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Frankie how many two or three two -
Jimmy - that's good I
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gotta walk like God revolta men
gotta walk long come on
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New York is the birthplace of peace in
America as most people know
with over 2,000 feet URI is there's wood
coal gas-fired pies slices and squares
and the Apollo 10 and more Pizza culture
here is so strong you can even take a
tour to learn about the history of the
seemingly basic viewer Scott Weiner who
runs his own pizzeria tour company is
the most knowledgeable person in this
field by far false alarm this is not the
first feeds that this is the test leave
it
so many people come to New York to eat
pizza and there's so many stories about
where all these great pizzerias came
from help us break this down when people
come to New York they totally understand
that the city has a special relationship
with pizza there's a deeper story that I
know when I first found out that there
was such a thing as like a place that
calls itself the first pizzeria in
America my mind was blown I was like
great there's history yeah how is that
documented how cool is that that this
food has a history
the story is pretty similar for all
these places like people had ovens where
they were being used for bread bakers
are baking pizza at the beginning of the
day as just a means of doing a couple of
different dirty jobs with the oven and
they're also using that dough to get rid
of leftover scrap ingredients and then
suddenly you have this product which
happened in April is that happen in
Italy it's just pizza with scrap
what I think a lot of people that are
really into New York Pizza culture sort
of understand and that is that
Lombardi's is the first pizzeria in
America and then there's sort of this
New York Pizza family tree that branches
off from Lombardi's and is responsible
for some of the greatest pizzerias in
New York is that true maybe okay here's
okay here's the most accurate way I can
explain the entire family tree okay
Lombardi's opens in 1905 1905 is when
they received the first mercantile
license to run a pizzeria which is not a
license that I can find or has really
ever existed and then totonno's opens up
in 1924 and totonno's
seems to have as much a claim to New
York Pizza supremacy historically has
Lombardi's right now there's some
controversy because some people say that
oh well he was the pizza maker and
Lombardi we also don't know maybe there
was another place that opened and then
closed and nobody got a picture of the
answer that my question is kind of
confusing there are so many people that
have claimed to work at Lombardi's
without actual concrete evidence here's
the most likely story Lombardi's was the
first licensed Petri in America where
Gennaro Lombardi and Anthony Parra
worked parallel then branched off and
opened a toe nose in 1924 in 1929 John
Sasso who may or may not have heard
Tilton Bardis opens John's the story
gets even more confusing when passes and
Harlem's comes into the picture Pasquale
epad seal and CRE opens Patsy's in 1933
after also may be working at Lombardi's
his nephew Patsy Grimaldi opens up
Patsy's pizzeria under the Brooklyn
Bridge in 1990 which then four years
later changes his name to her Maltese I
mean yeah
it's a but that stuff doesn't even
really matter what we know is
Lombardi's was the first documented
pizzeria in New York City in 1905
Gennaro Lombardi started serving pizza
to local factory workers out of his
grocery store in Spring Street due to
his popularity the store quickly evolved
into a full-fledged pizzeria and
continued turning out cold five pizzas
til the mid 80s when closed luckily
Gennaro Lombardi the third and John
Bradshaw his childhood friend reopened
this iconic restaurant in 1994
Gennaro Lombardi is responsible for
bringing pizza as we know it here
tamerica and he got a lot of the
pizzeria started because he he had them
working here so you remember Gennaro you
remember the yes and my father used to
lead me here when I was six seven years
old and I would bother him throw dough
balls at him with with his grandson and
that's who opened this place when we
reopened him in the grandson I'm the
worker that's how far back I go with
pizzas and that's how I use no-good
pizza
it sounds like Gennaro was a champion of
the neighbor he was and this was all
Italian people live in via Soho was
we're old factories wah so a lot of guys
would stop there in the morning cuz if
the bodies was open 22 hours a day back
then Wow they would stop on their way to
work get a pie wrapped in brown paper
and string and then reheat it in the
oven that kept the place warm at work
and they had their lunch get out of here
one of the things that the finds
embodies is the coal oven what is so
special about a Coal Fired pizza let's
take cold versus wood with a
wood-burning oven it goes up real high
and as the wood burns away the fire goes
down with cold it burns more steady so
you got a constant Heat of good pizza
has to have high heat because the inside
will be light and airy with all the
nooks and crannies the toppings they'll
cook in two minutes every be juicy
that's the key to a great pot as a key
to a great pizza can I invite you to eat
some pizza here come on in
this is great
enjoy your slice of history I will
that's exactly what you said you could
tell that it's cooked fast the bottom of
it is I'm crispy but yet the top is
still moist and you can definitely taste
that it's from a coal oven and not a
whit other definitely quality always
shows right always shows eye whether
it's in the person or in food I'm around
pizza every day I love it okay I love
eating
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it's nice out here I remember like
listen I came out here you had like
dodge broken glass everywhere in the
beach here we are on Coney Island on a
scorching hot day
it's beautiful we're all sweating and
when you're in Coney Island that you
think of the beach you think of hot dogs
hmm
wonder happiness but when you are in
Coney Island and you are talking about
pizza you think it's a toe nose not only
is it one of the country's best
pizzerias but it's a big part of the New
York story of pizza
the totals haven't changed a bit since
1924 and that's thanks to Anthony perros
family who's carrying on the tradition
Antoinette and cookie fellas
granddaughters have dedicated their
lives to the business the minute I
walked in I was greeted by Antoinette
immediately invited to a birthday party
for their longtime friend Victor
tiger who also goes by Tiger and offered
a slice of cake this is truly the
definition of a family business look
what I'm doing
Victor year-old Victor
can we borrow you to say happy birthday
we'd like oh you're kidding today
[Applause]
the only thing that's consistent here is
the pizza
happy birthday baby Thomas
there's people coming in the door we got
Victor's birthday going on right now we
have another little girl's birthday
there's Peters flowing out of the oven
and there's a pizza waiting for me this
looks amazing
now do you want anything on it like
cheese extra cheese or I'm gonna do it
just like this just like this here I
want you to eat it when it's hot
delicious the pizza is delicious ah well
I think you're a kind of sauce so I know
it is it's different it's not the same
it has a different quality like the
dough itself it's like yeah there's a
little bit more consistency to it and
like you could really taste the tomatoes
and the cheese and that like sharpness
is there out another hard cheese on
there besides mozzarella you're asking
the question nothing about here when you
come over there there's no question Oh
would you pass that line all right
where does it feel like to be talked
about in that light as a legend your
grandfather literally was the pizzaiolo
at Lombardi's the first pizzeria on the
books my emotions tell like right now
you mention grandfather and I cry
because it just stirs up feelings that I
can't explain so he was a baker in
Naples Italy and she came over on a boat
I think was the margarita and he worked
for Lombardi and opened his own pizzeria
and then he came here in 1924 and we are
the oldest continuously running family
owns pizzeria in the world's Wow so
we're here in this location 92 years
cookie makes fabulous pizza mommy always
said that women make the best pizza but
she really is passionate this place
could never survive if the weren't for
her she doesn't want any changes and I
have to respect that
this is the infamous cookie the love of
my life did you get my card I sent a
beautiful card she said she's all talked
out that's about it
I moved just so many TV shows and
everything I keep on saying the same
thing all over no I'm sorry
are you like your mother and you like
your father I'm like my father you're
like your father yeah and say what you
say all the time cookie tell us
something different tell us something
that you want to get out there nothing
different I'm telling them nothing great
about different right when you got the
good old classic you stick with that's
it do you have a critique the pizza man
I know Mike has been here making pizza
favo well I'm confident in my canal yeah
yeah at the beginning yes it's hard work
and he's been with you guys for 12 years
yeah yeah
[Applause]
Michael she calls it Michael I love it I
love that oven is beautiful and it looks
like that peel he's been using that same
peel but it is for the same hundred
years this oven right here has been
making pizzas since 1924 the old lady
honestly like until I got comfortable
working with the oven because it's
coal-fired oven
each couple of inches is like a
different temperature just a whole
different feel to it and you have to
basically dance the pie around and
honestly every day I think I'm learning
something even did at this stage of the
game you know
I think your sister and you were able to
carry it on the same level that your
father and your grandfather Rainey that
is to me it's like a take every but
every father's dream come true you know
we just keep this going because this is
our passion and just like the constant
roller coaster and it's a constant
fantasy lands that I just love being
from Coney Island baby so we are the to
Coney Island baby Michael did I give you
kick
the West Village has so many great
pizzeria when I was in the neighborhood
I decided to call my boy mark to try
someone with me you're hungry yes I
didn't eat all day ready some feet Sonny
let's go
good hey you been fantastic yeah the
first stop is John's on Bleecker Street
which is known for its coal fire pot
and what was the last time you were in
this neighborhood eatin pizza before I'd
open my pizzeria I think the last time I
was here it was probably five names on
the wall
and I've been dying to come back here so
what do you is like the classic New York
Pizza where's that I mean going back I
mean if you go back to the beginning of
time you know my body's this place se10
season halt your classic call other part
and then you know that transitioned into
the guest of a pipe Jose the ferret is
play Street and now we have all the
newcomers are the Neapolitan style hey
hey how the Neapolitan you're getting
way too of the Italians right so you're
right
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good wait hold a finished smells good
what do you look for when you grab a
slice of pizza oh the stretch of the
cheese and like you know like
fat right
there's a diamond on the bottom yeah
really good I'm just simplicity of it
she's in Tomatoes yeah you know I mean
that's what you get on this block right
you just get pizza you get simple Pete's
I like plus it was amazing cross is
really good like you know what was your
spot in that and you I would have to say
Nino's of our traditional slice now
which Jose Jose is the quintessential
New Yorker
Grady took the words right out of my
mouth and you know what I love about
Jose brings me back to my childhood
that was Greek I was good man off the
Jose let's do it
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what do you want to do a mock couple
sizes
two choices
so you put red pepper on your size on my
slices red pepper black pepper on the
coal oven black hop on the poll of you
this guy's a real let me tell you and
then you don't use a fork or a knife do
the polls y'all New York see how it
stands up I
love this is every time he said the
quintessential New York slice
you know what we bothered me was a
napkin move
nobody take when yet when you take ya
oil for the oil and if you and you put
the nap you're on top no no no I know
another oh it's the one you're talking
about did you thumbing in there and then
this way so that'll stop the oil of the
way along the white t-shirt oh this let
me see that thing that's nice swag you
guys
so they don't want to ruin out you never
did that one I never did that I'm not a
gentleman like you walk and then it cut
look cell catches all perfect what about
the stance you don't notice pants what's
his dancer you stand with your feet to
the side and you make sure the pizzas
and drip on your sneakers
hey it's risky but you'll see if you
know the rule we know don't have to
worry
don't you see no oil on my sneakers
faxes convey
this is like a New York drive-through
I
like a virulent high when it comes out
of the oven fresh out of the oven when
they reheat it that's where you get that
crisp it makes it nice and crispy
sometimes the guy is like we'll heat it
up too much right sometimes you guys
won't heat it up enough then you get
them you burn the skin off the roof your
my house but these do you specify when
you order your slice like not too hot
not too hot that's why I don't like it
hot
yeah it was like it's like
the next day I can't eat at work hole in
my mouth
yeah we all the famous print sheet
always a long while Prince Street looks
like it's been here forever it actually
opened in 2012 the space used to be home
to the original Ray's Pizza one of many
rays of New York Prince Street has a
good slice of what you really want here
is a square to square that Baroni says
that what you called a spicy punch it in
all right so heat widows how's it going
good good doing good doing good
we're here for the square slice the
spicy spring
what else that's a best seller right
thank you so much for nice guys
we'll be back
this is new yeah you just set up
wherever I knew you okay you make it
work you set up shop and make it work
the pepperonis in front of ya I brought
it looks settled do your bacon
the Sicilian always takes a backseat to
the slice and if you ask me it's like
the unsung hero a pizza I think people
like to cause a little bit thicker than
scared of it but when you actually eat
it there's so many different textures
it's so good there's nothing like hot
pizza in New York on a hot summer night
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for someone that's never been to like a
New York style slice please is very much
a ritual for it when you walk through
the door the first thing that you
usually see is a big case full of pizzas
a couple different pies you'll see a
pizza man in the back making pieces
maybe flipping them in the air
the readers on 5th tab is quintessential
slice when you walk into it it's
basically a place that's stuck in time
Gio the owner has a lot of pride for his
family for his culture he knows
everyone's name he knows everyone's
order his sister's work with him when
you're a regular at a family please it
feels like you're part of the family in
1973 Luigi lines are open Luigi's with
his wife Theodora today Luigi's children
Gio Lisa and Marissa work hard to honor
their parents legacy by keeping their
traditions at the pizza real life and
now I see the photo album and I'm like
perfect yeah you've seen this one I
always put this in because you know what
without these two people it wouldn't be
here I wouldn't be here wouldn't have
anything to talk about it just my whole
life because two people came here just
saying we can make it in America
otherwise I would have been I would have
been skinny probably ha ha my mother
came here first she started working in a
sweatshop she was making 43 cents an
hour with 19 dollars a week it just
shows you how as much as everybody
thinks those were the bad times they
were actually the great times because if
for years my mother bought a house my
father was working in Italy he had a
mule so he was somebody that was like
the Cadillac of today he had a mule
and these are the pictures I have of my
mother going to Italy marrying him
bringing him here and then he would he
worked in the sweatshop also and he
didn't like it so he went to work in a
pizzeria stay saved everything and then
they bought this building
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here's my sister now my two sisters yes
we've met before I love the way that
it's just this day in the front and then
it's your other sister in the back
cooking there's nothing better than
being with your family you know and you
guys get along together and is just just
positive yeah of course it's family it
is not a little screaming going on
something's wrong I know that this has
always been like this were you ever
tempted to go in the direction that
other pizzerias women like you know the
weird pies are this and I'm not gonna
stay away from what I was brought up
with that was it it's what's worked it's
what I was taught make it the best I can
make it and the people who shine right
through and say it's good
how many pizzas you think you made here
this board is the first board we started
with at the number of pies this board
had over a million pies easily and if
you notice this is that my father opened
up the store with two boards this was
what it looked like originally
this place to do this for my first
daughter yeah yeah now I don't even have
to look it's just happy I know where
it's gonna go they
always take my father get the sauce off
from in the middle no holes in the
middle and why is that because it's
heavy it'll stick when the crust puffs
up everything kind of moves to the
center right yeah exactly how old do you
when you meet your first pizza I was 11
when I started making pies my first pie
for a customer I'll never forget I look
back into the kitchen I said to my
father bah bah no beets I was 13 he said
you make it it was only a regular pie so
it's a 16-inch yeah so he made me make
my first one
I'll go ahead and I'll make my pizza and
then you maybe you can give me some tips
basically I'm just trying not to touch
the crosses that y'all know you can try
you do it hurry up stay out of the
middle
I'll push too hard right yeah don't push
hard
all right beautiful so walk right over
top tack top done
I
don't think this is gonna be as round in
Gio's mine are never wrong better try
when you don't I why would they never
come in round hi Frank you know what
we're gonna do now you can eat one of my
slices I'm gonna have one your slice
all right let's see how I am at stuff I
think I know which one's mine no
okay that's for you Frank all right well
gonna go over French pie oh no this is
gonna be good I already know when it's
listen I could walk it to the Petri and
look and see what you did and you get
half a hundred percent
perfect
your pizzas so good
so easy to chew it's just like when it
comes to ratio is that the most
important thing for you on the pizza
it's the weight you know when I say it's
in the hands my hands do it I just know
okay I reached my limit it's like
breathing I'm how much into you inhale
you don't even it's just I do it that's
it I
don't know that I've interviewed anyone
that's probably made as many pizzas as
you I have no idea how those has made
probably a million pies on their own
easily easy and it's just I just love
what I do it's do you know it doesn't
even feel like I made one when you do
something that you like so much it's not
a job people don't understand that it's
not work for me I come here to hang out
you're never bored here take a dream
come true that's it this you're making
it's your show that's it this is my show
it's done it's made the people are happy
priceless totally priceless
what you're busy
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you do good work you busy that's it
well learning is a staple in Bensonhurst
underneath the train do people like come
here and ask you do you know what's
funny I had this young boy he came in he
might have been like 15 years old he
dressed up as Tony Manero for Halloween
and he's like can you please open the
window so he give me a double deck I'm
like cousins kid no worry what a double
deck is it is hysterical