If you follow pizza culture today, you know that everyone loves to declare a winner. Is it New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut? Is Sally’s better than Pepe’s, or does Modern take the crown? But if you sit down with someone who lives and breathes this craft from the inside out, you quickly realize that the real story isn’t about rivalries. It is about heritage, community, and respect.
On the latest episode of the Pizza Story Podcast, I had the pleasure of welcoming Joseph Massaro, the passionate voice behind New Haven Pizza Crew. Joseph has spent nearly a decade behind the camera capturing the heartbeat of the scene. Rather than chasing viral follower counts or scoring pies on an arbitrary scale, he is on a personal mission to preserve Italian-American heritage and honor the hard-working artisans behind the peel.
Backyard Ovens, Immigrant Roots, and Genuine Respect
Joseph’s passion for pizza is woven into his DNA. His father arrived in the United States in 1958 at just seventeen years old, coming through Ellis Island before settling in New Haven to work and eventually launch a plaster and drywall business that the family still runs today.
Growing up in that vibrant Italian American community, backyard wood-fired ovens were as standard as American barbecue grills. Joseph shared that long before internet debates crowned New Haven the pizza capital of the world, friendly neighborhood rivalries played out in family backyards, with everyone arguing over whether Uncle Bruno or Uncle Vinnie baked the best pie.
As a small business owner, Joseph operates with a strict code of ethics. He refuses to take free meals, regularly slipping cash into tip jars even when owners insist the pizza is on the house. For him, honoring the craft means financially supporting the people doing the grueling physical labor behind blazing 750-degree ovens.
The Holy Tri-State, the Apizza Mobile, and Modern Favorites
While Connecticut claims legendary status, Joseph champions what he calls the Holy Tri-State brotherhood, connecting great makers from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. You see this spirit in action during New Haven’s historic Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Here, Joseph’s crew hosts the Royal Pizza Float, inviting pizzaiolos from across state lines to warm up par-baked pies in portable ovens and toss hot slices directly to cheering crowds.
That community first mindset also birthed the Apizza Mobile. Originally purchased as a potential food truck, the vehicle quickly transformed into a mobile studio, art gallery, and gathering spot for the local pizza scene, even turning heads at major culinary festivals.
When it comes to his personal favorites, Joseph appreciates the Holy Trinity, Pepe’s, Sally’s, and Modern, for entirely different reasons. Modern leans wonderfully cheese-forward, Sally’s highlights bright sauce, and Pepe’s sits right in the golden middle. But outside the city core, he is currently hooked on Amato’s Apizza in Madison, Connecticut, run by a husband-and-wife team whose crust, sauce, and craftsmanship keep him coming back week after week.
A Thriving Culture Built on Community
As Joseph beautifully summed up from his Lords of the Slice gathering, there is no need for toxic pizza wars because there is plenty of room for everyone to succeed. Next time you grab a fresh, blistering pie right off the board, take a second to appreciate the generations of dedication baked into every bite.
Follow Joseph Massaro on Instagram @newhavenpizzacrew
Stay updated with the latest from Slice Street and other amazing family-owned pizzerias across the globe by subscribing to The Pizza Story Podcast now!
Get our books: A Story About Pizza, Pietro’s Pizza, Pietro’s Pizza Toppings, Pietro’s Italian Christmas.