Written by Amy Riolo
Pieces of both Washington, DC and Naples was part of the 57th Annual Super Bowl, the final match of the playoffs of the US football championship which attracts about a hundred million viewers every year. At the most watched event on television when it comes to the American and non-American sports world alone, Francesco and Enzo Marra, Neapolitan immigrants and residents of the Washington, DC area churned out thousands of pizzas for the occasion.
“It is certainly no coincidence that we have come to launch the real Neapolitan pizza at the Super Bowl, the most important sporting event in the world”: said Francesco Marra, a pizza entrepreneur of Neapolitan origin who, together with his brother Enzo, found success in the States thanks to the specialty of Campania cuisine. Present in Phoenix, they found themselves churning out over five thousand pizzas made from custom Marra Forni ovens decorated with Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagle Logos in their beautiful tile mosaics. Today, Marra Forni is the fastest growing brick oven manufacturer in the US.
The Super Bowl is an event that isn’t limited to the sporting competition between the two teams. At this year’s edition, where the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Phoenix, Arizona, The Super Bowl’s audience of 113 million people, connected between TV and streaming, was the third most-watched TV show ever and the most-watched ever on the web.
For those who live outside of the United States, and have never experienced one, it’s hard to believe that the Super Bowl is an all-round party, a real show that reaches its peak with the Halftime Show: the moment in which – halfway through the game – one or more music stars – this year it’s Rihanna’s turn – perform for about 20 minutes, in which the pitch is transformed into a pyrotechnic stage ready for the performance. The show also involves the many spectators in the stands, who gorge themselves on food and drink, just as if they were at a party, two inseparable elements from the American sporting tradition. And the boundless catering that took part in this year’s edition also spoke Italian. Indeed, Neapolitan.
“Our American story begins 27 years ago,” – says Francesco -, “when our family emigrated from Santa Lucia to the capital Washington DC. All for love: our mother, Pina Dubbio, married an Italian-American and chose the land of opportunities, where you can achieve anything you think of, regardless of who you are and where you come from. With many sacrifices we have managed to transform America into our home”.
Today, the Marras represent the main producers of Neapolitan ovens in the world and – in addition to Marra Forni – they own three other companies: Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center, Oro Catering (exclusive managers of the cafeteria and catering of the Italian embassy in Washington DC, the pinnacle of Italian politics and diplomacy abroad), and Oro Pizza.
Best-selling author Amy Riolo is also an award-winning chef, television host, and Mediterranean lifestyle ambassador. The author of 16 books (with #17 in the works), was named Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy by the President of the Italian Republic. She has also been dubbed “The Ambassador of Italian Cuisine in the US” by The Italian International Agency for Foreign Press, “Ambassador of the Italian Mediterranean Diet 2022-2024” by the International Academy of the Italian Mediterranean Diet in her ancestral homeland of Calabria, Italy, and “Ambassador of Mediterranean Cuisine in the World” by the Rome-based media agency We The Italians.
In 2019, she launched her own private label collection of premium Italian imported culinary ingredients called Amy Riolo Selections which includes extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, organic pasta, and pesto sauce from award-winning artisan companies. Amy is the brand ambassador for Marra Forni and The Pizza University and Culinary Arts Center. She is the co- founder and director of A.N.I.T.A. (Accademia Nazionale Italiana Tradizione Alimentari) and an honorary member of the Associazione Regionale Cuochi Pittagorici.
In everyday life, Italian is present beyond borders, transcending national boundaries. American movies, television, and streaming service programming regularly feature Italy and the Italian language – one needs only to think of the second season of White Lotus, or House of Gucci or even the soon-to-be-released Ferrari. Moreover, Italy remains a top destination for American students studying abroad, and most of all, Made in Italy, the worldwide famous label, speaks the language of timeless elegance, exquisite craftsmanship, and refined taste. 
Following the completion of my M.A. at Middlebury’s C.V. Starr School in Florence, I promptly embarked on my teaching career, instructing both intermediate and advanced levels of Italian at Old Bridge High School. Under my guidance, the Italian program flourished, becoming the second-largest language program within the department and ranking among the largest Italian programs in the state of New Jersey, as confirmed by ITANJ statistics at the time.
