A Conversation with Francis Rosselli of Pepe’s Monthly Slice at New Haven Museum

New Haven, Conn. (September 14, 2026)— Imagine sitting down with someone who didn’t just know the story of Frank Pepe’s but lived it! New Haven Museum (NHM) will host a special evening with Francis Rosselli, grandson of Frank and Filomena Pepe, for a rare, personal take on one of the greatest stories of American pizza history on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 6 p.m. Free with regular museum admission. Register here. The program is the latest in the museum’s “Monthly Slice” series at NHM, presented in conjunction with the exhibition, “Pronounced Ah-Beetz.”  

Rosselli was immersed in the colorful, fascinating world of his grandparents’ pizzeria from an early age, learning the craft of pizza making directly from Frank Pepe himself. In 1981, Frank and Filomena’s daughters, Elizabeth and Serafina, gave Rosselli the opportunity to open a pizzeria next door, The Spot, a name that carries a remarkable piece of Pepe history. It was in the original location and oven where Frank and Filomena Pepe began their legendary journey in 1925.

The conversation will be moderated by Gorman Bechard, co-curator of “Pronounced Ah-Beetz” and director of  the documentary, “Pizza A Love Story.” “Expect great stories, family memories, plenty of laughs, and perhaps even a few moments that tug at the heartstrings,” Bechard says. The pair will explore plenty of pizza lore, behind-the-scenes memories, and the “kinds of details you can’t get from a plaque on a wall.”

Bechard says they’ll also unveil never-before-seen artifacts from the Pepe family legacy that didn’t make it into the New Haven Museum’s “Pronounced Ah-Beetz” exhibit. “Come for the history. Stay for the stories. We promise you’ll leave wanting one of those famous pies!”

The “Pronounced Ah-Beetz” exhibition at NHM includes first-hand oral histories and pizza-related artifacts from personal collections, video footage adapted from the documentary and photographs. The exhibition’s title comes from the way many people mispronounce the word apizza, which originally grew out of the Italian la pizza. The exhibition will remain on view through October 2027.