Andrew Thierry Bellucci (January 21, 1964 – May 31, 2023) was an American cook.

Life

Bellucci was born on 21 January 1964, in Jersey City, New Jersey.[1]

Initially developed his skills in the East Village, Bellucci's fascination with the history of pizza drove him to rediscover the heritage of New York's pizza-making, tracing its origins to Naples immigrant Gennaro Lombardi.[1] This led him to resurrect a defunct coal oven in Little Italy, persuading Lombardi's grandson to endorse a pizzeria bearing the family name.[1] Later, Lombardi's Pizzeria was established.[2]

Bellucci emerged as a distinguished figure in New York's pizza scene in the 1990s, crafting artisanal pizzas that later influenced a new generation of chefs.[1] His renown was overshadowed by an earlier crime involving embezzlement at a Manhattan law firm, leading to his arrest and a 13-month prison sentence.[1]

Following his prison sentence, Bellucci ventured through a phase of professional obscurity, later resurrecting his culinary career in Malaysia.[1] His return to New York saw him fulfill a lifelong dream of opening his own establishment, Bellucci Pizza, in Astoria in 2020.[1] Further developments included a legal dispute over the naming rights to Bellucci's initial pizzeria in Astoria, which was eventually settled in a federal court in December 2022.[2]

Bellucci died on May 31, 2023, due to a heart attack.[3][4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wells, Pete (2023-06-05). "Andrew Bellucci, Pizza Visionary With a Troubled Past, Dies at 59". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  2. 1 2 Maag, Christopher (2023-06-07). "'Never Seen Pizza Boxes at a Wake Before': Mourning a N.Y. Pizza Legend". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  3. ↑ jmoro (2023-06-01). "'Don of Dough' Andrew Bellucci dies after heart attack in Astoria pizza shop". Astoria Post. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  4. ↑ Fortney, Luke (2023-06-01). "Andrew Bellucci, Famous Pizza Chef Who Helped Reopen Lombardi's, Dies at 59". Eater NY. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
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