1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,040 Speaker 1: Guess what, mango? What's that? Will? All right? 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 2: So I have something I need to get off my chest. 3 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 2: But before I do, let me ask you this. Did 4 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 2: you grow up around show biz or Chuck E Cheese? 5 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: I think we actually had both in Delaware. They were 6 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: both pretty popular for birthdays. Seriously, you had both? All right? 7 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 2: Well, we only had Showbiz near us. And there's only 8 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 2: one thing I actually really remember from going to show biz, 9 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 2: you know, as like a five or six year old, 10 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 2: and it was the Rock of Fire Explosion Band. 11 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: Do you remember these guys? Of course, Mitzi, Mazzarella, Fasceronimo 12 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: and the Keys. How can you forget? 13 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 2: Well, I certainly won't ever forget them, nor will I 14 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:34,840 Speaker 2: ever forget where I used to stand when I watch 15 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 2: them perform. 16 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: You know, show Biz had this huge. 17 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 2: Arcade room, but then you'd walk around the corner into 18 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 2: this dark room where this weird animatronic band was playing. 19 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 2: And I don't think I've ever been more simultaneously terrified 20 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 2: and yet completely mesmerized as I was when I watched 21 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 2: the Rock a Fire Explosion perform. 22 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. My guess is you weren't alone in that feeling. 23 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 2: Well, so I'd stand in the doorway, and I'd watched 24 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 2: them because for some reason I couldn't get enough of 25 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 2: these guys. And you know, as you mentioned, you had 26 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 2: Fat s Geronimo, the gorilla and the keys. He was 27 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 2: always arguing with the guy Rolf de Wolf, the you know, 28 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 2: the weird Ventrilocus wolf, you remember this. And then there 29 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 2: was Billy Bob who fortunately he was the brown bear 30 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: that would usually keep the peace among the band. 31 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: And then you had that was his name. 32 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 2: He was beach Bear, who always seemed high and he 33 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 2: was on the guitar. And then Duke LaRue, the wannabe astronaut, 34 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 2: this idiot mud who always missed his cue on the drums. 35 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 2: Of course you mentioned Mitzi Mozzarella, the cheerleader who shared 36 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 2: my love with Michael Jackson songs. There's one more why 37 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 2: I'm not forgetting this embarrassing Who was the other one? 38 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:37,119 Speaker 1: Yeah? But wasn't there like a drunk bird? 39 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 3: Oh right? 40 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: How can I forget Looney Bird, the alcoholic bird who 41 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 2: hung out in that barrel of gas a hall. 42 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: What a crew. I know, you look back on it 43 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: and it's so weird, Like what in the world were 44 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: they thinking with that band? 45 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 2: I don't know, but I loved them, and I was 46 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 2: so scared of them. And you know, I don't know 47 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 2: what it is about dark and weird things that draw 48 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 2: us in. And the thing is, I had no idea 49 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 2: there was an even darker and weirder story playing out 50 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: for Showbiz at the time. This was near the end 51 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 2: of the show Biz versus Chuck e Cheese pizza war, 52 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 2: which is such a strange story and it's just one 53 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: of the stories that's made us ask the question does 54 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 2: pizza bring out the worst in people? 55 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: So that's what we're gonna be talking about today. Let's 56 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: get started. 57 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 2: Hey, their podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 58 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 2: Will Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good 59 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 2: friend Mengesh hot Ticketter and on the other side of 60 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 2: that soundproof glass is the man with the most angelic 61 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: voice you've never heard, our brilliant producer, Tristan McNeil. 62 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: You ready to talk about pizza Mango? I am, And 63 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: I know we've been talking about doing a pizza themed 64 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: episode for a while now and both of us are 65 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: huge pizza lovers. I mean, who's not a pizza lover? 66 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: Which is a good point. But it was wild as 67 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: we started digging into the research, we just found so 68 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: many stories about the dark history of pizza, like pizza 69 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: wars and organized crime, so we decided to focus on those. 70 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,839 Speaker 2: We'll take a little break, at least from the dark 71 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 2: side to talk to one of our favorite pizza geniuses. 72 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right. We'll be talking to Scott Wiener, the 73 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: founder of Scott's Pizza Tours, and he's actually the world 74 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: record holder for the largest collection of pizza boxes. He's 75 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: super interesting and he knows more about pizza history than 76 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: anyone I know. He's definitely a pizza genius. 77 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 2: All right, Well, let's dive into our topic. And we 78 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 2: opened the show by talking about show biz and the 79 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 2: fact that I had no idea that by walking into 80 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 2: one of these I was unknowingly participating in one of 81 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 2: the greatest pizza wars of all time and probably would 82 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:44,839 Speaker 2: have made it that much more exciting. So why don't 83 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 2: we start with that one. 84 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good one. I mean, it doesn't get 85 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: that much juicier than a battle between the creator of 86 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: Pong and the inventor of Whack a Mole. No, it 87 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: definitely doesn't. 88 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 2: All right, Well, why don't you give us some of 89 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 2: the background on how both Chuck E. 90 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: Cheese and Showbiz got started. Cheese was first, and in 91 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: fact the first one opened in San Jose, a couple 92 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: of years before either of us was born. This was 93 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: way back in nineteen seventy seven, and it was actually 94 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: started by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari. He's also 95 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,679 Speaker 1: the creator of Pong. He came up with the idea 96 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: for the restaurant because he was spending so much of 97 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: his time selling Atari consoles like to arcades. He thought 98 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: there might be more money on the other side of 99 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 1: the business, on the arcade end, so he dreamed up 100 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: this idea for what would become Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza 101 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: Time Theater. Well, and I thought it was interesting. I mean, 102 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: I think both the animatronic. 103 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 2: Performers and the pizza were part of this concept from 104 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 2: the very beginning. So why don't you talk about those 105 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 2: for just a minute. Yeah, they were, and both were 106 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 2: kind of brilliant. 107 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: What's more appetizing than an animatronic rat? Right, Well, I'm 108 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 1: not sure why he chose a rat exactly, but it 109 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: is interesting to hear his thinking on the animatronics. So 110 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: he knew parents probably wouldn't be excited to bring their 111 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: families to a typical arcade. So he was looking for 112 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: a way to bring in some entertainment and make it 113 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: ask much about the environment as it was the arcade games. 114 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: Bushnell did a really interesting interview with The Atlantic a 115 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: few years ago, and in it he says this, the 116 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 1: reason for doing the animals was not for the kids. 117 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: It was meant to be a headfake for the parents, right. 118 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: And so then he also goes on to talk about 119 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:18,799 Speaker 1: the pizza and he explains there aren't too many ways 120 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: to screw it up. If the dough is good, the 121 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: cheese is good, and the sauce is good, the pizza 122 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: is good. I didn't have any preconceived idea that I 123 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:27,839 Speaker 1: knew how to run a restaurant, but I knew simple 124 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: was better. 125 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 2: Both seems smart, I mean, it makes sense, all right. 126 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 2: So what happens next, Well, Bushnell. 127 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: Feels he's onto something and he wants to expand, so 128 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,799 Speaker 1: he starts looking for investors and enter Bob Brock, who's 129 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: chairman of the Brock Hotel Corporation and a very successful 130 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,160 Speaker 1: franchise e of holiday inns. So the two of them 131 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: started working together on a deal to rapidly expand the business, 132 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: and Bushnell's job was really to figure out how to 133 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: improve the animatronics so these things could be in restaurants 134 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: all over the country if the rollout went well. All right, 135 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: So this is this is around nineteen seventy eight, seventy nine, 136 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: is that right? Yeah, And this is actually where the 137 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: drama starts. It was right after these big discussions that 138 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: Brock meets this young inventor, Aaron Fector, who's also the 139 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: inventor of the Whack a Mole, And in weird timing, 140 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: in Fector has been working on this animatronic band he 141 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: called the wolf Pack five, and Brock felt they were 142 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: much better than what Bushnell was doing. 143 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 2: All right, So Brock gets nervous about this, and he's 144 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 2: kind of uncertain, I guess, about the quality of the 145 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 2: animatronics in Chuck E Cheese. 146 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: Exactly, so much so that he actually decides to cancel 147 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: his deal with Bushnell, and then he strikes a deal 148 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: with Vector to make pretty much the same concept, and 149 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty the first show his pizza opened in 150 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: Kansas City. 151 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 2: That's such a bold move, that's crazy, and you know, 152 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 2: it's weird that they just kept the pizza element as well, 153 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 2: like they didn't seem to try to make it that 154 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 2: much different. 155 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, but if you think back to the Bushnell quote 156 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: about why pizza earlier, it's a simple food. So it 157 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 1: made it easier for them to move quickly. 158 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 2: And I guess that's where a rock of fire explosion 159 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 2: was born, right from the very beginning there. And you know, 160 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 2: at that time, I had no eye idea was watching 161 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 2: such a knockoff act. But if you look at I mean, they. 162 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: Kind of just look shady, right they do. 163 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 2: And I'm guessing it didn't take long for the lawsuits 164 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 2: to come after. 165 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: That, right, So first Chuck E Cheese suit Showbiz, and 166 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: then Showbiz filed a countersuit, and it ultimately settled in 167 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty two, with Showbiz agreeing to pay Chuck E 168 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: Cheese a portion of their profits for something like fourteen 169 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: or fifteen years. 170 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 2: Well, and you know, this is an interesting time to 171 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 2: be in this business because we talked about this in 172 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 2: our Weird Summer Travel Guide episode. This was around the 173 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 2: time that the video game market experienced a pretty big crash, 174 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: so it was obviously not good for either of these chains. 175 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, not at all, And In fact, it hit Chuck 176 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: E Cheese so hard that Bushnell eventually had to file 177 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: for bankruptcy. And you know, after he was forced out 178 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: of the company, Chuck E Cheese was acquired by Showviz. 179 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: So I guess ultimately mister whackamole won the war here. Yeah, 180 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: so it's fair to say he won the battle. But 181 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 1: in the end, they both. 182 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 3: Lost the war. 183 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: And how is that? Well, Showviz wasn't exactly thriving, and 184 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: in their efforts to improve the company. Per foremance Fector 185 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: lost out and he left with the Rock and Fire Bend, 186 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: And so that was the last we saw them in showbiz. 187 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: Then in nineteen ninety eight, the whole company rebranded as 188 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: CEC Entertainment. 189 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:12,440 Speaker 2: Well, and now I see there are more than five 190 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 2: hundred Chuck E Cheese locations around the country. 191 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's still a big deal. 192 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 2: It definitely is. Well, that's such a weird but interesting story. 193 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 2: All right, Well, let's talk about another battle where I 194 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 2: found some of the trash talking pretty funny. That was 195 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 2: the result of McDonald's attempt to enter the pizza market, 196 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 2: something I didn't really remember, and this was back in 197 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 2: the late eighties. 198 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a good one. So why don't you take 199 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:33,839 Speaker 1: this one? All right? 200 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 2: Well, just a little bit of background on this one. 201 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 2: And by the way, there's a great mental flaw story 202 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 2: on this from Jake Rosen, one of our favorite writers there. 203 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:43,959 Speaker 2: So let's go back to the early nineteen eighties. McDonald's 204 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 2: is an absolute giant, and as Jake pointed out, they 205 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 2: owned nearly forty percent of what was then a forty 206 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:51,479 Speaker 2: eight billion. 207 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: Dollar burger market, so incredible. 208 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 2: Well, and they were looking for ways to keep growing 209 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 2: from there, and because they were looking to break into 210 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 2: the dinner game and a much big way, and the 211 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 2: idea of taking over a meal time was not foreign 212 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,199 Speaker 2: to them, and they'd done this in the early seventies 213 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:10,680 Speaker 2: when they introduced the egg McMuffin. You know, despite being 214 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 2: mocked by critics, the McMuffin was a. 215 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: Huge success, a crush. 216 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 2: Well, their customers would have disagreed. Their customers were really 217 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 2: digging them. 218 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: Well, I mean, I guess so you're saying they had 219 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: their eyes on dinner though. 220 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, they'd conquered lunch and breakfast, and next 221 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 2: was figuring out how to get people into their locations 222 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 2: at night because for one reason or another, people saw 223 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 2: burgers and their other offerings as more of a lunch thing, 224 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 2: and that's when they started looking at this rapidly growing 225 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 2: pizza market. And so you look at the late nineteen eighties, 226 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 2: they decided it was time to make a move. So 227 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 2: what they do well, It is important to note that, 228 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 2: unlike the McMuffin introduction, that this was not going to 229 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 2: be an easy transition when it came to the layout 230 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 2: of their stores and their kitchen specifically. And this was 231 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 2: honestly something I'd not really thought about. So first they 232 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 2: had to develop this super quick cook oven and it 233 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 2: wasn't exactly and so you know, in order to include 234 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:04,839 Speaker 2: the oven and other equipment related to it, they had 235 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 2: to remodel their restaurants. And that wasn't actually the only 236 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 2: space problem. Again, something I had not really thought much 237 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 2: about until doing our research here. It was the windows 238 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 2: and their drive through. So think about trying to fit 239 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 2: a full pizza through one of those tiny windows. So 240 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 2: in order to serve the pizza, they'd have to go 241 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 2: back and expand all of them. 242 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: But this didn't stop them from trying, oh not at all, 243 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 1: not at all. 244 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 2: I mean, it might have slowed down the rate at 245 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 2: which they'd try to do some of their early testing. 246 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 2: But in nineteen eighty nine they began testing in a 247 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 2: couple dozen locations in Indiana and Kentucky. 248 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: And this is where the trash talking started. Because I 249 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: really want to get to the trashoar. 250 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 2: A, right, we'll get to the trash talking. So enter 251 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:45,960 Speaker 2: Pizza Hut. So you know, they had to be at 252 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 2: least a little bit nervous. I mean, they were the 253 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 2: giant in the pizza business, but nobody was bigger than McDonald's, 254 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 2: so this was definitely a threat. 255 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: And they had to be ready with some good trash talking. 256 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: So would they say, Well, if you look. 257 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 2: Back at one of the regional ads, they warned peaeople, 258 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:02,959 Speaker 2: don't make a mixed steak to get it. 259 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:04,839 Speaker 1: They were really warning people about that. 260 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:08,440 Speaker 2: And then they started talking about their competition's mic frozen dough. 261 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: That's such a low blow. I kind of like, how 262 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: whenever you want to make fun of McDonald's to go 263 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: to is just to add mick in front of anything exactly. 264 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:17,239 Speaker 1: That's why it's so ridiculous. 265 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 2: I mean, I actually, for some reason started thinking about 266 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 2: a brainstorming session at the Pizza Hut headquarters where they 267 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 2: were just like, all right, what should we put Mick 268 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 2: in front of to show. 269 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 1: Those guys who's boss. It'd be like the one genius. 270 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 2: He just rattles off like, hey, don't make a mixed 271 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 2: steak by eating a mcfrozen pizza because it's the mic worst. 272 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 2: And they were all like, that's brilliant. You don't mess 273 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 2: with the hut. 274 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's why they'd hit in the big box. So 275 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: you can tell I've thought about this a little little 276 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: too much. So was it the trash talking that ultimately 277 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:49,559 Speaker 1: can the pizza for them? 278 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 2: Well, I doubt that had that much to do with it, 279 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:55,840 Speaker 2: despite how brilliant those micklines were. But I mean it's 280 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 2: not like McDonald's isn't used to some portion of the 281 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:02,560 Speaker 2: population mocking their food. And ultimately there were bigger factors 282 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 2: beyond the restructuring of the restaurants that I mentioned earlier. 283 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: So think about prep time. I mean this was a 284 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: big factor. 285 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 2: Imagine pulling up to a window and ordering a couple 286 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 2: burgers for one person and pizza for another. So they've 287 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 2: got the quick burger thing down to a science. I mean, 288 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 2: those suckers are ready in a minute and they're waiting 289 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:21,959 Speaker 2: for you at the window right as you pull up. 290 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:24,480 Speaker 2: But a pizza, even if it's quick, even if it 291 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 2: only takes five minutes, I mean, that feels like an 292 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 2: eternity for people who are used to an almost instant 293 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 2: drive through service. You know. Plus the rest of their 294 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,199 Speaker 2: order is just sitting there getting cold as they're waiting 295 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 2: on the pizza. 296 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, you can see why that'd be a problem. Well, 297 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: and the other issue was price. 298 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 2: I mean, it's not like pizzas are expensive in the 299 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 2: broader food market, but when customers are used to spending 300 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,559 Speaker 2: a buck or two parade and mmcdonald's, an eight ninety 301 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,720 Speaker 2: nine item feels expensive. The psychology of this, you know, 302 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 2: the pricing of things. It's weird, but it's interesting. 303 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, So how did it all play out? 304 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,959 Speaker 2: Well, by the early nineteen nineties, pizzas were being served 305 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,080 Speaker 2: in I think about a third of their locations, but 306 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:06,200 Speaker 2: it just wasn't working, and so they disappeared as quickly 307 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 2: as they came. 308 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: I mean you might say they were mick history. I've 309 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: been practicing. Yeah, I think I need a little break 310 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: after that joke. So why don't we get our pizza 311 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 1: genius on the line. 312 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 2: All right, Well, Mago, I know we've been talking about 313 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,440 Speaker 2: pizza wars, and later on in the episode it's going 314 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 2: to get even a little bit darker. So I thought 315 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,480 Speaker 2: we should take a break and talk about some of 316 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:42,439 Speaker 2: the fun pizza stuff. 317 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: We're both huge pizza. 318 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 2: Fans, and there's obviously plenty of reasons to celebrate pizza. 319 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:48,599 Speaker 2: In fact, I think we'll do another episode in the 320 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 2: not too distant future about all the fun facts about pizza. 321 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 1: But today we've got. 322 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 2: Scott Wiener on the program. Scott's an insane pizza connoisseur. 323 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 2: He's the owner of Scott's Pizza Tours. He also consults 324 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 2: on pizza park, writes a column for Pizza Today magazine, 325 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 2: sounds qualified all the pizza references. 326 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: He judges international. 327 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 2: Pizza competition and holds the Guinness Book record for the 328 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 2: largest collection of pizza boxes. 329 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: So, Scott, welcome to part time Genius. 330 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 4: Thanks so much for having me. 331 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:18,319 Speaker 1: Hey, so so, one of the first things I heard 332 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 1: about you was that you loved pizza so much you 333 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 1: decided to turn that into a career. How do you 334 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: go about making pizza your career? And were people skeptical 335 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: when you told them that's what you were doing. 336 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 4: You know, I had no idea what it was going 337 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 4: to be like in the beginning. I just thought, Hey, 338 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 4: wouldn't it be great if I could eat pizza for 339 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 4: a living? You know, I don't know what is it, 340 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 4: but I you know, I was like, well, I can't 341 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:42,480 Speaker 4: do a book. Nobody knows who the heck I am, 342 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 4: and I don't know much, and I can't write a 343 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 4: blog because actually at the time I had no internet 344 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 4: where I lived. And I figured, well, what if we 345 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 4: did something live action? And there's nothing better than live 346 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 4: action doing a tour. So I figured, Oh, take people 347 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 4: around the cool pizza rias, show them the ovens, shows 348 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 4: them the kitchen, we'll eat pizza. I'll explain what's going 349 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 4: on in the kitchen, and it'll be like a live 350 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 4: action food TV show. And that was that. 351 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 1: Oh that's awesome. 352 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 2: I remember you telling us you kind of have a 353 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 2: strict count of how many pizza slices you allow yourself 354 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 2: every week because you're such a pizza fanatic, So what 355 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 2: do you limit yourself to? 356 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 4: So my limit is fifteen slices per week. It begins 357 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 4: Monday mornings loo one am and Sunday night and you 358 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:28,680 Speaker 4: know what, it's really hard to keep to that low 359 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 4: of a limit because I'm exposed to somewhere between four 360 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 4: and ten pizzeri is every day, and so to you 361 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 4: have to say to eight pizzeri is a day. No, 362 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 4: I can't eat the slice right now. It's really tough. 363 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: That's pretty incredible, and you never get sick of it. 364 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 4: I haven't gotten sick of it yet, but I'm always 365 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 4: nervous about it. And that's why I have this limit. 366 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 4: It's just so I don't lose that edge. I want 367 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 4: to stay interested in pizza. And I'm worried that what 368 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 4: if I go overboard one week and you know when 369 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 4: you're a kid and you ate too many jelly beans 370 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 4: and then he's like candy jelly beans anymore. I don't 371 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 4: want to live that life. 372 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: That's pretty great. So I just moved to Atlanta, and 373 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: it's not like New York where you can get slices 374 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: on every block. And so I was wondering, how do 375 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: you plan the perfect pizza crawl in a city you 376 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: don't know. 377 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,160 Speaker 4: So if I'm planning a pizza crawl in a city 378 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 4: I haven't been to before, I always start by putting 379 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 4: up a post on Twitter on Facebook, Hey, anybody have 380 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,200 Speaker 4: ideas for pizzerias? And then I sort of I call 381 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:31,040 Speaker 4: together a list based on the most suggestions I get. 382 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 4: I cross reference that with recommendations people have given me 383 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 4: on my pizza tours, which of course I keep a 384 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,960 Speaker 4: long spreadsheet about that, and you know, I kind of 385 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 4: narrow it down to what days of the week are 386 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 4: these pizzerias open, what times are they open? And I 387 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 4: kind of carve out a little route that makes sense. 388 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 4: And I mean, I just got back from a trip 389 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 4: to Detroit last week where all I did for three 390 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 4: days was hit the pizza scene. And I mean I 391 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 4: hit a ton of pizza a short amount of time, 392 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 4: and it couldn't without intensive preparation. 393 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: And Detroit's like a hot scene for pizza right now. 394 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 4: Right So, only in the past few years has it 395 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 4: really become obvious to everyone outside of Detroit that they've 396 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 4: got their own pizza thing going. You know, if you 397 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 4: ask anybody ten years ago, where do you get pizza 398 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:21,400 Speaker 4: in America? They say, well, it's New York and it's Chicago. 399 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 4: And the people who knew a little bit better would say, oh, 400 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 4: and New Haven, Connecticut. But now we're starting to see 401 00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 4: that all these little regional variations are at least as significant. 402 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:33,680 Speaker 4: And I got to say, having just eaten myself, Detroit 403 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 4: definitely has it going on. 404 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 2: I know you've been a judge at the World Pizza Cup, 405 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 2: which I have to be honest, isn't something I was 406 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 2: that familiar with. So can you tell our listeners a 407 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 2: little about the World Cup? And also how do you taste, 408 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 2: test or judge a pizza? 409 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,679 Speaker 4: Wow, there are serious pizza competitions. I mean there's that 410 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 4: Pizza World Cup is in Parma, Italy, and then there's 411 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 4: one called the International Pizza Challenge, which is part of 412 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 4: the International Pizza Expo in Las AGAs every year. And 413 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,239 Speaker 4: judging is tough because, as you can probably imagine, the 414 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 4: more slices you eat, the more they start to taste 415 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 4: the same. So you really have to you really have 416 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 4: to stay sharp. Like I always bring some palate cleansers, 417 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:17,680 Speaker 4: like an apple, I bring some lemon rind. I always 418 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 4: try to have some bubbly water on hand, coffee beans 419 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 4: to you know, clear my nasal passages. You know, just 420 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 4: to give a whiff and kind of reset by all 421 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 4: fuctory senses and you know you stay at that and 422 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 4: you can have you can sample twenty or thirty slices 423 00:18:33,359 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 4: of one day and still be able to tell the difference. 424 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 4: You know, when you're when you're given a slice of pizza, 425 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:39,879 Speaker 4: you have to be given the whole slice, so you 426 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 4: can choose your own adventure with how you bite that. 427 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 4: I do. I always do a bite of the tip 428 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 4: and a bite of the lift, so I'm getting a 429 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 4: bite of the center of the pie and I'm also 430 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:54,400 Speaker 4: getting some of the edge crust. And after those two bites, 431 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:56,360 Speaker 4: you know, if I need to go back for more 432 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:59,959 Speaker 4: information and more more reconnaissance, I can choose my own 433 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 4: bite for where I go next. But bite of the 434 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 4: tip and a bite of the lip is the best. 435 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: Way to start. I love that. Start using that phrase 436 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:07,360 Speaker 1: a lot. 437 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 2: See what people say, Well, let's talk about this pizza 438 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:11,919 Speaker 2: box collection you have. 439 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: As we mentioned, you're the world record holder. 440 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,679 Speaker 2: So what's your obsession with pizza boxes and and what 441 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 2: are some of the smartest design ones you have in 442 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 2: your collection? 443 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 4: Well, when I started doing these tours in two thousand 444 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 4: and eight, I was so interested in learning as much 445 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 4: as I could about every angle of the pizza world 446 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 4: because it's subjective. You like a different pizza than I like, 447 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 4: and neither of us is wrong or right, you know. 448 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 4: So I figured, well, let me, let me dive into 449 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 4: some of these things that that are that are more objective. 450 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,159 Speaker 4: Let's let's look at pizza box part. And I was 451 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 4: fascinated by the fact that we have different generic box 452 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 4: designs in different parts of the country and different parts 453 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 4: of the world to draw their most mustachio demand a 454 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 4: little differently than the others. So I just thought that 455 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 4: that was it was really striking. And then I started 456 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 4: getting more into the technology behind the box, and I found, 457 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 4: you know, there's a great box in Italy that's lined 458 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 4: with this reflective polyester fabric so that it keeps the 459 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 4: pizza hotter on the inside of the box. It prevents 460 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,600 Speaker 4: the grease from soaking into the box itself, which would 461 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:25,959 Speaker 4: render it unrecyclable in some municipalities. So it's a cool box. 462 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 4: And then there's one in India that is unbelievable. It's 463 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 4: a breathable box. It has indirect ventilation that uses the 464 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 4: fluting of a corrugated cardboard box set up to the 465 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 4: advantage of getting rid of steam while maintaining heat and 466 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 4: the inside of the box so cool. 467 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 2: All right, Well, before we play a little quiz, I 468 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,199 Speaker 2: want to make sure our listeners know about Slice out Hunger. 469 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: Can you tell us a little bit about this? 470 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, Slice Out Hunger is a nonprofit that I started 471 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,200 Speaker 4: right when I started the pizza to our company, where 472 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:01,440 Speaker 4: we do fundraising for hunger relief organizations all around the country, 473 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 4: and we do it through the pizza community. So we 474 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,960 Speaker 4: have an annual event that happens in New York where 475 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 4: we have sixty pizzerias in one location, all serving slices 476 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:13,320 Speaker 4: for a buck a pop, and all the money that 477 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 4: we raise gets matched by corporate sponsors and then donated 478 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 4: to local hunger relief organizations. We also have these nationwide 479 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 4: campaigns where your local pizzeria might have a little sign 480 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 4: and then we know that says Slice out Hunger this 481 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,440 Speaker 4: month with our you know whatever it is our specialty 482 00:21:30,480 --> 00:21:33,360 Speaker 4: pizza of the months, or we're working on a project 483 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 4: coming up for National Pizza Day on February ninth, which 484 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 4: we'll have a simultaneous delivery of pizza in every state 485 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 4: in the United States to a local hunger relief organization, 486 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:49,960 Speaker 4: charity after school program Senior Center, Food Bank, food pantry. 487 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:51,159 Speaker 4: It's going to be crazy. 488 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:51,800 Speaker 1: Wow. 489 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 2: Well, thank you for doing all of that incredible work, 490 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:56,320 Speaker 2: and is our way of saying thanks. 491 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 1: We thought we would give you a really horrible quiz. 492 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: You don't mind, So what I'm prepared? 493 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 3: All right? 494 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: So what's our quiz called today? 495 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 3: Mango? 496 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: We're going to play a game called Our Cheesiest Quiz Ever. 497 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 2: Okay, so we're going to give Scott four cheesy statements 498 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 2: and he's going to tell us whether they're true or false. 499 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: You ready, Scott? 500 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 4: I guess I'm ready. I got no choice? 501 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 1: All right? Well, question number one. 502 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,880 Speaker 2: When Pizza Hut introduced the Insider Pizza in two thousand, 503 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 2: it became the world's largest user of cheese. 504 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 1: Each pie required about one pound of cheese. Truer false, 505 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:33,160 Speaker 1: I'll say true. 506 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right. 507 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,359 Speaker 1: At the time, Pizza Hut was using more than three 508 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: hundred million pounds of cheese each year and purchasing three 509 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: percent of all the cheese produced in the US. All right, 510 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 1: one for one. Number two. 511 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 2: Moose cheese costs about four hundred and twenty dollars per 512 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 2: pound because milking of moose takes two hours and must 513 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 2: be done in complete silence. 514 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:53,479 Speaker 1: Tru or false. 515 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 4: I love this, but I'm gonna say it's false. 516 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: Oh, it's actually true. Moo. Yeah, they're notoriously moody and 517 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 1: they'll go dry if they're even slightly deserved. 518 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 2: So I didn't think that was true either when I 519 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 2: saw this quiz when Mango brought it in this morning, 520 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 2: So that one stumped me as well. 521 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:14,120 Speaker 1: All right. 522 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 2: Question number three. Frankie Easy Cheese Jenkins was a New 523 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,600 Speaker 2: York City graffiti artist in the nineteen seventies before he 524 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 2: patented and sold his idea for putting cheese in an 525 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,640 Speaker 2: aerosol can. True or false. 526 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 4: Ooh, this is a tough one. I feel like I 527 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:35,479 Speaker 4: really want it to be true, and it could be, 528 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:39,360 Speaker 4: but I'm going to say. I'm going to say it's 529 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:40,919 Speaker 4: too good to be true. It's false. 530 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, you're right. So. Originally known as Snackmate, the product 531 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,320 Speaker 1: was invented in nineteen sixty five in a Nibisco lab. 532 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 1: All right, so Scott's two for three. This is for 533 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 1: the big prize here. Number four. 534 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 2: Wisconsin has started using provolone and mozzarella to d ice 535 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 2: roads as a way to keep cost of rock salt down. 536 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 1: True. Or faults. 537 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,160 Speaker 4: Oho, this is another one that feels like it's too 538 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 4: good to be true. But all right, I'm gonna go 539 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:10,640 Speaker 4: with my heart on this one, and I'm gonna give 540 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 4: you the answer that I want it to be, even 541 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:14,320 Speaker 4: though it might not be correct. I'm gonna say that 542 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 4: that is true. 543 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely right. So the cheese Brian is a cheaper 544 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: and greener way to keep traffic safe and it comes 545 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 1: with the added perk of making town smell faintly like mazzarella. Wow. Oh, 546 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: all right, so what Scott won today? Yeah, so Scott 547 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,479 Speaker 1: went impressive three or four And in addition to our 548 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:34,920 Speaker 1: total admiration, Scott's going to get a copy of The 549 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: Jetsons the Great Pizza Hunt Book, which is the only 550 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,280 Speaker 1: book about the Jetsons and pizza with a five star 551 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: rating on Goodreads. 552 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 2: All right, well, Scott, thanks so much for joining us 553 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 2: on Part Time Genius. 554 00:24:46,560 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 5: Thanks for having me, guys, welcome back to Part Time Genius. 555 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,119 Speaker 2: Before the break, we talked about a couple of the 556 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,119 Speaker 2: pizza wars from the past few decades, first one with 557 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,879 Speaker 2: Chuck E Cheese and Showbiz, and then the trash talking 558 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 2: one between McDonald's and Pizza hut. But now it's time 559 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,159 Speaker 2: to tackle a much more serious topic. We don't get 560 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 2: all that serious very often here at Part Time Genius, 561 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 2: but this is a fascinating case. 562 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, we wanted to talk about the Pizza 563 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:23,520 Speaker 1: Connection trial, right. 564 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 2: Right, So let me just share a few of the 565 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,880 Speaker 2: basics and the numbers involved here. So this was March 566 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 2: of nineteen eighty seven, and there were seventeen people found 567 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:35,119 Speaker 2: guilty of building a massive international drug ring. It was 568 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:37,880 Speaker 2: all orchestrated by the mafia, and it was managed through 569 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 2: this network of neighborhood pizzerias all. 570 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:41,640 Speaker 1: Over the country. 571 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:45,120 Speaker 2: So it started with thirty five defendants, nineteen of them 572 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 2: ended up standing trial, and the street value of the 573 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 2: heroin they moved was worth an estimated one point sixty 574 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 2: five billion dollars. 575 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: Wow, which is no small operation. 576 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 2: No, it definitely wasn't. And it gets more complex from there. 577 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 2: This network was insane. There were two primary organized crime 578 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 2: groups behind this. You have the Sicilian mafia and then 579 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 2: you have the Banano crime family in New York. And 580 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 2: the arrests were not just made in New York and Italy, 581 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:14,679 Speaker 2: but in Switzerland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit. 582 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: I mean It's crazy how wide this was. Yeah, and 583 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,879 Speaker 1: so I'm guessing a case this complex isn't fast to 584 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: prosecute and investigate, right, No, not at all. 585 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:24,440 Speaker 2: I mean, there was this series of raids of pizzerias 586 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 2: and homes all over the country. This was one morning 587 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 2: in nineteen eighty four, and this happened after four years 588 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 2: of an FBI investigation. Then you have this seventeen month trial. 589 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 2: Seventeen months, I mean, it's one of the longest trials 590 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 2: in American history, and it was at the end of 591 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,120 Speaker 2: that that these seventeen people were found guilty. 592 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:46,239 Speaker 1: I was on grand jury for seven months once. I 593 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,399 Speaker 1: remember that forever. Seventeen months just feels impossible. 594 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I can't imagine. But in this case, it's not 595 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 2: just because it took forever. I mean, you know, think 596 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,960 Speaker 2: about the jurors. They were scared for their lives. It 597 00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 2: actually ended up being an eleven member jury because one 598 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 2: of the was excused after getting these threatening phone calls. 599 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,640 Speaker 2: Even the judge admitted to being worried for his safety. Yeah, 600 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:08,119 Speaker 2: and of course they were the only ones who had 601 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 2: to fear for their lives. I remember reading that one 602 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,880 Speaker 2: of the suspects was found dead in a garbage bag 603 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 2: before the trial ended, and another defendant was shot a 604 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 2: few times and ended up pleading guilty from his hospital bed. 605 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 3: Yeah. 606 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 2: And there are two really interesting articles in Vice, or 607 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:23,919 Speaker 2: rather there was one on the Vice website and it 608 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 2: was called how Mafia pizzeria drug fronts inspired one of 609 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 2: the most complex criminal trials ever, Yeah, exactly by a 610 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 2: guy named John Serico, and another on their Munchie site 611 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,200 Speaker 2: called The Dark Side of Pie by Nick Rose. And 612 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 2: I would recommend reading both of them. 613 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: They were both very interesting. So it's just so wild 614 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 1: that it was called the pizza connection and that it 615 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: was largely managed through a huge network of pizzerias. So 616 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: want to tell our listeners why, Well, you know. 617 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 2: In the article I mentioned by Nick Rose, he interviews 618 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 2: a few experts on this connection between organized crime and pizza. 619 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 2: And one of the experts he spoke to was a 620 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 2: guy named Antonio Nika, and he's written several books on 621 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 2: organized crime and when he was asked why pizzerias, here's 622 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:08,160 Speaker 2: what he said. You can do this with any kind 623 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,440 Speaker 2: of restaurant, but at the time, it was just easier 624 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,120 Speaker 2: to buy a pizzeria and it was a great opportunity 625 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 2: to make money and sell heroin out of the back door. 626 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 2: He then goes on to say a pizzeria can. 627 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: Be a good way to launder money. At the end 628 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:21,920 Speaker 1: of the day. 629 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:25,400 Speaker 2: You can produce fake receipts because it's mostly a cash business. 630 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 2: If you have two hundred clients in a given day, 631 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:30,399 Speaker 2: a bookkeeper can punch the receipts so that it says 632 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:33,360 Speaker 2: five hundred customers. And the money that you don't make 633 00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,360 Speaker 2: from selling pizza, you can put in the cash by 634 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 2: selling heroin or drugs and pay taxes. 635 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 1: Which is so crazy. And I guess another advantage of 636 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: pizza places is their whole delivery network, right, Yeah, that's 637 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: exactly right. 638 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 2: And so they've got this distribution system that's already in place. 639 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 2: You've got people out delivering pizzas all over the country, 640 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 2: you know, so why not have them deliver heroin? I mean, 641 00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:57,160 Speaker 2: I know why they shouldn't deliver heroines, So don't answer that. 642 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 2: But that was their line of thinking. So eventually this 643 00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,479 Speaker 2: pizza connection spanned all over the country. It even went 644 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 2: up into Canada over time, and they built what was 645 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 2: essentially a monopoly on heroin there. 646 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,160 Speaker 1: And as a side note, I noticed that the US 647 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 1: attorney who was prosecuting the cases a name we'd eventually 648 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 1: all know. That's right. 649 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 2: It was none other than future in New York City 650 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 2: mayor and presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani. 651 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 1: And he was known for being a tough prosecutor. Yeah, 652 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: that's right. So this trial happens, and does it slow 653 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,240 Speaker 1: down the trafficking of heroin and the connection with Pizza, 654 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: Well not really. 655 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 2: I mean, just seven years later, famous original raised Pizza 656 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 2: in the heart of Manhattan was busted for being this 657 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 2: big organizing spot for another major drug ring. And these 658 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,920 Speaker 2: bus take an enormous amount of human power and time, 659 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 2: and this one specifically, it took three years and more 660 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,280 Speaker 2: than two hundred agents involved in this thing. Yeah, it's crazy. 661 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 2: And then fast forward to twenty eleven, John Porcello, known 662 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,120 Speaker 2: as Johnny Pizza, was arrested in what the FBI reports 663 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,479 Speaker 2: as the biggest mob raid in its history. 664 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 1: But I mean, if I remember correctly, the actual pizzerias 665 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: weren't discovered to be a part of the racketeering. 666 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:03,000 Speaker 2: No, But I mean still, I mean, the guy was 667 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 2: known as Johnny Pizza. There's some connection there. But by 668 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:09,040 Speaker 2: the way, I know there's not much funny about these cases, 669 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 2: but when the La Times reported on this bust I 670 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 2: did enjoy this line. It said many had nicknames that 671 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 2: just read like a Hollywood script. Lumpy, Johnny, Pizza, the Bull, Baby, 672 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 2: Fat Mush, Jello. 673 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: And meat Ball among them. Lumpy and Mush. I know, 674 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: I love those. Well, it's all really strange, and I'd say, 675 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: while the show biz and McDonald's stories are pretty crazy, 676 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 1: they aren't quite as heavy as all this pizza connection stuff. 677 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,080 Speaker 2: No agreed, but things are about to get heavier because 678 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 2: you know what time it is? 679 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, backt off time, all right, I'll go first. 680 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:52,640 Speaker 2: So we were talking about the pizza wars in the 681 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 2: first half of the show. Well, the founder of Domino's, 682 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 2: Tom Monaghan, he may not have been in many all 683 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 2: out wars, but he wasn't a to rough up some 684 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 2: of his earliest customers if they tried to skip out 685 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 2: on paying. As he said in his autobiography quote, if 686 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 2: someone refused to pay a driver for an order, I 687 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 2: didn't call the police. I just went and demanded the money. Usually, 688 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 2: the culprits were a bunch of college guys who decided 689 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 2: to have a party at my expense, and I didn't 690 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 2: hesitate to swing a punch to persuade them to pay up. 691 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:25,280 Speaker 1: That's crazy. So here's a quick one. Ever wondered where 692 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:28,480 Speaker 1: tombstone pizza got its name. It's because it was first 693 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: made in a bar that was across the street from 694 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 1: the cemetery. 695 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,440 Speaker 2: You know, I actually have wondered that, but I've never 696 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,040 Speaker 2: looked at up. So that's interesting to know. All right, Well, 697 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 2: I'm not done. Quoting Domino's founder Tom Onahan, he also said, 698 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:42,800 Speaker 2: from time to time, we'd have a rash of pizza 699 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 2: thefts from parked vehicles while drivers were busy with customers. 700 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: I'd hide in the. 701 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,200 Speaker 2: Back of the car, and the next time it went 702 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 2: to that neighborhood, I'd wait for them to try it again. 703 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 2: I'd carry a meat tenderizing mallet or a pop bottle 704 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 2: as a persuader, and that approach, Yeah, always solved the problem. 705 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: It's just the problem. That's as simple, is that, Okay. 706 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:05,800 Speaker 1: So on a slightly lesson sane note, In the nineteen eighties, 707 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 1: Chuck E. Cheese decided to expand to Australia, but instead 708 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: decided to be called Charlie Cheese's Pizza playhouse. And that's 709 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,920 Speaker 1: because the word chuck is even more strongly associated with 710 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 1: throwing up there than it is here. 711 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 5: Wow. 712 00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 2: Okay, you know, actually I think I might try to 713 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 2: get that term Charlie cheese to catch on for throwing 714 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 2: somebody Charlie cheese everywhere. 715 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 1: Okay, all right? 716 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 2: So did you know back in the nineteen sixties there 717 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 2: was a US Army intelligence unit that would use fake 718 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 2: pizza deliveries to spy on people, namely reporters and politicians. 719 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: That's weird. So want to know who holds the Guinness 720 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 1: World Record for the most expensive pizza commercially available. It's 721 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: in my old home of New York City at Industry Kitchen. 722 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 1: The pizza, which takes two days to make, includes black 723 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:48,840 Speaker 1: squid incto, stilton cheese from the UK, French truffles, two 724 00:32:48,920 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 1: types of caviar foi gras, and of course a twenty 725 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 1: four carrot gold leaf. Wow, it goes for two thousand dollars. 726 00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:56,240 Speaker 1: All right, that's ridiculous. 727 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:58,400 Speaker 2: Of all the things we've talked about today, that is 728 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 2: the most offensive by far. So that shouldn't be classified 729 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:04,960 Speaker 2: as a pizza at that price. Actually, maga, have you 730 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 2: got me so riled up, I'm gonna have to give 731 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 2: you the fact off trophy today. 732 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:12,240 Speaker 1: Well, while while will storms off, I'd like to thank 733 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 1: you for listening today, and if you want to share 734 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,000 Speaker 1: any favorite pizza facts, hit us up at part Time 735 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:20,120 Speaker 1: Genius at HowStuffWorks dot com, where find us on Facebook 736 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:23,080 Speaker 1: or Twitter, or call our twenty four to seven fact hotline. 737 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 1: It's one eight four four pt Genius. We'll see you 738 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 1: next time. 739 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 2: Thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius is a production 740 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 2: of How Stuff Works and wouldn't be possible without several 741 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 2: brilliant people who do the important things we couldn't even 742 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 2: begin to understand. 743 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:51,520 Speaker 1: Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the 744 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 1: theme song and does the mixy mixy sound thing. Jerry 745 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: Roland does the exec producer thing. 746 00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:58,760 Speaker 2: Gabe Bluesier is our lead researcher, with support from the 747 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 2: research army including off Then Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas 748 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:02,440 Speaker 2: Adams and Eves. 749 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,920 Speaker 1: Jeffcok gets the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. 750 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 2: If you like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, 751 00:34:07,080 --> 00:34:08,920 Speaker 2: And if you really really like what you've heard, maybe 752 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 2: you could leave a. 753 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:12,759 Speaker 1: Good review for us. Do we forget Jason? Jason who