At the age of five, Al started working at the family bakery. He was raised according to Italian custom where he handed his father the dough, placed the dough in boxes, picked out unburned coal from the ashes, and poked the fire.

“Just to load the coal-13 shovels twice a day, and maintain the fire is a full-time job, to do it right,” Al says. “If you want something that good, you must suffer, and we do!” Al’s tenacity has won him a loyal following and numerous accolades over the years. So, he knows not to tamper with a good thing.

“Everyone else I know of has compromised the recipe for convenience or to Americanize it, to gain mass appeal,” Al says. He concludes admitting being faithful to the tradition and says, “I guess you could call me an old stick-in-the-mud, because I don’t want to change if it means giving up quality standards-then I wouldn’t be happy with the product, and I wouldn’t be happy with myself.