Everyday after finishing his homework, Gino would go to his father's pizza parlor in the Bronx, Lido's on Fordham Road, and knead dough into a flat circle, spread tomato sauce over the soft disc and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
Gino, 52, is a fourth-generation pizzaiolo and is a master at making pies. He has worked for South Brooklyn Pizza on First Street in Park Slope for the past three years.
But the pies Gino learned how to make from his father while in elementary school, who learned from his father, and so on four generations back, are different from South Brooklyn's, which Gino described as "gourmet."
The shop specializes in "fresh" ingredients and dough that has been fermented for two days--a semi-secret Gino said that makes all the difference in his pie's crust and flavor.
"Everyone says the fresher the dough the better, that's completely wrong--one day or two days old is better to let the yeast ferment and let air in the dough so it rises higher," Gino explained.
The ingredients are few and simple. The pie is covered with three cheeses: mozzarella, fontina and grated Parmesan. The dough, aged for two days, is covered with tomato sauce, olive oil and basil leaves.
And with his experience and blood-borne skill, Gino said it takes him one minute or less to make a pie.
"I can fill up both ovens with 5 pies in three minutes," he explained on Wednesday at 6 p.m., after he got a few orders at once-- it was time to hustle. "I've been making pizza for 35 years. I can make pizza in my sleep."
Watch the video and see Gino make a 1-minute gourmet pizza at South Brooklyn Pizza, First Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues in Park Slope.
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