When Ciro Iovine of Song' E Napule Pizzeria & Trattoria calls, I answer. If I don’t, he leaves a voicemail. The problem with Ciro’s voicemails is that this Italian man of immense passion speaks so fast, in a Neapolitan dialect no less, that I can hardly keep up. I have to play the messages over and over until I can glean the general idea. His most recent message had something to do with the Italian American Museum on Mulberry Street for some sort of celebration that involved pizza. I had the date and time. I had no idea that it would be such a magical occasion.
On a blustery night in the middle of January, I rallied some of team Appetito to join me in support of Ciro and whatever it was he had going on. We arrived at the museum to find, at the center of attention in a reception setting, a dapper, mustachioed Italian man in a tailored suit accompanied by an elegant woman and an ebullient young boy. The family, I assumed, made for an interesting sight, but we were more interested in the attention of Ciro, who we found making pizzas, shoveled in and out of a portable oven before being served by his right-hand man and my dear friend, Giggino. So, we ate pizza, drank wine and mingled, still not entirely sure what we were doing there as Italians aren’t exactly masters of self-promotion.
We learned, once the ceremony began in an adjacent room, that the night was a celebration of the 2nd Anniversary of Pizza for a Smile, a charitable initiative born from a touching story involving the family at the center of the evening’s attention: The dapper man was legendary Italian tenor, Luciano Lamonarca, accompanied by his wife, Valentina, and their 10-year old son, Sebastian. During the pandemic, near their family home in Westchester, Luciano and Sebastian, then five years old, waited in line for a pizza from a truck; in front of them was a crying child, about Sebastian’s age, and her frantic mother rifling through her purse in search of funds. Before the mother had found the money, Sebastian, without reservation, had suggested to the girl that they share his pizza. After both pizzas had been acquired, the children enjoyed lunch together.
From this beautiful moment, an idea was born in the mind of Luciano, as described on their website as: “...a heartfelt initiative that brings people together through the gift of freshly made pizzas.” The manner of actuating this initiative was realized after Sebastian and Luciano watched an episode of Chef’s Table: Pizza featuring James Beard Award winning chef Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco. Sebastian wondered, as a child might, if Chef Bianco would help them; Luciano happened to have a mutual friend. The father and son traveled to Phoenix to meet the legendary pizzaiolo and share their vision. A famous spokesperson was now on board, and Pizza for a Smile was born.
Two years later, at the Italian American Museum celebration, we learned that Pizza for a Smile operates within the auspices of The People of Hope in support of the No Kid Hungry campaign and that every $20 donation helps deliver a 12-inch pizza to a person unable to afford one. We also learned that our friend Ciro was there not only to provide the evening’s Neapolitan delicacy but to be honored for donating 1,000 Margherita pizzas to the cause, a generous figure matched by The People of Hope.
What began on our part as a gesture of unconditional support for a friend became a touching evening of warmth and benevolence that defines our community at its best. This ethos was explained, post-event, to Appetito by Mr. Lamonarca:
"With the launch of this initiative, The People of Hope intend to change the way we bring nourishment to those in need here in the United States of America. We are committed to nourishing not only the bodies but also the souls of those who are hungry. Pizza offers both experiences perfectly, and we couldn't be prouder to draw on our Italian culture and cuisine to help those facing significant health and spiritual challenges".
Editor’s Note: To donate, please click here and indicate in the comment box that you were inspired to do so by your connection to Appetito magazine as we intend on lending our assistance to the effort.
Please also follow the initiative and related organizations on social media at the following links:
https://www.instagram.com/thepeopleofhopesocial
https://www.facebook.com/thepeopleofhopefacebook
No Kid Hungry: Instagram
