Chef Andrew Bellucci leaves Astoria pizzeria after trade dispute – The Madison Leader Gazette

Andrew Bellucci, the owner of Astoria’s Bellucci Pizza, leaves his restaurant after an argument with his business partner.

Bellucci announced on social media that he would be leaving the company after realizing that he and his ex-partner Leo Dakmak had “different visions for the future.”

“I decided to wrap it at Bellucci Pizza
Astoria. My business partner and I have different
visions for the future. I am slow and deliberate in
every step of my process. My first concern –
always – makes the best pizza I can with the
best ingredients available. Cut the round corners to
maximizing profit is not and never will be
my vision, ”read her Instagram statement.

“I would like to thank everyone for their support, especially my Astorian colleagues. I am touched and honored to have served you. The next iteration of Bellucci Pizza is coming very soon. While it might not be in Astoria, rest assured that my loyalty to the best neighborhood in New York will always be true. To be continued “, he added.

Dakmak recently told Patch that Bellucci’s Pizza will always be open and serve pizza.

“The pizzeria is still fully operational and has the same opening hours with exactly the same pizza. No changes were made except that one of our many employees was laid off, ”said Dakmak.

Dakmak and Bellucci entered into a partnership after the latter found Dakmak on Craigslist in the spring of 2020. The pizzeria opened in Queens in February 2020. Bellucci had wanted to open his own restaurant for some time because he was the mastermind of the sadly famous Italian restaurant in Soho. , Lombardi, in the 1990s.

Bellucci was arrested in the mid-1990s and jailed for 54 fraud cases, where he even shared a cell with Mafia boss Sonny Franzese.

“[Dakmak] had my vision and said he would follow me blindly, ”Bellucci told The Post last February. “He fired so many people, sometimes I’m afraid he’ll fire me,” Dakmak added at the time.