Though he's unknown to most Americans, Gino Sorbillo is one of the most famous pizzaioli in Italy, with regular guest appearances on MasterChef Italia, three restaurants in Naples, and a reputation for having fought the mafia — beating back crime in Centro Storico, the neighborhood that’s home to his flagship pizzeria. Here in New York, Sorbillo will open the first overseas outpost of his namesake pizzeria in October at 334 Bowery, following his low-key, fast-casual calzone spot Zia Esterina that opened in Little Italy over the summer.

Inside his pizzeria on Via dei Tribunali, the lean Sorbillo, who looks much younger than his 43 years, works in an open kitchen as adoring customers gawk from their seats. Women jostle nearby for a chance at a selfie and, if they’re lucky, the European double-cheek kiss. Outside, fans wait for up to two hours on the narrow cobblestone street for a table. The pizza is that good, a showcase of light-as-air crust topped with local ingredients.