Issue #35

Alessandro Zampedri

Lo Schietto

After a professional career as Indycar Driver, Alessandro is now a commercial and residential real estate developer, and a hospitality entrepreneur in the hotel and restaurant business in NYC and LA.

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What do you do in your life (work and fun)?

Real Estate developer in NY and LA and this takes 99.9% of my life, so covers also the fun part of it. I love skiing, to ride my bike and sometime playing golf.  When I am not at work I dedicate all my life to my family “the most important and precious thing I have”.

What made you leave Italy and chose NYC?

Was a professional decision, I wanted to face the real estate market here in NYC, the most professional, competitive and exciting market for my field. I wanted to have the opportunity to work with famous architects, on amazing projects and in collaboration with the best developers. The dream to work in NYC was big and I decided to move in NYC and start to work in this extraordinary market. Once I established in NYC I started the other side of my business, the Hospitality one, opening the Bowery House e Pearl & Ash in a building downtown. I have the opening of a new one soon, but I can’t talk about it. Recently I bought the Surfrider hotel on the beach in Malibu in California that we are in the process of renovating, ready to add it in my hospitality package. Italy was never my only work/live place, I travelled and lived in many places around the world, and at the end New York City was a natural step for my real estate and hospitality ventures.

Please share your best memory in the City.

New york leaves you indelible memories every time you wake up. It is an incredible city, but if I have to choose an important memory, I think I would list first the the New York Times first page article about the opening of The Bowery House in 2011, my first hospitality business in NYC. A dream comes true, the success that arrives after stressful moments, hard work and big trades. Each of them with so many different people. New York gave me so many memories and satisfactions. I would also mention as a great memory when my restaurant Pearl & Ash got the 2 stars on the New York Times. Proud moments, the testimony and sign that you arrived to success, that you left your sign in this city, in THE city where everything is possible.

What made you choose this specific location and outfit?

The location is 220 Bowery, the building that represents my hospitality world, where there is the Bowery House. It is a classic building in Downtown New York. Brick building, Fire escape stairs speak about me, my history and represent my challenges and success in NYC. The photoshoot was fun. I did a lot of them when I was a Pilot, was not my first time. We had fun in finding the right spot, the right position and the best light. Yes, we definitely had fun together.

Your thought about this project, ITALIANY.US

I think is a great idea of Alexo to include in this project a series of personalities, each of them hustling in their market and life after leaving our country, living in NYC and making our best with hard work to realize themselves and creating something positive. Representing with creativity our country in a moment where in Italy there are no more values represented and the direction and excellence we were known for seam to be disappeared. A very artistic and creative way to show different Italian personalities that made NYC part of their lives.

How would you describe being an ambassador of the Italian style/culture abroad?

Big an ambassador is a big word and a big responsibility, I am not sure I can take this title so easily. The only thing I can do is just try to represent in everything I can and do my values, my way of thinking, my approach to business, my view of how business should be conduct: very straight forward and very open. Which I think is how should be in Italy and everywhere. And if this will make other people recognize me as “Italian” then I will be very happy and proud. I’ll do my best to represent these values. Everything in life is personality and being Italian and growing up in a great Italian family with real values is a real asset anywhere in the world. I try to teach the same values to my kids. They are growing up in New York, but I am trying to be sure these values are, and will always be, in their minds and hearts.

  • Shots

    155

  • Time

    120 mins

  • City

    New York

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A visual celebration of Italians working, living and loving in NY and in the US