Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito and boldface names from Broadway and publishing feted "Jersey Girl" and new author Lauren Pizza on the completion of her memoir: "Meant to be: the Lives and Loves of a Jersey Girl" for Skyhorse Publishing...with a little help from local Police and Fire Departments. Scroll down for photos!
A wiring malfunction, which sent an (incorrect) alarm to the authorities about a carbon dioxide leak, brought Franklin Lakes' Finest and Bravest to the home just before dinner. Luckily, Chef Rocco and the guests were unfazed by the commotion and the firemen got to sample some of his famous meatballs.
The guests included
Stewart Lane, five-time Tony Award winning Broadway producer;
Bonnie Comley, Vice President of Stellar Productions International, Inc., a writer, performer and producer of the Tony-Award winner "
War Horse; " author
Martin Levin and Paula Drost,
Michael Goldfried, and
Stefano Brancato, of Flying Boy Productions; Broadway performers
Kevin Burrows and
Christopher Sieber, two-time Tony Award nominee, and friends Sam Vassallo, Roseanne Vassallo, Dr. Greg Simonian and Dr. Carla Simonian.
The evening's host,
Joe Pizza, is President/CEO at Interchem Corporation, a musician and board member of the Drama League;
Lauren Pizza, a New Jersey native, is the president of Laridan productions. Both Lauren and Joe are arts supporters and have launched the Joseph and
Lauren Pizza Welcome Center inside the new Drama League Theater Center in Tribeca among other activities.
Lauren and Joe Pizza with Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley
Lauren Pizza with the firemen