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Feuding with a beloved New Jersey pizzeria would strike fear in the heart of any proud Italian-American.
But New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito is back in the good graces of Coniglio's Old Fashioned Pizzeria in Morristown after he made a free appearance on Tuesday.
The dispute made headlines earlier this week after chef Nino Coniglio, who owns the pizzeria, posted to Instagram on Sunday that he was canceling the rising NFL star's scheduled appearance because DeVito's agent, Sean Stellato, had doubled his fee from $10,000 to $20,000 following the Giants' 24-22 win over the Green Bay Packers on December 11.
Stellato and Coniglio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"We are a small family run business & decided $20,000 was a bit steep for 2 hours," the caption read. "Apologies to anyone who had already purchased a ticket."
"We're Italian too and don't like when someone says one thing and does another," Coniglio added.
Darren Rovell, a sports business reporter for The Action Network, then posted a comment from Stellato on X. The agent said there was no signed contract with Coniglio's and that "nothing was ever agreed to."
Tommy DeVito’s agent @seanstellato: “It’s a shame that the restaurant promoted that they would have Tommy when we didn’t have a signed contract. We didn’t raise the price because nothing was ever agreed to.” pic.twitter.com/CanIbk0GlA
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 18, 2023
But this was disputed by Coniglio himself, who shared a screengrab with Rovell that appeared to show a direct Instagram message from Stellato discussing a $10,000 appearance agreement.
Coniglio said that although no official contract was signed, they had "agreed in principle" to $10,000 for two hours of DeVito's time and 250 autographs.
This isn’t the end.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 18, 2023
Coniglio’s owner Nino Coniglio on deal with DeVito.
“We agreed in principle to terms — 2 hours, 250 autographs and $10,000 and then the agent couldn’t be reached. He reached back out after Monday’s game to tell us the price was now $20,000.”
Contract… https://t.co/fBOFYqiIBi pic.twitter.com/JhZFBeAYSe
DeVito told The New York Post on Tuesday that he learned about the situation on Monday and immediately decided to "set things right, eat the awesome pizza, and have fun" at the pizzeria.
"There was a lot going at that time — and a lot of people doing different things as part of my team. Some things slipped through the cracks," DeVito said.
DeVito snapped pictures with Coniglio, his wife Shealyn, and their 11-month-old daughter Penny, ate some pizza, and learned how to make old-fashioned sodas.
According to the Post, the quarterback has also agreed to return to the restaurant in January to sign autographs and work behind the counter during his appearance.
Class Act: Giants QB Tommy DeVito showed up on his own this afternoon and unpaid to Coniglios, the pizza shop that originally had scheduled an appearance.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 19, 2023
Making sodas the old fashioned way with owner Nino Coniglio. pic.twitter.com/k8w8pK5OkG
DeVito visited the pizzeria with Maxx Lepselter, his new marketing representative for brand deals. According to the Post, Stellato will continue to be DeVito's NFL contract agent, while Lepselter has negotiated new brand partnerships, including one with Dunkin' Donuts.
Stellato wasn't present at the pizzeria on Tuesday. Coniglio told the Post that the agent wasn't welcome "because until it didn't go his way, he wasn't interested in apologies or calling back."
But Coniglio added that he was "sorry for the bad press" DeVito had received, calling him a "stand-up guy."
"He apologized, and this will be a great thing for charity," Coniglio added. "Amends were made with him. I support Tommy."