Giovanni Alonso grew up in Luigi’s Pizza in Park Slope after his parents opened the shop in 1973. Growing up in a pizzeria was like, “owning a candy store,” he says. “When I grew up here, it was $0.30 and a free coke. I never had $0.30 to begin with, but I didn’t have to.”
He got the green light from his father to make his first pie at age 11 and hasn’t stopped since. Now, 52 years later, he’s still behind the counter, making pizzas by hand for loyal customers who span generations.
For Gio, the reward isn’t just in the profits — it’s in the impact he has on those he serves. “When people walk out of here and say, ‘Wow, that was great.’ That makes my day,” he says.