Eli Manning on ‘All In’ NY Giants podcast ahead of Ring of Honor
Two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning joins Giants beat writer Art Stapleton as he prepares for his induction into the Giants’ Ring of Honor, in addition to having his No. 10 jersey retired.
Paul Wood Jr and Art Stapleton, NorthJersey.com
As a massive New York Giants fan, Pizza Cento owner Alban Pilinci had no trouble recognizing the name on the online order that came in Nov. 2: Eli Manning.
What he did have trouble with was believing the person who placed the order was really the longtime Giants quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion.
“I thought someone was [expletive] with me,” Pilinci told the Daily Record the next day, recalling how he showed the ticket to the other employees. “I said, ‘Hey look, someone’s pretending to be Eli Manning.'”
But before long, the real Manning was standing at the counter of the Morris Township pizzeria. Pilinci was the only person left in the restaurant at the time, giving him a one-on-one meeting with one of his sports heroes and an experience he will never forget.
The ticket for the order of two small pies came in at 7:11 p.m., less than an hour before Pizza Cento closes on Sundays. At 7:50, Pilinci — still convinced he was being pranked — called the number to see whether the recipient would be picking up the pizzas before closing time.
Pilinci was directed to an automated message asking the caller to state their reason for calling, prompting the pizzeria owner to immediately hang up. But he began to wonder whether the message was some sort of screening process, so he called back and was put through to a voice, Manning’s, on the other end.
“Right when he picked up, I knew it was him,” Pilinci said.
The caller told Pilinci he was next door at Mennen Arena with his daughter as she finished up hockey practice and would be there shortly to pick up his order. Pilinci said that was fine, and asked the burning question just before he hung up: “By the way, is this Eli Manning?”
There was a chuckle on the other end, and the voice confirmed what Pilinci already knew. The owner told Manning he could take as much time as he needed to stop by, a fair trade for the quarterback who led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories over the New England Patriots.
“He gave me two of my best memories, let’s just say that,” Pilinci said.
When Manning got to Pizza Cento, Pilinci — by this time the only one left in the restaurant after it officially closed for the night — shook the quarterback’s hand and snapped a photo for the restaurant’s Facebook and Instagram stories. He had planned to ask Manning to sign his receipt, but in his excitement completely forgot to make the request.
The encounter was a whirlwind for Pilinci, who called his brother right after he got off the phone with Manning to see if he was in the area to meet him. His brother, a fellow Giants fan, was not around but encouraged him to get the photo for proof of the visit.
Pilinci had nothing but good things to say about Manning, whom he described as a “nice guy” and very friendly both on the phone and in person. He added that he hopes the Giants legend will come back to Pizza Cento if he is in the area again.
Maybe next time, Pilinci will get his receipt signed.
