Tony Gemignani

Early life and career

Gemignani was born in Fremont, California to Frank and Eileen Gemignani. He grew up on his family's apricot farm with his grandfather, parents and older brother, and is a third generation Italian American.

Gemignani graduated from Washington High School in Fremont, after which he began working at his brother Frank Jr.'s restaurant, Pyzano's, in Castro Valley, California, in 1991. Gemignani began his pizza acrobatic career while at Pyzano's as a way to entertain customers and to show the quality of the dough to diners. He competed all over the world, winning 8 world champion titles for pizza acrobatics between 1995-2007, and earning himself the nickname of the "Michael Jordan of Pizza Throwing". Gemignani traveled the world for 16 years, competing, working in others' kitchens, and learning about regional styles which allowed him to learn each style of pizza and perfect it.

In 2000, while on his honeymoon in Sorrento, Italy, he and his wife, Julie, dined at Trianon da Cir in Naples, which motivates him into a lifelong quest to keep learning and striving to become a better pizzaiolo, by paying careful attention to the authentic craft of each style of pizza, respecting its history, while striving to make it better. This attitude birthed his motto, "Respect the Craft", which can be seen on his websites, books, and even tattooed on his hands.

Gemignani formed the World Pizza Champions in 2005, which is made up of over 60 team members who have each earned the highest awards in the pizza industry, along with television appearances, Guinness World Records, and respect as leading professionals and pioneers in the pizza industry.

In 2007, Gemignani took the title of "World Champion Pizza Maker" at the World Pizza Cup in Naples, Italy. Gemignani was the first American and non-Neapolitan to ever take this title. That night he had to be escorted off stage by local police and urged not to cheer for fear of being attacked by the crowd. Gemignani is the first and only Triple Crown winner for baking at the International Pizza Championships in Lecce, Italy, meaning, he won three first place titles in one competition.

Tony's Pizza Napoletana

Gemignani opened his first restaurant, Tony's Pizza Napoletana, in July 2009, with partners Bruno DiFabio and Nancy Puglisi, in San Francisco's North Beach. The restaurant has 7 pizza ovens.

Tony's Pizza Napoletana is recognized as one of the city's best pizzerias. Along with being named "The Best Pizzeria in America" by Forbes magazine, the restaurant has received multiple accolades in a number of publications, both local and national, including Zagat, USA Today, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Huffington Post, Food and Wine, Travel + Leisure, Fox News, and others.

The Original Slicehouse & Coal-Fired Pizza by Tony Gemignani

Opening in 2010, Gemignani took ownership of an adjacent deli. Seeing this as an opportunity to serve more styles of pizzas like classic New York style slices, Sicilian, and California style slices, along with Chicago Beef Sandwiches and other deli favorites, the slicehouse allowed people to enjoy Gemignani's pizza without the infamous wait times seen at his flagship restaurant.

Since the opening in North Beach, Gemignani has expanded his slice house concept to include concessions stalls in AT&T Ballpark, as well as multiple locations in California and Nevada under the name Slice House by Tony Gemignani.

Pizza Rock

In 2011, Gemignani, Hewitt and Karpaty opened Pizza Rock in Sacramento California, with a focus on rock 'n' roll and great pizza. Pizza Rock offers many of the same items as Tony's Pizza Napoletana but features events such as Acoustic Brunch and live DJs performing from a custom Peterbilt truck. Now in Sacramento, California, Las Vegas, and Henderson, Nevada, Pizza Rock has received accolades in a number of publications, including the Sacramento, Eater Las Vegas, The Chew, among others.

Capo's

Gemignani's Chicago-style pizza and whiskey bar, Capo's, opened in November 2012 just two blocks away from Tony's Pizza Napoletana; it was designed to feel like a prohibition era speakeasy. The restaurant invites family style dining, serving four styles of Chicago-style pizza: Deep Dish, Stuffed, Cast Iron Pan, and Cracker Thin; along with Southern Italian dishes. Favorite items include the Quattro Forni, a thick, square cut pizza cooked in four ovens that is a variation on a pizza baked in three ovens that won Gemignani an international championship; The Dillinger and The Crown Point, Cast Iron Pan pizzas, that won the World's Best Pan Pizza and the Best of the Best at the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas in 2014 and 2016, and subsequently earned Chef Matt Molina the title of Pizza Maker of the Year in 2014 and Best of the Best Champion in 2016.

Tony's of North Beach

Opened in 2013 at the Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park, California, Tony's of North Beach offers many styles of pizzas made by Tony Gemignani. The menu offers eight kinds of pizzas made in three different kinds of ovens, family-style pasta dinners, sandwiches, and salads.

International School of Pizza

Gemigani is the first certified Master Instructor in the United States. He opened the International School of Pizza and the United States School of Pizza under the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli. Gemignani and his fellow instructors certify students from around the world, and the certifications come direct from Italy with strict guidelines and theory followed from the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli. Gemignani also offers non-professional home chef courses, designed to teach home cooks how to make restaurant quality pizza in their own kitchens.

Highlighted TV appearances

Books

Gemignani has authored three books:

Titles

Guinness Book of World Records