A slice of Salerno in New York, not only for the quality of the pizza offered at San Matteo. The ingredients of the story of Ciro Casella are to never give way to events and, rather, commit to turning a life project into reality in a short time, which has become an example in the United States of an appreciated as well as successful business idea.
«I went to the United States in 2010. First I worked for a company in the province of Salerno, then things took a turn for the worse and all the employees were laid off. At forty I put myself out there again. – explains, with humility, Ciro Casella himself – With a divorce behind me and two daughters, I didn’t accept the situation. So I left everything to pursue a dream, my last chance to give a future to my daughters».
Then Ciro Casella says: «I went to New York for the first time in 1985 as a guest of relatives and stayed in the United States for a year. My brother Fabio had lived there for twenty years, so when I lost my job I naturally thought of going to him». Hence the beginning of a journey, not a simple one: «Together with my brother we decided to open San Matteo, we didn’t have much money but only sacrifices. Little by little, day after day, we have made restaurant history in New York. Without ever forgetting our origins. Always maintaining a direct line with Salerno, the Salerno province and all of Italy».
This is how Ciro Casella made both Americans and many visiting New York fall in love with his pizza: «We now have two large restaurants and pizzerias in Manhattan. And we are present in many important events such as the US Open in New York. And we won the award for best hamburger in New York for two years, while in March in Las Vegas our sandwich was recognized as the best in the United States.”
Many famous names sat at the San Matteo table, welcomed by Ciro Casella and his family: actors like Martin Scorsesethe former footballer Andrea Pirlo and politicians from all over the world. Fan of Salernitanaalso the current boss Danilo Iervolino was at San Matteo in New York, Casella shows a strong reference to Salerno also in the menu with the names of the pizzas: Vestuti Pizza, Mariconda Pizza, Cetara Pizza, Arechi Pizza. But Ciro Casella doesn’t stop: «Now we are organizing to open in other cities, always having quality, hospitality and kindness as the basis. We have been on the Michelin, Zagat and New York Times circuit, Gambero Rosso for fifteen years with great stability. But all this thanks to the teachings of our parents».
#San #Matteo #Salerno #York
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