Love at First Slice – The New York Times

When Lauren Annunziata sat down to consume pizza at her cousin’s birthday social gathering in October 1995 at Little ones N’ Motion, a children’s amusement center in Brooklyn, she experienced no concept that her long term spouse was at the identical desk as her. In truth, the only evidence that continues to be of Ms. Annunziata and Gabriel Vincent Piscione’s 1st assembly is a image taken by Ms. Annunziata’s relative, Terry Cartusciello, where by the upcoming pair sat only a handful of ft away from every single other.

“I believe he was flirting with me,” Ms. Annunziata, 30, reported with a giggle.

Neither Ms. Annunziata nor Mr. Piscione remembered every single other from that afternoon. It would be about 10 a long time in advance of they crossed paths all over again, this time at auditions for a creation of “The Entrance Page” at Mr. Piscione’s large faculty in Lincroft, N.J., Christian Brothers Academy. Students from neighboring higher educational institutions experienced been invited to consider out for the perform, which is how Ms. Annunziata, who grew up in Middletown, NJ., saw Mr. Piscione for what she thought was the very first time in September 2005, striving to do a flip off a brick wall.

“He was not thriving, but I imagined it was really neat,” she explained.

Ms. Annunziata and Mr. Piscione have been both solid in the manufacturing and swiftly turned pals, primarily hanging out in huge teams with their castmates. In January 2007 they had their initial day in Ms. Annunziata’s basement, and by March 2007 they were being formally a pair. That fall, Ms. Cartusciello acknowledged Mr. Piscione’s identify as a single of her son’s former classmates and unearthed the photo of them consuming pizza.

Mr. Piscione and Ms. Annunziata dated in the course of high university and during Mr. Piscione’s initial yr at Manhattan College, but immediately after Ms. Annunziata graduated from superior college in 2009 they determined to break up. Though they made new buddies and dated other folks, they stored in contact for the upcoming 8 yrs.

“We constantly sort of uncovered every single other,” Mr. Piscione, 30, mentioned. “Even if we have been months apart.”

Their pals also observed their connection. 1 of Ms. Annunziata’s friends from college, who hadn’t recognised Mr. Piscione when they had been courting, reported that any time Mr. Piscione was all over, Ms. Annunziata was her fullest and most relaxed self.

“I would explain to other boyfriends, there’s only one particular person I have ever genuinely loved,” Ms. Annunziata explained about Mr. Piscione. “I hardly ever seriously completely committed to anyone else. Induce I normally knew he was kind of my soul mate, and who I was intended to be with.”

In January 2017, 10 many years after their initially couple of dates in significant university, Ms. Annunziata, a theater and business actor and the supervisor of operate force and skilled growth at Reel Works Filmmaking in New York, and Mr. Piscione, a producer at NBC News in New York, saw a motion picture jointly in Freehold, N.J. Every single had been viewing loved ones in New Jersey for the holiday seasons. Right after the film they kissed, and when they each returned to New York “we variety of just stored calling every other,” Mr. Piscione reported. By March 2017, they were a couple once more.

“I really assume he’s my soul mate,” Ms. Annunziata said. “I never imagine I could survive without him.”

In October 2019, Mr. Piscione brought Ms. Annunziata back to Youngsters N’ Motion in Brooklyn, where by he proposed by the tables the place they had eaten pizza together for the very first time, 24 years ago.

“Her emotion seriously drives me, and her enjoyment and strength, I could not reside without it,” Mr. Piscione claimed. “Lauren truly does increase me in every way.”

The few were being married Aug. 20 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., in front of 200 attendees. The Rev. Dany Abi-Akar, a Roman Catholic priest, officiated.