Member Profiles
U.S. Pizza Team Council

Dave Sommers – Mad Mushroom, West Lafayette, IN
Athletics Director, Culinary, USPT Council
Dave Sommers is the owner of 2 Mad Mushrooms in Read More

Jamie Culliton – USPT Athletic Coach
Acrobatics Coach, Culinary, USPT Council
Jamie competes in both Acrobatics and culinary and won second Read More

Gino Rago – Panino’s Pizza, Chicago, IL
Culinary Coach, USPT Council
I have a passion for all styles of pizza. I Read More

Michael LaMarca – Master Pizza, Cleveland, OH
Team Captian, Culinary, USPT Council
Michael P. LaMarca is the owner of the Master Pizza Read More

Jason Samosky – Samosky’s Homestyle Pizzeria, Valley City, OH
Culinary, USPT Council
I am Jason Samosky, proud owner of Samosky’s Homestyle Pizzeria Read More

Bradley Corbin – Sloopy’s Sports Cafe, Lakeside, OH
Culinary, USPT Council
Brad Corbin, Owner of Sloopy’s Sports Cafe, Lakeside, OH & Read More

Leonardo Rago – Panino’s Pizzeria, Evanston, IL
Culinary, USPT Council
Started in the pizza business at age 14, Love Pizza, Read More

Brian Hernandez – U.S. Pizza Team
USPT Director, Culinary, USPT Council
Brian came on board PMQ Pizza Magazine in October Read More
Premiere Members

Premiere Member, Acrobatics, Culinary
Bradley has been on the team since 2009. He is a manager at Mellow Mushroom Downtown Chattanooga and competes in Acrobatics and Culinary. He won ...Read More

Premiere Member, Culinary
Leonardo (Lenny) was born and raised in Castellamare Del Golfo, Sicily. Lenny left Sicily in 1991at age of 21 and few years later he decided ...Read More

Premiere Member, Culinary
Leah lives in San Francisco Ca. She has been working with Pizza My Heart in the Bay Area for 18 years. When she is not ...Read More

Premiere Member, Culinary, Gluten-Free
Heather is the owner of Sinfully Gluten Free in Dayton, Oh., a dedicated gluten free pizzeria and bakery.Heather joined the USPT in 2013 after winning ...Read More

Premiere Member, Culinary
Ali Haider & wife Sayyeda Ali, proud owners of 786 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza Co. Sun Valley CA began their dream journey back in 2013. Being a huge ...Read More

Premiere Member, Acrobatics, Culinary
My name is Rick Wheeler and I operate out of Mad Mushroom Pizza in Lafayette Indiana. Been doing pizza for 10 years now. I love ...Read More

Premiere Member, Acrobatics, Culinary
Owner/operator of Fiamme Pizza Napoletana in Tucson Arizona. Been in business for 1 year and a pizzaiolo or pizza maker for 4 years. Two strongest ...Read More


Premiere Member, Culinary
Owner of Palo Mesa Pizza in Arroyo Grande, CA., Michael joined the team in 2013 after winning 3rd place at the U.S. Pizza Team Culinary ...Read More

Premiere Member, Culinary
Born in Monroe, Michigan, Tore was lucky to be exposed to foods of the world at a very young age. Born to immigrant parents with ...Read More


Premiere Member, Culinary
Dan Uccello has been a member of the USPT since 2017. Dan owns Flo’s Collection in grand rapids Michigan. Flo’s Collection is a restaurant group ...Read More


Premiere Member, Acrobatics, Culinary
My name is Michael Reyes-Casanova. I am the Executive Pizza Chef for Ynot Italian in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I enjoy long walks on the beach, ...Read More

Premiere Member, Culinary
David Conti, owner of Red Planet Pizza & BBQ. After 10 years of doing Kansas City Barbeque Society & New England Barbeque Society Grilling Competitions ...Read More

Premiere Member, Culinary
Gianni Gallucci of Forno Rosso and Zero Ottantuno in Chicago, Ill. seized a trip from the 2018 Midwest U.S. Pizza Cup and a spot on ...Read More

Competing Member, Culinary
Derrick Tung, owner and operator of Paulie Gee’s Logan Square, started out by learning how to make pizza at home through YouTube tutorials and PizzaMakingForum.com ...Read More


Competing Member, Culinary
Lars Smith is the chef and co-owner of state of Mind Public House and Pizzeria in Los Altos, California. He has been in the industry ...Read More
Competing Members

Will Shaw
Competing Member, Culinary
Will Shaw has been in the pizza business for over 15 years and has competed in numerous competitions resulting in four first place, one second place and one fourth place Read More

Peter Anderson – Gelsosomo’s Pizza, Crown Point, IN
Competing Member, Culinary

Salvatore Passalacqua – Marrabella Old World Pizza, Greenville, NC
Competing Member, Culinary

Massimo Mannino – Nino’s Cucina Italiana, Greenville, NC
Competing Member, Culinary

Anthony Scalia – Master Pizza, OH
Competing Member, Culinary

Giovanni Labbate – Bricks Wood Fired Pizza Cafe, Wheaton, IL.
Competing Member, Culinary

Mike Russo – Romeo’s Pizza, Cleveland, OH.
Competing Member, Culinary

Alex Garcia, Flo’s Pizzeria, Grand Rapids MI.
Competing Member, Culinary
Alex joined the USPT in 2017. Alex is the General Manager/Pizzaiolo of Flo’s Pizzeria In grand rapids Michigan. Alex has competed on behalf of Flo’s in Novi Michigan taking first Read More

Craig Allenbough – Sauced Wood Fired Pizza, Fairview Park, OH.
Competing Member, Culinary
My pizza journey started out at 17 when I took my first job at Punxy Pizza under the ownership of Scott Anthony. In 2012, I opened a food truck in Read More

Sean Dempsey, Dempsey’s Brewery Restaurant & Pub, Watertown, SD.
Competing Member, Culinary
Competing Culinary Member

Daniel Lee Perea, U.S. Pizza Team
Competing Member, Culinary

Kyle Rosch, Brenz Pizza Co., Chapel Hill, NC.
Competing Member, Culinary

Daniel “The Big Cheese” Saccone – Saccone’s Pizza, Leander, TX
Competing Member, Culinary
With numerous awards and years of competing under his belt, Daniel “The Big Cheese” has dedicated his time and expertise to representing the Lone Star state in national and international Read More

Brandon Davis – Novella’s Pizza, New Hudson, MI
Competing Member, Culinary
Brandon Davis is the Owner/Operator of Novella’s Pizza in New Hudson, Michigan. He has been in the restaurant business for 15 years and opened Novella’s Pizza over a year ago. Read More

Gail Churinetz – Gail’s Pizza Parties, Germantown, TN
Competing Member, Culinary
My cooking career began when my husband, Bob, transplanted our family from Connecticut to Germantown, Tennessee in the summer of 1994. When we moved here, one of the first things Read More

Deserai Satullo – Sauced Wood Fired Pizza, Fairview Park, OH

George Taylor – Taylors’ Neighborhood pizza & Sandwich Shoppe
Competing Member, Culinary
I have been in the pizza biz for about 25 years. My wife and I are owners of Taylors’ Neighborhood Pizza & Sandwich Shoppe in Endwell, NY. I first competed Read More

Joey Karvelas – Karvelas Pizza Co. , Hogansville, GA
Competing Member, Culinary

Max Durocher – Tiki Sam’s Wood Fired Pizza
Competing Member, Culinary, Acrobatics
Affiliate Members

Rick & Jane Mines – Nima’s Pizza and More, Gassville, AR
Culinary Member

Chris Mallon – Houdini Pie, Nashville, TN
Culinary Member
Chris honed his skills in the extremely competitive restaurant scene of Nashville, TN. He received 3 consecutive Reader’s Choice Wards while serving as culinary director of Nashville’s premiere pizza destination. Read More

Greg Spaulding – Middle Fork Kitchen Bar, Lexington, KY
Culinary Member

Vic DiOrio -DiOrio’s Pizza and Pub, Louisville, KY
Culinary Member

Shawn Dugan – Shorty’s Pizzeria, Parkersburg, WV
Culinary Member

Michael Amheiser – Pizza Dock, Fredericktown, OH
Culinary Member

Damien “Dutch” VanOostendorp – Tribecca Allie, Sardis, MS
Culinary Member
Damian “Dutch” vanOostendorp Grew up in Orange County NY. Relocated to MS in 1997. Former PGA of America Member golf instructor. Currently co-owner/pizzaiolo/bread baker at TriBecca Allie Cafe in Sardis Read More

Adam Tucker – Mifflin Pizza, Mifflinville, PA
Acrobatics Member
Purchased in 2011. Giuseppe’s was the previous name of our pizza shop. We changed our name to Mifflin Pizza in 2015. The owner of Mifflin Pizza,Adam Tucker has been making Read More

John Coletta – Quartino, Chicago, IL
Culinary Member

Karen Irby – Camp Lake Stephens, Oxford, MS
Culinary Member
I am currently the head chef for Camp Lake Stephens and the Oxford School District. I have been in the pizza business for over 20 years. US pizza team member Read More

Kyle Hambley – Samosky’s Homestyle Pizzeria, Valley City, OH
Acrobatics Member
Hey my name is Kyle , I’m from Valley City, Ohio, and work at Samosky’s Homestyle Pizzeria. My co-workers have always said I was fast at making boxes and finally Read More

Samantha Jones – Mellow Mushroom, Chattanooga, TN
Culinary Member
I’ve been in the pizza industry my whole life! I started with Mellow Mushroom in 1997 and opened my first store in 2002 and my second in 2011. Craft pizza Read More

Stan Miller – PieZon’s Pizza, Fulton, MS
Culinary/Acrobatics Member
My name is Stan Miller. I am the owner of WORLD FAMOUS PIEZONS PIZZA & PASTA in Fulton, Ms. and I have been in the pizza business since 1994. I Read More

Tim Silva – Pizza My Heart, Santa Cruz, CA
Culinary Member
Tim lives in Santa Cruz Ca. He has been working with Pizza My Heart in the Bay Area for 26 years. When he is not working he enjoys surfing and Read More

Paola Laghetti – U.S. Pizza Team Translator, Verona, Italy
Paola has been the translator for the U.S. Pizza Team for over 7 years. Leading the team through the chaos that is the World Pizza Championships, she is one of the Read More

David Scooby Strecker – Downtown House of Pizza, Ft. Myers, FL
Acrobatics Member

Drew French – Your Pie, Athens, GA
Affiliate Member, Culinary
My name is Drew French and pizza became a passion of mine when I traveled through Italy with my Italian high school sweet heart while on our honeymoon in 2006. Read More

John Zozzaro – Downtown Cafe, Glen Cove, NY.
Culinary

John Gilbreth – Pizza Tree, Columbia, MO.