APN USA

Roberto Caporuscio
was born and raised on a dairy farm in Pontinia, Italy, an hour outside of Naples, where he first developed his culinary skills producing and selling cheese. However, it was in Naples, where Roberto went to study the art and craft of Neapolitan pizza-making, with the most talented pizza masters.

After training with the best, Roberto came to the United States where he opened several successful pizzerias, and ultimately settled in New York City in 2009, and established Kesté Pizza & Vino. Kesté, meaning “this is it” in the dialect of Naples, is an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria located at 271 Bleecker Street, in the heart of Greenwich Village. At Kesté, pizza fans can indulge in an expansive assortment of 40 traditional and creative wood-fired Neapolitan style pies, crafted from the finest ingredients, including homemade mozzarella.

In February 2012, Roberto collaborated with his mentor, Antonio Starita, and opened Don Antonio by Starita, a Neapolitan pizza restaurant located at 309 West 50th Street, in Midtown, Manhattan, followed by a second location at 102 West Paces Ferry Road NW, in Buckhead, Atlanta. Don Antonio’s menu showcases more than 60 pizzas, including, red, white and specialty pizzas, an assortment of gluten free pizzas and several vegetarian and vegan options.

Each endeavor brought critical acclaim from the culinary industry, and Roberto has become one of the most highly praised pizza chefs amongst his peers, and the subject of rave reviews in the media. His many testimonials include: “#1 Pizza in New York” by New York magazine, “Best Pizza” in the state of NY by Food Network Magazine, amongst the top 25 “Best Pizza Places the US” by Food and Wine magazine and pizzas featured on the covers of Saveur and La Cucina Italiana magazines.

A passionate advocate of the Neapolitan Pizza Industry, Roberto serves as US President of the Association of Neapolitan Pizzaiuoli (APN - Association of Neapolitan Pizza Makers), the elite Italian governing body that teaches the 150 year old art of Neapolitan pizza making, and certifies adherence to authentic procedures. The pizza maestro is called upon by numerous restaurants throughout the US, for private consultations, and conducts an intensive $4,500, ten day Neapolitan pizza-making class at which he issues APN certification to aspiring Neapolitan pizza makers/restauranteurs around the world.


Giorgia Caporuscio

2013 Classical Pizza Champion - Montanara Starita
Giorgia moved to New York in 2010 to join her father and to learn English. After spending some time in the kitchen with her father, Roberto Caporuscio, he asked her, "Why don't you to try to play with the dough, stretch it, see how we make it?" It started as a joke, but she soon fell in love with pizza-making.

"I love pizza because it's so simple but so particular. It's so difficult to make yet so easy at the same. Everyone eats pizza - rich people, poor people, young and old. Everyone loves it. When I first started making pizza, I wanted to try it because I was the only girl working at a pizzeria. I wanted to prove myself. I wanted to say, 'Oh, I can do it!' but then I started to like it. I wanted to pursue something I was passionate about in life and do work that didn't feel like work."