Daring Delivery Guy Not Scared by Pizza-Crazed Gunman

Famous Famiglia's founders

The story of a Harlem pizza deliveryman who didn't hesitate to take on two thugs—one of the armed—to save his pies has reached readers worldwide. The Telegraph reports that 19-year-old Assami Semde, an employee of Famous Famiglia pizza, was "just doing his job" when he crossed paths with two young men in bandannas who asked him "could they get a slice." One of them "put a gun to my head and said, 'Give me the pizza.'" Semde told the Post. "I thought it was a strange game." Even though he was outnumbered, Semde pushed the gunman over as he reached for the pies. Soon the 6 foot 4 Burkina Faso native was scuffling with both men.

A building security guard came by on his rounds and both of the pizza man's aggressors fled, but cops caught one of them, Albert Alvarez, also 19, and charged him with attempted robbery. And yes, the customer got the delivery—one cheese pizza and one pepperoni, still hot.

Semde, who's been in the country just six months, said he thought he was doing what the situation demanded. "Right now I am a little bit scared of being here," he told the AP. "But before this, never." His boss called the employee "the greatest, most polite guy you'll ever meet," but stressed he doesn't demand workers risk their lives for his pies. "I told him—next time, leave the pizza!" said Frank Grecco, an ex-cop. "If someone wants to steal a pie, let them have it! If they don't like the style, we'll make them a new one."

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By Sabrina Jaszi in News on April 6, 2010 10:15 AM

Comments [rss]

ProfessorVonNostren

The guy is 6'4" and they managed to put a gun to his head?

West69

It's not about a pizza. It is about personal dignity. Some people are still willing to die for it.

LesDiggityDoo

Take your f@ckin' pizza-pizza and go the f@ck back to Africa.

Snoopy

If the guy is here legally in the states and is doing his best at what he can get in the way of a job, he definitely should stay. On the other hand I would suggest you move to a state like West Virginia and work in a coal mine and live in a trailer park with people that think and like the same things you do.

BTW don't bother packing a toothbrush, you wont need it there.

LesDiggityDoo

f@ck you, f@ck your f@ckin' pizza, and f@ck Frank Sinatra.

Snoopy

Time to switch employers if you ask me. Those fools from the hood are dumber than a box of rocks, but they have to keep their street cred up. So my brave delivery guy run, don't walk, to the nearest employment office and get a new job today.

dilligaf

Good for him, glad he was not hurt.

rschnabel

Has anyone here experienced living in Burkina Faso? This guy's reaction does not surprise me.

JenChungsBaby

I was thinking the same thing. This guy's probably seen a lot worse.

fuboy

Forget health-conscious initiatives for low income neighborhoods, can we get some decent pizza up there? Forcing Harlem to accept Famiglia's as 'pizza' is just cruel.

unretrofiedforu

I echo all the previous posters. Seriously brah, good lookin' on the pies but you could have died. It isn't worth it.

Gotham Extremist

So what did the Famiglias get him as a reward? A free slice of cheese!

Mr. Shankly

10 gothamist bucks says some prick shoots a delivery guy in the near future just to make a point.

NannyState

I lost all my Gothamist bucks on that felix/carriage horse superfecta. :(

potsmoker

im sure the famous famiglia family wouldnt chip in to ship your dead body back to Burkina Faso...

stoopid move dumbass.

Splicer

Brave guy but a pizza isn't worth it. If not for this, the guy who was caught would have eventually ended up in the system or dead.

Mr Mel

What we really don't know is what would have happened had he surrendered the pizzas. Does anyone really think the crooks would have just said thanks and moved on? More than likely they would have stolen what ever money and possessions he had on him. Then, of course, they would have thanked him again and left. They could have capped him anyway, just for the meanness of it. Our delivery guy would have never been able just to walk away from those Neanderthals.

theevilone

This guy is a lock for Employee of the Month.

Wza

lol

JenChungsBaby

So what's more stupid, armed robbery for a pizza or resisting armed robbery for a pizza? One could land you in jail and the other in the morgue.