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La Leggenda 
Giovanni Gagliardi

Founder & World Pizza Champion

Giovanni Gagliardi was born in San Felice a Cancello, a small town in the province of Caserta, on May 19, 1974.

He is heir to a family of pizza chefs. Since he was a boy he has worked as a pizza chef. And, for its original way of kneading pizza, it is almost immediately nicknamed “The Legend”.

“Keep moving forward and never stop.”

Giovanni Gagliardi, The Legend.
Founder & Personal Trainer

Facts

After more than 20 years of activity and after winning in Salsomaggiore in 2012, the 21st World Championship of Neapolitan Pizza STG, he moved to Miami.
Here in the same year is Winner Best Traditional Pizza International Region in Las Vegas.
Calls from abroad had already started to open a Neapolitan pizzeria. Giovanni starts many startups in Europe, but Miami intrigues him!
For him this city is magical! With its typically Latin appeal/charm! For him, but not only for him, but Miami is also the gateway to South America in the States! And therefore, it feels like home: Naples!
And although many friends and investors ask him to open a Neapolitan STG pizzeria in New York, in the Big Apple, Giovanni “La Leggenda” cannot and cannot resist the warm Latin charm of Miami!

For these specific reasons, in 2017 – together with other friends – he opens a typically Neapolitan Pizzeria in one of the most beautiful streets of Miami Beach: at 224 Espanola Way!
Success comes immediately!
As sudden as for years, it had already become the epithet of “Giovanni La Leggenda”, which from nickname becomes the first name to become a logo here in Miami!
The success is such that in 2018 in South Beach he was given the recognition of “The Legend Pizzeria Best Pizza of Miami” by the New Times newspaper.

Giovanni conquers everyone and … immediately he also convinces Americans who love pizza … full of many ingredients!
Giovanni is an artist and a character!
Its menu includes many other pizzas and dishes strictly belonging to the Neapolitan and Italian traditions.
But it is with his Pizza Napoletana STG (Traditional Specialty Guaranteed) that Giovanni imposes the traditional Neapolitan culture in the simplest way: buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomato, basil, olive oil; all of the certified Italian origin.
His Margherita is served to customers with the motto: “This is the Italian flag in the world!”

The place is frequented by many Italian and foreign celebrities. Those who enter his room, it can be safely said, arrive with a specific desire: try Giovanni’s pizza!
And when they ask him: “Which pizza do you make us eat”? he proposes his Margherita STG. Everyone is amazed by the simple taste.
To this pizza Giovanni adds his “bomb”, that is the pizza with Parmesan that he prepares according to the teachings of the Neapolitan tradition.
Once the pizza is prepared and baked, the Parmesan – already cooked for 20 minutes – is “spread” on it and at the end of the oven the pizza is covered with Parmesan and fresh basil and then … its guests begin to dream!

Awards