Desousa

Anthony began making pizza after moving from Long Island, NY to Colorado in 2006, purely out of necessity. He had spent 2 years criss-crossing the state in search of authentic pizza- the kind he grew up eating all over Long Island, Manhattan and in Brooklyn. There wasn’t any to be found. Anthony was left with no other option but to figure out how to make it for his family. Tracey, his wife, threatened to return home if some authentic pizza didn’t appear. Then she threatened to throw him out for destroying the kitchen numerous times. Boy did they unleash the hounds when necessity proved the mother of invention for him! In this case, discovering a passion for food, ovens and making things with bare hands – that he previously hadn’t known – sparked an infernal quest for knowledge. This is where ancestry comes into play. All of his grandparents and great grandparents were people who created things with their hands and spawned businesses around their abilities. Literally. Beyond the ability to comprehend and assimilate an idea, he found that creating pizza with one’s hands turned thoughts into magic. Pizza is Anthony’s 3rd career which began at age 40. A long career in marketing starting with Met Life in 1988 culminated in one of the first internet marketing firms specializing in the insurance industry. But that’s a story for another time. Once he embarked on the journey to understand all things pizza, the road paved by others before him opened up and slowly shared its secrets. 

Building principled teams through leadership and examples is Anthony’s specialty. Throughout elementary, junior high school and high school, Anthony was both a quarterback and a pitcher. Learning how to lead and make tough decisions during these formative years was such a blessing- one that he believes set him up for success.  Unfortunately, his family couldn’t afford to pay the balance of his football scholarship to play in Florida, so Anthony didn’t get the opportunity to play college ball, but then this biography might never have come to be. Leadership is an innate ability that must be nurtured and honed. Developing people has been a highpoint of Anthony’s business ownership. Sharing ideas and teaching is what interests him most these days.

 Being considered, then asked to join the most elite team in all of pizza chock full of the most creative minds was a breathtaking moment that validated the steadfast rules by which he operates. What higher honor could there be than being recognized by your mentors? You see, Anthony looked up to the men and women of this team starting in 2015 while attending his first Pizza Expo during his 4th month of running a pizzeria. He admittedly “knew nothing” at that time but by the end of Tony Gemignani’s second day of classes, he had asked the right questions and was rewarded with Tony’s cell phone number.  Anthony had “found his flock”. By 2016, Food Network Magazine had found his place, Antonio’s Real New York Pizza -which is just outside Rocky Mountain National Park and rewarded it as one of only two restaurants in the region to receive a: “Best Restaurants in Rocky Mountain National Park”. It was a 16 seat joint that was half kitchen and half seating- which is to say, tiny. In 2018, he volunteered to assist Tony Gemignani at the NYC Pizza festival in the home of his grandparents, literally- The Bronx. A dear friend of Tony’s needed another hand and he became the oven man for none other than John Arena of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. After returning home to Colorado, Antonio’s Pizza moved to a 6000 square foot restaurant with parking for 90 and 150+ seats. It was soon full every night at dinner and had a waitlist during high season. 

Until being asked to join the World Pizza Champions, building and preserving a dynamic team that stood the test of Covid with a closed dining room was his greatest achievement. It is an honor to stand with men and women of this team who bring all of the greatest human traits to one table.

PIZZERIA AWARDS:

• Best Restaurants in Rocky Mountain National Park – Food Network Magazine

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY:

• Professionally, since 2014

Antonio’s Real NY Pizza
1560 Big Thompson Ave
Estes Park, CO 80517