CBH Talk | Uncrusted! A David and Goliath Story of Patents, Pizza, and the Invention of Stuffed Crusts

Wed, Oct 16 2024
6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Center for Brooklyn History

BPL Presents Center for Brooklyn History conversations


What better way to pay tribute to October's Pizza Month than by spending an evening with Anthony “The Big Cheese” Mongiello, whose David and Goliath fight with Pizza Hut over who owns the idea for Stuffed Crust Pizza played out three decades ago, and continues to be an illustrious Brooklyn story today.

Led in conversation by pizza expert Scott Wiener, Anthony tells of his Bensonhurst upbringing, his family’s mozzarella business, his 1987 patent for stuffed pizza crust (which he invented at the age of 18), and his shock eight years later when Pizza Hut announced its newest innovation – Stuffed Crust Pizza!

Rolled out in a $45 million dollar star-studded advertising campaign featuring Ringo Starr, John McEnroe, and Donald Trump, Stuffed Crust Pizza added $300 million to Pizza Hut’s sales in a single year, but Mongiello never got a single slice of the financial pie.

Join us for a tale of Brooklyn hutzpah, family pride, legal drama and, of course, cheese. 

Introduced by CBH's Laura Michael, who shares highlights of pizza-related clips from CBH's oral history collection! 

Slices will be on hand!


Participants

Scott Wiener founded Scott’s Pizza Tours in 2008 and has spent the last 16 years educating countless pizza lovers and professionals about the history, science, and culture of pizza. His expertise has been featured on the Food Network, History Channel, The Tonight Show, LIVE With Kelly And Ryan, in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and beyond. Scott is the founder/director of Slice Out Hunger, a nationwide nonprofit that fights food insecurity through pizza-related events and campaigns. He lives in Brooklyn with his Guinness World Record collection of pizza boxes.

Anthony "The Big Cheese" Mongiello is a virtuoso of mozzarella cheese innovation, with a collection of awards and international recognitions that have earned him the moniker, “The Big Cheese™.” Born and raised in Bensonhurst Brooklyn, Anthony followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, who patented the first ever mozzarella-making machine in the US and pitched string cheese sticks to Polly-O. In 1985, at the tender age of 18 Anthony invented Stuffed Crust Pizza, later patenting the idea and design. His subsequent legal battle with Pizza Hut over the Stuffed Crust Pizza patent is the subject of an award-winning docudrama by Rosso Films International, which tells a David and Goliath story of corporate intrigue and family resilience. Today, Anthony's expertise in patent law, food invention, and product development make him a sought-after guest on TV shows, radio, and podcasts alike. His Italian specialty food company, Formaggio Brand, is an award-winning manufacturer of fresh mozzarella, known for innovating over 75 fresh mozzarella products.

 

                 

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Add to My Calendar 10/16/2024 06:30 pm 10/16/2024 08:30 pm America/New_York CBH Talk | Uncrusted! A David and Goliath Story of Patents, Pizza, and the Invention of Stuffed Crusts

What better way to pay tribute to October's Pizza Month than by spending an evening with Anthony “The Big Cheese” Mongiello, whose David and Goliath fight with Pizza Hut over who owns the idea for Stuffed Crust Pizza played out three decades ago, and continues to be an illustrious Brooklyn story today.

Led in conversation by pizza expert Scott Wiener, Anthony tells of his Bensonhurst upbringing, his family’s mozzarella business, his 1987 patent for stuffed pizza crust (which he invented at the age of 18), and his shock eight years later when Pizza Hut announced its newest innovation – Stuffed Crust Pizza!

Rolled out in a $45 million dollar star-studded advertising campaign featuring Ringo Starr, John McEnroe, and Donald Trump, Stuffed Crust Pizza added $300 million to Pizza Hut’s sales in a single year, but Mongiello never got a single slice of the financial pie.

Join us for a tale of Brooklyn hutzpah, family pride, legal drama and, of course, cheese. 

Introduced by CBH's Laura Michael, who shares highlights of pizza-related clips from CBH's oral history collection! 

Slices will be on hand!


Participants

Scott Wiener founded Scott’s Pizza Tours in 2008 and has spent the last 16 years educating countless pizza lovers and professionals about the history, science, and culture of pizza. His expertise has been featured on the Food Network, History Channel, The Tonight Show, LIVE With Kelly And Ryan, in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and beyond. Scott is the founder/director of Slice Out Hunger, a nationwide nonprofit that fights food insecurity through pizza-related events and campaigns. He lives in Brooklyn with his Guinness World Record collection of pizza boxes.

Anthony "The Big Cheese" Mongiello is a virtuoso of mozzarella cheese innovation, with a collection of awards and international recognitions that have earned him the moniker, “The Big Cheese™.” Born and raised in Bensonhurst Brooklyn, Anthony followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, who patented the first ever mozzarella-making machine in the US and pitched string cheese sticks to Polly-O. In 1985, at the tender age of 18 Anthony invented Stuffed Crust Pizza, later patenting the idea and design. His subsequent legal battle with Pizza Hut over the Stuffed Crust Pizza patent is the subject of an award-winning docudrama by Rosso Films International, which tells a David and Goliath story of corporate intrigue and family resilience. Today, Anthony's expertise in patent law, food invention, and product development make him a sought-after guest on TV shows, radio, and podcasts alike. His Italian specialty food company, Formaggio Brand, is an award-winning manufacturer of fresh mozzarella, known for innovating over 75 fresh mozzarella products.

 

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