you

know he had an argument with his wife at home and now he's taking it out on you just try to be nice yeah and then maybe they'll turn around yeah so i started to started to learn to do that. Yeah. Especially here. I was just going to say, this is what you were explaining earlier. Yeah. Because especially if you have like a carb deficiency.

It's like, you know, these people are eating only protein, right? Right. You know, carbs make you happy. It's a fact. It's not even like fucking Vito's philosophy. It's real. It's real science. It's real science.

Yeah. So, you know, you get a guy who's a prick and then he comes in and then finally he starts eating. He's like, oh, that's real science. great hell i'm sorry i came in like that you get them doing and then i'm you know teaching grace and the younger kids here and they're like wow wow wow yeah it's like just be patient yeah and then there is a guy that's always going to be a fucking prick and then you just don't go fuck yeah no i know i know i always i always go back and forth with that actually when i always cut people slack that way and like this especially on

the road out here you know people cutting you off and i always try and forgive them like well maybe they're having a bad day. I don't know what they're dealing with. Who knows what happened. Someone may have died. Someone may have a, you know. And then, but then there's always those times when, no, this guy's just an asshole. And you're like, all right, well.

Yeah, I'm a bit of a chump. Right. Exactly. You know, knock your teeth out, fat boy. And it's like, what? Oh, my God. Yeah. Okay.

Just leave. Just leave. There's a. But you're better off doing that and feeling like a chump once in a while than living the other way. Right, exactly. Oh, it's always better. You feel better.

You feel better. You're always like the, you know. 100%. So you tell your dad, you're having a little argument that you're going to come out here to L.A. And you're going to pack your little suitcase. I'm talking to one of my customers as an older guy. And he says, Vito, what are you going to do? When your father said, you're going to go out to California and maybe open up a pizza area. So I go, yeah, I'm thinking about going out and doing it.

And he goes, well, did you ever work in a restaurant? I go, no. Did you ever cook for professionally? No. Were you ever a waiter? No. Did you do anything in a food business? No.

He goes, hey, you'll do okay. Then I go, well, why would you say that? He goes, because you got a good personality. You like people. You like people. You like talking to people. So you'll figure it out. You'll do okay.

Wow. And I always went with that in my mind. Yeah, yeah. That was like the last person that I talked. talk to. Yeah. And I said, okay, I'll do okay. I'll do okay. And you know, it was hard in the beginning. Oh, of course. You know, and it's like, and I'm in a bad neighborhood. And I got no parking. And I got no air condition. How did you even start? Just found a, just found a space. Yeah. Did it have an oven in it or did you have to bring an oven in? No, I had nothing in.

Nothing. It's like, I think about what I did now. Yeah. First of all, it would be an impossible. today. Right. But I came in with my luggage and my brother said to me, oh, there used to be a pizzeria across the street from what he called the college over there on Vermont. He goes, why don't you look at one of those empty spaces that have been closed for years? Yeah. Not knowing that they're closed for years for a reason. Right. You know? Yeah. So it was like a Chinese food there before that. Uh-huh. So I literally still have my luggage in my hand. I came out of the airport, went straight there. Yeah.

And then I said, you know, nobody's answer this phone number. Uh-huh. So I see like a manager person there, and I said, hi, where's their offices? Oh, they're downtown. They own a bunch of buildings. So I go downtown. I still have my luggage in my hands. I mean, this is immediate.

Yeah. Because I already know I only have so much money. Right. There's no time. Yeah. So he says it was a guy, Mr. Wong. Uh-huh. Right? Like nice suit, big, freaking building.

I was like, oh, man, this guy must be doing great. Yeah. So I said, I want to rent this spot over there. And he goes, okay, can you fill out these applications? Yeah, I did it right there, whatever I had to do. And then he goes, okay, you don't show where you worked. I said, well, I worked for my father my whole life, you know. Right.

He goes, oh, you had one job? And I go, yeah, I worked for my father. Yeah. blah and he says well oh could you write this number so because we have to call because I didn't know what to do yeah you know never done this before

yeah and it's like why and he goes well we need a reference to ask him I say yeah but if you call him he's gonna motherfucker me oh I told the truth yeah yeah he goes well what do you mean I said well I left and he didn't want me to leave and so I'm sure he's not gonna have anything good to say no send him home yeah I just told the truth. It wasn't like to be funny. Right. Yeah. So he says, okay, well, how do I know you're going to do what you say?

And I said, well, I'll put the money into it and get everything going and then we'll sign a lease afterwards. Uh-huh. He goes, how do I know that you're not going to, that I'm not going to beat you? I go, no, I don't think you're going to beat me. Why would you? Right. You know, I'm going to fix up your place. Yeah, yeah. You're going to beg me to stay. Yeah. So I fixed it up and everything. And then he's, he's going to fix it up and everything. And then he's, he's, you know, I'm going to fix it up and everything. And then he started putting some money in to help the building out. Uh-huh. And then, uh, and then I signed the lease like, you know, I don't know, a year later or whatever, you know. So wait, but what's the space? The space is just an empty Chinese restaurant. Yeah, it was a Chinese. So you've got, you've got some equipment in there.

You've got- I call, I call the health inspector. Uh-huh. They're like, oh, you can't open this place up. Uh-huh. And I go, what do you mean? It was there before. Yeah. It's like, no, this is not passable and da-da-da-da-da-da. And then I forgot what happened. Like, I met this Italian contractor, Vince. He's out of his fucking mind. Yeah. You know, like on these little guys, it's all fucking wiry, you know?

Yeah. And then he goes, I've got to call this guy Patrick Ponzirello and he'll help you out and, you know, he'll tell you. And he goes, yeah, we couldn't open it, but we have to put a drain here and do this and do that. So as we're going to open, I said to him, uh, you know, I'm, I'm, you know, I'm, running out of money. Uh-huh. You know, it's like, you know, I don't have enough money. So I said, Vince, I ran out of money.

And I remember I owed him like 15 grand. Yeah. And then I said, I have no more money. Is there anybody I can ask? I go, no. Who the hell am I going to ask? I don't know anybody has money. So he goes, it's okay.

You got a kind face. Not making me sign a paper, nothing. Wow. You single-handedly, you know, opened me up. Wow. Then I went to the tile store to get like a cheap tile. Uh-huh. And it was like,

Why are you doing this? And I said, well, because I don't have money to build a counter. I'm going to put two by fours with some, you know, dollar tile. You know, me and my brother will do it. Yeah. And then he's like, sends over a pallet of tile out of nowhere. I was like, what the hell is this? And then he goes, oh, it's a tile.

And I said, I told you I don't have the money for the tile because he wanted me to put tile behind the oven. Uh-huh. And he goes, no, he just said, pay it when you start making money. Great. And I was like, who the fuck are these things? Yeah. A bunch of angels. Yeah, that's what my brother said.

These are the angels for all the people that you've helped. Amazing. And then the guy who dropped it off said, hey, I'm a carpenter. I could build you a counter. If you could come up with $500 to pay for the wood. Yeah. And then you could own me the rest. And then he built it.

Like one angel after the other. Yeah. Jeez. And then right before I'm ready to open, there was a flood Oh God Like it's something like you know It's a 50 unit building

And it just shorted all the everything else Like by the time I got there it's like Of course yeah water in there Oh my God And burned all the electrical equipment I yeah yeah Walk in the what do you call it The refrigerator's freezer

Yeah And with that electrical short it burns them out Oh my God So I'm sitting over there With my head in my head like literally Yeah. And there is, oh, another guy to help me, another Italian guy, Tommy. I got to laugh.

You know, my grandfather, God rest of his soul, had throat cancer. So they cut out, like, you know, part of his throat. So he was like, you know, now when, you know, he had, like, the patch on there. So you start to learn how to, you know, understand what he's saying, right? Yeah. You know, you're living with him. Yeah. And Tommy, he first of all, he has no teeth.

And he would just be like, right, right, right, right, right, right, and nobody understood what he said.

Then he would say at the end, where I know what I'm talking about. And then he goes, and only that part you would understand. And then you'd say, well, I'm glad I was fucking somebody knows what's the fucking talking about. You know,

my brother would say that. So now I'm starting to understand what he's saying. Yeah, because I'm like paying attention. Uh-huh. This guy helped me out with the equipment what I couldn't afford. Uh-huh. So now it's like I owe him money.

Uh-huh. You know, and this is all like nobody's even signing a paper. Yeah, just trust and handshake. Just trust and handshake. Yeah. Like, for real, too. Yeah. That's like, doesn't exist.

No. So he comes knocking on the door and he goes, Vito, when are you going to open up? I said, Tommy, I can't open up. Uh, everything's not working. and it busted the stone in the oven because it was on high. Oh, God. Yeah. So he looks at everything and he says, Vito, you can't open with this equipment.

You can't even fix it. This is done. So he goes, and you owe me money. So I said, okay, what do you want me to do? Yeah. So next day I'm like literally like my hands like, you know, in my face in my hands going, what am I doing? It's over.

Yeah. Yeah, it's over. Exactly. Before it starts. And then I'm going, literally going, God, what did I do? That was so bad. Yeah. I mean, Jesus Christ, I didn't buy a drink for a girl.

What the hell was the day? Like I said, what did I do? That was, I really questioning. Yeah. Did I left my father? What was it? Yeah. I'm saying, I don't think I was that bad of a guy.

I'm saying, like literally talking to God. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then, like, I hear like, voices. And I'm like, oh, shit, is God answering me? I'm a little scared about. And then it's like, don't, ah, yeah, and then I go, oh, shit, people are at the door.

So it was like a gate there, you know, so I opened up the gate and there was like, there was like a rehab that used to be around the corner. So I thought it was the rehab guys again. And I go, I'm sorry, guys. We're still not open yet. And they're like, no, no, we're from Tommy. And we're going to come and take the equipment. I'm like, fuck, man.

Now it's really over. Yeah. Stripping the place. So I'm just sitting there like, you know, defeated before I even open. Yeah. And then they take everything out. Uh-huh. And I'm watching them take everything out.

And then after they took everything out, it was another guy that I don't understand what the fuck he's saying. He go, here. Oh, no. Oh, whoa. I'm like, the fuck are you saying? Uh-huh. And then he's pointing. So I said, let me go see what he's pointing at.

Then he's saying, do you want the equipment? in the same spot. Oh, man. He sent the whole truck of new equipment. Wow. Just swapped it all out. Oh, I was crying like a freaking baby. Like literally crying.

Yeah. I was like, son of a bitch, man. Man, oh, man. I just finished motherfucking them. You're like, I knew I didn't do anything wrong. I knew I didn't deserve that. This is what I deserve. I was like, I was still going to know that.

It's a little emotional. Yeah, it's big. And then all of the, you know, they put it all into the place. You know, it really is true. Wow. And then I was like, wow, look at all these angels that, yeah, that helped me. Yeah. And then I, you know, little by little, I went bankrupt at first.

Uh-huh. And after I went bankrupt, I went bankrupt because, like, the food vendor was like, they charged you, like, like, the interest on the money. Yeah. So meanwhile, I'm like, oh, how much, oh, I paid back to $3,000. Yeah. That I owed you. Right. Like this is like a year later.

Yeah. They're like, oh, here, you owe us like $29,000. Yeah. From what? Right. And they're like, oh, yeah, that's the interest like compounded in jail. I'm like, are you on fucking crap? Right.

Like I didn't even understand. Like I don't understand these kind of thing. No, yeah. You never did it before. Yeah, I never did it before. So let me ask you this. The thing that you do understand at that time, are you making great pizza right off the bat? No.

No. No. No. I'm making good pizza, but there was like this little Mexican kid that came in and he said to me, I used to work for the guy that used to be here years ago. He wasn't little then, but as a kid. And he goes, his pizza was better than yours. I'm like, ah, what the fuck do you now?

This is Italian food. This is what I'm saying. Right. Because I said, this is good. He goes, it's good. But it's not as good as Giovanni was the guy's name. I said, okay. Whatever.

This guy's fucking doesn't know. what he's talking about. But I kept on you know, like, couldn't get the dough right, you know what I mean? So little by little, it's like, like two years would pass and he goes, oh man, now you got it. Now it's like Giovanni's.

Really? And then like another couple of years passed because I was always constantly testing, still to today. Yeah, yeah. And then he goes, now you beat Giovanni's. It's like, wow, and this kid's measure was like what I went by. And he was right. He was right.

And you knew it. You knew it when you were, you didn't have the, you didn't have the dough nailed. No. I know I didn't have it nailed. Yeah. And the thing is it's like, I'll go head to head with anybody back east. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. It's like the last time I went back east, I'm like, this isn't better in mind. Joe's in New York. This isn't better. I think, Blaker Street, this isn't better in mine. Yeah, yeah. I mean, certain people like different toppings or whatever it is. Sure.

But like, you know, for a New York pie, I don't give a fuck. who it is. When you were struggling to figure out to perfect it, when we did the Food Network show, we had a funny bit where you had your sourdose starter in your jug and we took it for a walk. That's true. It's not a bit. Yeah, no, but I mean, like, we shot it

and we walked around the neighborhood with the starter, so the yeast from this area could feed it and stuff. Are you making it from that starter at that time? Yeah, I always know, when I was on Vermont, that's like 20 years ago. I was, I

opened the 96 down there. Right. I didn't start that until my aunts came and brought it over. Okay. And then I started to like, you know, talk to my sister and see and put it together with the yeast that's here and figure out what's stronger, what's weaker. Because it's not as consistent as yeast that you buy. Right.

No, exactly. And then I, you know, and things were by accident too. Yeah. You know, that it's like, oh, fuck. Look what happened here. I thought this was moldy and I take off the mold and here's a chunk of fucking great ease. Right. And then the girl's like, you can't use that.

And I'm like, what are you talking about? Like, you're like the best cheeses are all full of mold and, you know. Yeah. They don't get it. Right, right. Like if you looked at it today, you talk to like, let's say the health inspector. It's like, you know, why can't I have this pizza that I get and put it back in the oven? Right.

You know, the cheese company had a fight to get them to put it in a display case, not at 175 degrees, I think they wanted because it tries it out. Right, right. So the cheese company fought it. And they said, okay, take a, every four hours you've got to change it. Which gets changed before that anyway. Right. People are buying it out.

Yeah, they're buying it. Or put it this way, I'm worse than the health inspector comes when it's changing. Right. If it doesn't look right to me, throw it out. You're talking about the pizza that's in the case, just when you walk in and you're like selecting what you want, right? Exactly. Right.

How interesting. But the thing is, when you have a good pie, it's like, I got a pie that I'll, I won't even put it in a refrigerator if I take a pie home. Uh-huh. And then if I put it in the coaster oven, yeah. Right. It's like two days later, three days later, four days later. It's not going to go bad.

Really? Four days later? Yeah. People like think like, oh, my God, you're going to die. Right. it's like are you fucking kidding me or like here's a brisuto it's like we had a burjuto hanging for a fucking year and all of a sudden if you're on a refrigerator you're gonna die like why do you think it's fucking salt and meats for you fucking moron so it does fucking last right for years like refrigerator isn't old yeah it's not that old

right now it's like what a hundred years old whatever it is right but yo you mean the invention of the refrigerator and the freezer yeah it's new people was yeah Did you see that? I love all of that. The guy wanted to, he had like a fish that he caught in Alaska. Right. And when he went to go put it in a pan, because it was outside, it froze. Right.

It started to flop because it was still alive. Oh, my God. And so he said, holy shit. You know, if you freeze something, it stays fresh. Right. And then he started that, you know, know, frozen foods, and he had to invent the freezer. Jeez.

Yeah. For his concept that, right. Like, wow. But before that, there was no, people were just salting stuff. Right. Right. Exactly. Yeah, like the, you know, codfish.

Yeah. You know, you had the confish. It was heavily salted. Right. Super salted. So when you, when you. You know, the baccala and all of that stuff. Yeah.

That's all codfish that's salted. Right, right. So when you get, when your Mexican friend gives you the thumbs up, and says that you've done it. You've surpassed Giovanni. Yeah. And I said... Is the place catching on?

Oh, yeah. By that time, the place is catching on. But it was always his fucking God. Yeah, but he knew. Like, now he's a man. He worked there as a kid. Uh-huh.

Now he's a man and he's a manager in a building. And he was really nice about it. It wasn't like he was being in an asshole. No. Thank God. Yeah. That's what I said. Yeah.

Thank God. He was honest. He was one of my inspirations of like saying, man, I got to fucking make this better Giovanni. Yeah. You know. The bastard Giovanni. I never even met him.

That's son of a bitch Giovanni. You know. And then it winds up, he's like, this is better than Giovanni. I was like, thank God. He goes, man, you really got it good. And what are you doing? Yeah, I'm going to go fucking tell you. Right.

You know. No, one thing I always, I always think about when we first met and I said to you, a lot of people complain with bagels and pizza. everyone says it's the water it's the water and you're like it's not the water no it's that they it's it's that these people don't know what they're doing yeah they don't it's got more to do with humidity and then then the water itself yeah well this is why i said they're getting caught like lying like i'm importing the water or hey we got this filter that now it's like fucking new york and it's like just shut the fuck out like you fucking just make a good bail and you know

and like i said but the other thing that people don't realize is this. When we would get those bagels that were fresh and hot, yeah. Obviously, it's going to taste better. But you're in a concentrated area that, you know, 100 people are getting a bagel at the same time or a bagel. Right.

So it's like you're literally sitting to the side saying, oh, when does the sesame is going to come out? Right. You know, okay, in about 20 minutes, okay, fine. So you're getting them really, really fresh. Sure. So, you know, now you want to go to a, you know, a Jewish deli and that, you know, that bagel might have been made eight hours ago. Yeah.

You know, it's not going to taste like it came straight out. I'm sure if you came straight out, it would be better. Sure. Yeah. But, you know, I would take a six-hour bagel from H&H in New York. Yeah. And it would still devastate the bagels that you get out. You know what I mean?

But you're right about the water because I made bagels at home. and with my starter and it was the best bagel I had had in L.A. Wow. And I like that. And I'm not consistent. It's difficult. But right off the bat, I was like,

oh, he's right. This is about process. This is about the starter. This is about kind of figuring out what you're doing. This isn't about, this mystique of, oh, you need the things from New York.

But I also had to learn about like air and airflow from outside. And what's the temperature? What's the temperature of the flower? Right. It was the temperature of the water. What is the, you know, all of these things. The temperature of the flour?

Yeah, because, you know, you're in a pizzeria that's hot. Right. So I was like, why is this not working now? Why is this falling apart? And then it's like, oh, well, because there's no air condition. It's 100 fucking 20 degrees in here. Right. So I had to learn all of that.

Yeah, yeah. Oh, let me store it in a different place. Let me go do this. I took over the place next door. It wasn't, you know, all these things. Right. That completely changes, right. Yeah. So when you were.

open in a different location. It's a whole other environment. It's a whole other environment. Yeah. And even by the day. Right. So if you teach somebody, like, let's say there is a good pizza man today that opens up and he has a good pie.

Right. Now you're teaching somebody else how to do it once. Right. Like, this is the way to do it. Uh-huh. I might need to put extra water. This yeast might not be as strong, so I've got to put a little more or I got to put a little less.

Right. They're not teaching them that. No. And the same with the tomato. I have to taste the tomatoes and see, does it need more salt or less? Yeah, but you're talking about something you have to learn basically over 20 years. Oh, yeah. I mean, if you learn at all.

Yeah. There's no, yeah, there's no. I mean, you can give them like kind of the roadmap, but then it's going to be just purely. Yeah, because I'll get pizza guys coming in and it's like, no, I don't want it this. I've been making pizza for 20 years. Right. Yeah, we're making it fucking wrong for 20 years. Okay.

So that doesn't apply either. you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. So it's just what you said. What elements, I mean, your pizza is insanely good. I have a neighbor who I turned,

like literally, I'm like your spokesman. I just wander around town. I believe you. And just mutter veto, vetoes, vetoes. Yeah, but then it makes you look good. It totally makes me look. Oh, it's like,

oh, this motherfucker is talking about. Oh, and they all think, well, Tom knows. He's from New York. He knows what he's doing. But my neighbor, who was over last night, He just, I said, I'm going to, I'm going to see Vito tomorrow. He goes, oh, the meatballs, the meatballs.

I mean, it's not, it's. And it's a sauce too. It's every aspect of what you had in your base in your cellar there in Elizabeth. Yes. You're cranking out here. Exactly. Because, like, you know, it's the same thing with the meatballs. Yeah.

You know, you have a big family. You know, chop meat is fucking 20 cents a pound back then. It's like, you're rolling fucking meatballs. Yeah. You know? And like I said, it was a game. It was great. great and it was fun.

Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, if I didn't have to do so many, it would still be fun. Yeah, right, of course. And sometimes it is. Like, Jay Leno's like meatballs. I'm like, I'll make these. All right.

You know, and then we're making the meatballs and I bring it over to him. You know, it's a funny thing. That's great. I was talking about Jay Leno, how he put me on the air. Uh-huh. And I'm talking, this is about maybe three or four months ago. Uh-huh. And I'm saying, no, then we were together, and I was with John Travolta was there, and Sal Pacino, Al Pacino's father.

And we were all together. And they were like saying, come on, put them on the air. Because, you know, his father. Where were you with all these guys? On the set of Jay Leno. Oh, on the set, right. And because we were hanging out, because we're all eating. Yeah, yeah.

Food. Yeah. And all Italian. Yeah. And that's what they were saying. We're all Italian. Come on. Yeah.

on. And then he says, his family came from Marvellino also. So they wind up putting me on, like in the audience, and then he did this thing. And mad, I mean, it was

like, it was funny. He's like, hey, thanks for, mind you, I'm like this. I take up my apron to sit in the audience. And he's like, hey, are you from Jersey too? You know, it was like a jersey kind of joke. Yeah, yeah. Thanks for we're on a clean t-shirt and oh oh you know it was just he and then are you a pizza man let me try to guess your name is it

tony is it feet oh you know so he gave me like really a good yeah yeah yeah so i'm telling the story because somebody's asking me this in the local pavilions uh-huh and then i go yeah and then he puts me i didn't tell that whole long story but i said yeah he puts me on the air that's the god's honest truth and i turn around and j lennox there right behind me me. And I'm like, oh, fucking Jay. I'm like, like, like, like that, you know. And then he goes, I could voucher that story. That's great.

And I was like, oh, you say? Like, you said like, I was like shocked. I was like fucking shocked. I had to told that story 10 years. So weird. And fucking Jay Leno's behind me. And he goes, I could voucher that story. The angels are still popping up.

They still are. Yeah. When you make, when you are in the grind and you're cranking out all this, are there are there moments where, I mean, there's two aspects of it. One is the history of your family being in there where there's going to be like these common things that pop up. And two is that it's kind of an unknowable thing. Like you're saying like it changes temperature wise day. Like you can fail. You could ruin.

This could be a really bad day. That's got to keep you engaged. Well, bad day as far as food as far as people. Or food. Food. No, let's keep the people out of it. Well, food-wise, it's like either it's great or it's better than everybody else. No, I mean, I don't, I don't, I'm not saying it's shitty.

That's the worst. I'm not saying, I'm not saying it shitty, but there's got to be a day where all of a sudden you're behind or you're challenged. Oh, like, hi, like the freaking dome machine isn't working and we got to buy an. Yeah. Right, exactly. Like, hello. Rising. Right, exactly.

Like, I had a, this is. now but a few years ago one of the guys that works for like I'm doing the dough and I have to roll it by hand. Right. So what I like to do here is I like to start it with the dough machine

and then roll it by hand because it comes out better. Right. You know, it's a little bit of work but yeah. You know, I enjoy it and it makes it tastes better instead of letting it go completely through. But to start it, without doing it, it's hard.

Yeah. So now, mind you, you're making hundreds of pounds of it. It's not like, hey, I got a five pound bad. Yeah, yeah. So now my dome machine breaks, oh, it's not going to come in the park for fucking six days, this, that, and the other one. Now, I used to be near, um, goddamn. It was called the fault line. It was like a, a gay, like, leather bar.

Uh-huh. Like, so a bunch of, like, toughest motherfuckers you ever saw him up in. Right. Right. So I was like, oh man, this is hard. I got to do like 300 pounds. I'm not going to do this all about me. And you don't forget, you got your job to do also.

Yeah, yeah. So I'm rolling and doing everything next door and I see these big guys come in, four of them. I go, hey, they go, hey, Vito, how you doing? You know, blah, blah. They know who I am. I go, look, guys, I need some frigging help. What do you need to do? I could start the dough for you because it's harder, but then I need you guys to roll it.

you know like you know once it gets going right you know to you know because i got to make sure it's mixed yeah yeah yeah so they go okay vito we'll help you out i said look you've got dinner on me for a week wash your hands let's get to it so we go next door and it's four of these guys right now as they're starting to go mind you it's hot there's no air condition they're like fuck this is hard you know and they're bodybuilders yeah really right so they're doing it right? And then it's like, okay, now I'm starting to hear the next one. No, no, it's got to be rolled longer.

Another freaking 20 minutes. It's like 21 minutes. Oh my God, we're just going to come over here instead. So as all, there's flour all over because there's a bunch of guys. It's all tables. So now Peter, who is a gay guy that worked for me, he comes in

to get something and he sees now they're taking off their shirt. You know, they got like a giddy tea on. It's He goes, hey, hey, what's going on? You're shooting a porn? Like, yeah, we're fucking shooting a fucking porn. You fucking jerk on. Everyone's all shiny and sexy.

Playing with Joe. And you're there in your apron and your t-shirt. And they're like, and then they always. This is like one of your brother's videos. Well, that's what I'm saying. But the funny thing is that they were like, thank God that they came in. Yeah. Oh, my God.

Yeah. they're like we are not going to the gym this is work so they kept coming back every day they came back until I you know the machine came from Chicago or whatever and I gave them you know I wanted to give them like a month's food

like whatever they wanted yeah yeah but they're always kept on asking I've got one of them still comes here to today oh really and Grace is like damn this guy's huge like fucking huge you know I said that's one of my dough guys like you know you got that

soft spot. The dough boys. Yeah. The dough boys. Real dough boys. Well, see, these are the things that, you know, you don't expect and you have to pull your resources. Right, right. And that I learned from the gas station.

It's like, we've got to push this car in. Right. Hey, come there, Joey. Come over here. Just make it happen. Yeah. It really is such a cool story because it's basically that. It's just instinct and following it along and no plan just going and making it happen and meeting people.

Yeah. And that's like what you say when you look. back when you're older and you look back, it almost seems like an impossible story. Oh, yeah, of course. If you were to like... And there's a thousand of them. Right, right. And it just, there's kind of that thing when I would travel around and see the successful places, you know, not just pizza places, but just a bakery or a restaurant or stuff. It comes from like a real passion and a real love that's like woven into these places. And it's like you say the guy that fell like down, two doors down.

he didn't have it. He didn't have all that love and the history and the roots and all of the... But it's not only that. It's like, oh, I have like the head of Disney's putting up the money and you didn't struggle for the money. Right. You didn't even understand what it is a struggle. Right. But they're also doing it for the wrong reasons.

That's what you. I want to be a movie star. Right. I'm going to use this to get publicity to get to... Exactly. Right, exactly. And you're trying to beat Giovanni. And I'm kind of fucking beat Giovanni.

Seriously. And now that guy comes with his wife and kids here. Right. And it's like I still like, you know, like he's like, God damn it, man, you're getting better and better. And I'm like, oh. Yeah. You know, it's the best. Oh, man.

Yeah. Man. And, you know, and you take pride in what you do. Yeah. You know, I don't like the word pride necessarily. It's just like you want to be the best at what you're doing. Yeah. Like you worked a lifetime to get to.

that point. Yeah. Like, you know, people think I go, no, it took my whole life of saving the money to be able to open the first place up and, you know, it took me freaking 56 years to get here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah. And it shows. Yeah. Right. Exactly. Yeah. I know. I know. We're opening up the bigger place next door. Yeah. So right in the, when will that be open? Hopefully like within two months. Okay. But, you know, right before. Nothing like expanding during a pandemic. Well, that's it. I started it. I got a goodbye. Yeah. The landlord likes me. I like them. Yeah. We started the work. Boom. This happened. Yeah. Yeah. And then the riots happened. Oh, so as the riots were going through, you know, at one time they thought when I wasn't there anymore, like the news people came and they lit candles.

Right. They thought I died because I went up north and I didn't tell anybody to put them pizza at my uncle's place. so they're having like literally on the news what and I was like what the fuck it happened and I see all these candles and yeah because I was gone for a few months so now I saw people putting candles here yeah and people kneeling I said do they think I'm fucking dead again I feel like Aveigoda you know how they always thought he was dead

yeah yeah we have the same birthday that's hilarious Aveigoda I said it's in a fucking February 24th thing I don't know what the fuck is it so Grace is like I don't know what's going on. All these brothers are passing by. And they're stopping here and doing the thing. So I went to go ask the girl. Yeah.

And then she's like, Wade. And I said, oh, they're doing like that. You know, how many minutes? Oh,

oh, oh. And then the girl says, and once she got up, she goes, oh, we have a Black Lives Matter, right?

And above it is my address, which is 8, four, six. Oh, no way. And I was like, oh,

that's your address. I got chills down my spine. Oh, my gosh. You know, I just didn't put it together. Yeah. I was like, that number sounds familiar. Yeah.

And then they go, yeah, 846 is your address. And I'm like, oh, man. And I got a Black Lives Matter underneath it that we put because, you know, in support of process. Sure. And I was like, holy shit. Oh, wow. I was dead again. You know, it's like, fucking weird.

It is weird. You know, what the fuck they always think I'm dead? Well, they're so used to seeing me work seven days a week. Yeah. Right. Exactly. That they come in. Yeah.

If you're not here, yeah, forget it. Did he die? No, of course. You'd be all worried. Oh, man. Well, Vito, we already had one person come to the door looking for food, so we got to wrap this up. As long as they ain't looking for love, kid. Vita, we're going to do this again and again.

It's just, there's two. I mean, look, we just scratched the surface, really. I know. I mean, when we did the Food Network thing, it was fun, and it was all about you showing me how to make the dough and stuff, but I knew there was so much more to the story that I... Like you said, the reason that... Yeah. The reason that you're talking to people like me, because there are a million stories every day.

Yeah, 100%. Every day there's, like, you know, when you see like an episode of like Seinfeld. Yeah. It's like, that's every day. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah.

No. Exactly. Exactly. I'm sorry. I didn't hear the last part of what you said because I just realized I'm going to eat soon. Let's get to the real reason I'm here. Yeah. I'm going to put these things back in and we're going to eat.

Are we done? All right. What did you make for me? I just, I put like, we have like the dough with mozzarella feta, mozzarella cheese and everything in our dough. And we bake it like a calzone, but open. Oh, boy. And we crack an egg inside.

Uh-huh. I did a meatless one and one with me. All right. Let's stop talking. All right. We're done. We're done. Yeah, no, we're totally done.