Tony Gemignani has had a passion for the pizza industry since 1991. His humble beginnings began at his brother’s acclaimed Pyzano’s Pizzeria in Castro Valley, California. Fresh out of high school, Gemignani took on the task of a pizza thrower and soon began entertaining the restaurant crowds with his wily tricks. A few years later, he entered into his first pizza throwing competition in Las Vegas and quickly became the top pizza thrower in the world.

Since his days at his brother’s pizzeria, Gemignani has received a number of accolades for his impressive pizza making and throwing skills. He is president of the World Pizza Champions and the first and only Triple Crown winner for baking at the International Pizza Championships in Lecce, Italy. Perhaps his most prestigious title to date is 2007 World Champion Pizza Maker at the World Pizza Cup in Naples, Italy. Gemignani received his Master credentials from the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli and is the proprietor of the International School of Pizza, where he certifies chefs from around the world. He was named the official U.S. Ambassador of Neapolitan Pizza by the city of Naples, a prestigious title only given to three people in the world. In 2011 and 2012, he won two world titles in cooking, making him a 12-time world champion.

To share his talent and passion with aspiring connoisseurs, Gemignani collaborated with acclaimed cookbook writer Diane Morgan on his first cookbook PIZZA, which was showcased on “Emeril Live” and “The Rachael Ray Show.” In 2014, he released The Pizza Bible, a definitive book on pizza. Gemignani was also inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records twice for creating the largest pizza.