Tony Gemignani

9-time World Pizza Champion
8-time World Champion Pizza Acrobat
2007 World Champion Pizza Maker
President - World Pizza Champions Inc.
Co-owner Pyzano's Pizzeria Castro Valley CA and Spin Ultra Lounge Gourmet Pizza Walnut Creek, CA
2-time Food Network Gold Medalist
2-time Guinness Book World Record Holder

Tony Gemignani grew up on a farm with mostly apricot and cherry orchards in Fremont, California. Coming from an Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese family, when his mom cooked she really cooked! Family dinners were always full of food and fun. Fruits and vegetables right from the farm and food made with with fresh ingredients were staples in the Gemignani house. In 1991 when Tony was eighteen, his brother Frank had the idea to open a pizzeria in Castro Valley, California. Frank asked Tony, who was just out of high school, to come help him out. Pyzano's Pizzeria was born! Tony carried the title as pizza thrower, which wasn't much until a kid came into the restaurant one day and asked him to do a trick. Tony said, "I can't do any tricks," and the kid replied "well, you should practice some tricks!" Tony then started to do tricks for customers as they came in and the rest is history.

In 1995, Tony entered his first pizza throwing competition in Las Vegas and won. He won again in 1996 and 1997 and became known as the best pizza thrower in the world. The two brothers became partners in the business and Pyzano's was named one of the Top 100 Independent Pizzerias in the nation. With such notoriety, Tony toured the world tossing pizzas. He was a guest on shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, CNN and the Food Network. Pizzerias from all over the world asked him to make appearances and train their staff. Celebrity pizza tosses rolled in and Tony started to toss pizzas with stars such as Michael Douglas, James Caan, Steve Young, Howie Mandel, Francis Ford Coppola and Robert Duvall. Working with companies such as Marriott, Sun Microsystems, and Disney for grand openings and world movie premiere parties, Tony entertained with the best. He participated in many charity events, Meals on Wheels, commercials and cancer camps routinely. Tony created his first instructional video, Throw like the Pros, and sold it worldwide. Most pizza throwers around the world use the Tony G method!

Tony performed and trained chefs with one-on-one training in such places as Thailand, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Sicily, England and the all over the US. Working with pizzerias around the world, Pyzano's menu has become a lesson in pizza geography. These experiences led Tony to become a teacher at some of the finest cooking schools in California and Oregon.

In 2000 Tony was asked to compete at the World Pizza Championships in Italy. A team was created and the three best pizza makers were sent. Tony won the title two consecutive years in 2000 and 2001. Tony was the first American to ever win in Italy's World Championships. Tony, a Five Time World champion, became a judge of the world competition and the coach/cofounder of the US Pizza Team. Tony led the US team for three years then departed to form the World Pizza Champions, Americas #1 Pizza Team.

The World Pizza Champions, America's #1 Pizza Team is a group of independent pizza operators from around the US. They are America’s best pizza acrobats and bakers and they travel the world performing. They also organize the World Pizza Games in Las Vegas, New York, and Atlantic City. No other team in history has won more titles than the World Pizza Champions who dominate the competition each year.

The World Pizza Champions team took the gold at the World Games in 2005 and again at the World Pizza Championships in 2006 and 2007, making Tony an eight-time world champion.

In 2005 Tony collaborated with acclaimed cookbook writer Diane Morgan and wrote PIZZA. Their book skyrocketed in sales and was showcased on The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and Emeril Live. In April of 2006 Tony and his teammates were showcased in the documentary Pizza the Movie that was accepted at eight major film festivals. Tony is also a two-time Food Network Gold Medalist. In the summer of 2006, Tony was invited on the Food Networks/Guinness Pizza Champions Challenge. He won first place for Best Pizza in the US and was also inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records both for "Biggest Pizza" and for "Most Consecutive Rolls Across the Shoulders.”

In 2007 in Naples, Italy at the World Pizza Cup, Tony became the first American to ever win the baking championship, bringing home the gold cup for the best Neapolitan pizza in the world and making him a nine-time World Champion.

Tony is certified in Classic Italian Pizza and Pizza in Pala from the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli in Caorle, Italy. After winning the world baking title in Italy, the Verace Pizza Neapolitan has granted him the rights to start a school of Neapolitan pizza in the US along with the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli. This would be the only school of its kind in the US, where students can get certified in every style of Italian pizza.

Pyzano's was named one of the Top 10 Pizza destinations in the nation by the Travel Channel and receives awards each year. No other person in the pizza industry had been featured on more shows or has won more titles than Tony.

Tony is recognized as being one of the most popular and influential figures in the pizza industry.