Video on Don Antonio

[PizzaVera]

At the time the "Naturally Risen" video came out, Mangieri didn't have anything to advertise! As for the notion that Di Fara needs any sort of advertising, video or otherwise...

they advertise themselves.
Vanity, celebrity, media fame, self promotion. etc.

[cornicione54]

they advertise themselves.
Vanity, celebrity, media fame, self promotion. etc.

It's not advertising because afaik the videos weren't commissioned. Both were projects undertaken by independent film makers as tribute/documentary pieces (both were submitted to NY Food Film Festival in different years).

The Naturally Risen video got released at a time when Mangieri was off mountain-biking, proposing to his (now) wife and other far more important things than "self promotion".

If you want to see where the germ of the idea for the Di Fara documentary came from: http://www.idreamofpizza.com/2010/10/di-fara-documentary.html

The Don Antonio video is different. It's a straightforward promotion of the pizzeria. Nothing sinister there.
FWIW there's a pizza hut advert showing on my browser at the bottom of this very page. Perhaps PH is trying to subvert the pizzamaking.com neapolitan forums in anticipation of a forthcoming "Pizza Margherita DOG"?

Pfft - but don't believe me. I was abducted by Caputo and implanted with disinformation to discredit the Caputo conspiracy theorists. Caputo koolaid, farina mafioso....whatever - have at it!

[Trianon]

It's not advertising because afaik the videos weren't commissioned. Both were projects undertaken by independent film makers as tribute/documentary pieces (both were submitted to NY Food Film Festival in different years).

The Naturally Risen video got released at a time when Mangieri was off mountain-biking, proposing to his (now) wife and other far more important things than "self promotion".

If you want to see where the germ of the idea for the Di Fara documentary came from: http://www.idreamofpizza.com/2010/10/di-fara-documentary.html

The Don Antonio video is different. It's a straightforward promotion of the pizzeria. Nothing sinister there.
FWIW there's a pizza hut advert showing on my browser at the bottom of this very page. Perhaps PH is trying to subvert the pizzamaking.com neapolitan forums in anticipation of a forthcoming "Pizza Margherita DOG"?

Pfft - but don't believe me. I was abducted by Caputo and implanted with disinformation to discredit the Caputo conspiracy theorists. Caputo koolaid, farina mafioso....whatever - have at it!

Ok. I think we are mixing 3 scenario that are so different among themselves.

Di Fara - the old man, is just an hard workers being there forever. He became a real institutions. People looks for him for documentary and such. I'm sure he does not even know what advertising is. He just wants to make pizza.

Mangieri - He may be a bit smarter than many think. Take off to mountain-byke and to propose? Yeaaaaa, right !!!
I actually think Mangieri was smart enough to understand that with new places opening up in NYC he would have closed door within 5-6 months. It would not have been possible for him to be in business working 4 days a week when new and better pizzeria were coming in town and sell pizza at less than half of what he did. On top of that, those other places did not have an attitude as he did.
I think he was smart enough to close doors when he was still successful, cash in from the sale and plan to re-open in a place where Neapolitans did not arrive yet and he could have sold his pie at 23 dollars with no competition around ...

The Caputo Clan - I have nothing against advertisement. Advertising is a huge component in each business. But on the other hand, I  find it to be a completely different thing when you pretend to teach what you believe is the best (someone may call it educational, I call it brain washing) and instead you are doing hidden advertisement.
By the way, I think Caputo makes a great flour ...

[cornicione54]

Mangieri - He may be a bit smarter than many think. Take off to mountain-byke and to propose? Yeaaaaa, right !!!
I actually think Mangieri was smart enough to understand that with new places opening up in NYC he would have closed door within 5-6 months. It would not have been possible for him to be in business working 4 days a week when new and better pizzeria were coming in town and sell pizza at less than half of what he did. On top of that, those other places did not have an attitude as he did.
I think he was smart enough to close doors when he was still successful, cash in from the sale and plan to re-open in a place where Neapolitans did not arrive yet and he could have sold his pie at 23 dollars with no competition around ...

Sheesh I didn't say he shut down the business to go mountain biking! I said that's (one of the things) he did in the time between closing down the NY UPN and opening the SF place.

The Caputo Clan - I have nothing against advertisement. Advertising is a huge component in each business. But on the other hand, I  find it to be a completely different thing when you pretend to teach what you believe is the best (someone may call it educational, I call it brain washing) and instead you are doing hidden advertisement.
By the way, I think Caputo makes a great flour ...

"Teaching what you believe is the best"? Where in the video did Roberto, Antonio or anyone else do or say that?

[Trianon]

"Teaching what you believe is the best"? Where in the video did Roberto, Antonio or anyone else do or say that?
[/quote]

You're right, not much teaching in this video, but I what I'm trying to come across with these comments (and getting accused to be a conspirator) is that there is way and way to advertise.
They do in a sly way.
They are very well known as maestro, teachers and people (especially on this blog) looks at them as examples to follow ...
I don't think I have never seen either Mangieri or Chris Bianco wearing a shirt from a flour or mozzarella company, have you?

On the other hand I never seen the maestri from APN (an anonymous association in Italy, the association very well known in Napoli is VPN) wearing anything different than the same usual branded shirt, pants, hats and aprons.
I'll bet you 100 dollars if you can find me a picture of some one representing APN that does not have always the same logo either on their shirt or on their hats ...

If you or the association you represent wants to get credited as educator, teacher or school you should be product independent otherwise you loose in credibility as teacher and become and advertisement tool.
When I see at APN videos and pictures I look at the marketing dept. of Caputo, I do not look at them as a real association.

On the other hand I can appreciate what VPN does.
They built a list of approved vendors. Yes Caputo is on that list but so they are other flour companies.
I walked in front of their boot at the Las vegas pizza show and they had a huge sign that if I remember correctly said "Neapolitan Pizza has no owners" ... I think they also wanted to distinguish themselves from APN and specific producers.

[ebpizza]

I was there last week. The best I've had outside of Naples

[Trianon]

I was there last week. The best I've had outside of Naples

I guess too much cheese on those pies ...

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2012/04/hot_new_pizzeria_don_antonio_shuttered_by_doh.php

[thezaman]

 the NY doh are a bunch of a-holes they make it very hard to run a restaurant in that city. they just opened in a spot that was some type of deli in its past life. have you ever seen the buildings in the city?these restaurants have their hands full because of the age. they should have given them time to get it together before shuttering the joint.it is going to be hard to get customers back. especially since they are a new business.Neapolitan pizzerias keep ingredients such as sauce at room temperature so the quick cook time will bake all of the way thru. if you document the amount of time it has been out,under two hours it is safe.in NY you may have to seek legal action to prove your rotation methods which cost big bucks.

[Trianon]

the NY doh are a bunch of a-holes they make it very hard to run a restaurant in that city. they just opened in a spot that was some type of deli in its past life. have you ever seen the buildings in the city?these restaurants have their hands full because of the age. they should have given them time to get it together before shuttering the joint.it is going to be hard to get customers back. especially since they are a new business.Neapolitan pizzerias keep ingredients such as sauce at room temperature so the quick cook time will bake all of the way thru. if you document the amount of time it has been out,under two hours it is safe.in NY you may have to seek legal action to prove your rotation methods which cost big bucks.

It's a known fact that NYC DOH inspectors are not that nice, but it is also very rare that they shut down a place.
They are usually happy to collect money from the restaurant.

 it's just weird that a brain new place (with all the money they seem to have spent in it) has already vermin or mice infestation ...

[thezaman]

 check on some of the NY restaurants you may be familiar with    http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/rii/index.shtml 

[Trianon]

check on some of the NY restaurants you may be familiar with    http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/rii/index.shtml  

They may have bad grades (which it means money money and money for the city of NY) but no respectable restaurant got ever shut down at least to my memory

[Jordan]

I wrote a review for Don Antonio in the last post of my topic. Check it http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,17003.180.html