Luigi Carannante is a no-nonsense pizzeria owner in Burlington, NC. The 44-year-old from Monte di Procida, a peninsula just outside of Naples, Italy, has run the Little Italy restaurant for the last ten years, putting in his heart, soul and up to 80 hours a week. He’s a father of eight, and his youngest has autism.
Luigi, or Gino as he is commonly known, is a U.S. citizen and registered Republican who believes in hard work, no matter what form it takes. Maybe because of his son, he has a soft spot for different abilities, employing Matt, a 37-year-old with Down’s syndrome, for two days a week for the past three years.
Until Wednesday, June 5, 2019, Gino also employed 21-year-old Juan Carlos, who arrived at the pizzeria’s back door at about 10:20am that morning to set up for the day. A friend has just dropped him off in the parking lot and he looks a little tired as he finishes last drop of water from a plastic bottle.
