A trio of local Italian siblings are celebrating their sister’s pizza-making prowess and subsequent win in an international pizza competition.
Anna Crucitt and Michael and Joe Mecurio co-own and operate Mercurio’s, known for authentic homemade Neapolitan pizza and artisan gelato, with locations in Shadyside and O’Hara.
Crucitt recently won first place in the gluten-free pizza division at the 2025 Pizza Senza Frontiere World Pizza Champion Games held on Jan. 22 in Rimini, Italy.
“I’m still completely shocked,” Crucitt said. “I’m very excited to win this for Mercurio’s, especially for our team at both locations. Everyone works so hard so it’s nice for the business to be recognized.”
Crucitt faced 30 competitors in the gluten-free division and it was her first time competing in the World Pizza Championship Games.
Other pizza categories in the competition included classic, Roman, traditional Neapolitan and dessert.
Her winning pie was made with mascarpone truffle, mozzarella, mushrooms and prosciutto di Parma.
“Working with an unfamiliar kitchen, an unfamiliar oven and varying temperatures will give any pizza maker a little case of the nerves when you’re being judged,” Crucitt said. “I had confidence in my recipe and was determined to make an impact with my presentation and flavor.”
Crucitt said the judges were surprised to learn her pizza was gluten-free.
“We get the same reaction from our customers in Pittsburgh,” she said.
Crucitt has been tossing up authentic Neapolitan pizzas since opening the flagship Mercurio’s in 2012 in Shadyside.
The family opened up a second location to serve the Fox Chapel area community and house a large facility to meet gelato production demands.
Mercurio’s is known for its made onsite gelato offered in dozens of flavors and at the O’Hara location, customers can sneak a peek of the behind-the-scenes gelato process through several large windows.
More than just a pizza spot, the eatery offers a full bar, Italian antipasti, insalate, panini and of course, the pizza and gelato. The pizza dough and sauce, mozzarella and gelato are made in-house daily.
In 2022, an outdoor patio was completed in O’Hara where each pizza cooks up in mere minutes in a wood-fire pizza oven.
Crucitt said the O’Hara location allows for more space with plenty of room for families to dine in.
“We now have the ability to host more events. We love getting to know the community and we’ve been hosting pizza classes to share our knowledge of the pizza world,” Crucitt said.
Anna was 14 when she first dabbled with dough, making her own pizzas at home.
“We opened the restaurant when I was 23 so that’s when I really started making pizzas,” said Crucitt, of Hampton.
The family grew up in Kittanning and owned the now-closed Mulberry Street Creamery there.
Offering a delicious gluten-free pizza in place of traditional wheat dough has been a goal for Crucitt — she uses rice flour and potato starch in her dough recipe.
“I’m not gluten-free, but we felt like it was important to address the needs of our community and their family members who have dietary restrictions,” Crucitt said.
Michael Mercurio said his sister’s dedication to gluten-free dough making is paying off.
“Anna’s technique when it comes to gluten-free is a true skill. She works really hard. This win is big for Mercurio’s and our entire team,” he said.
Crucitt said winning left her feeling elated.
She has perfected her gluten-free dough recipe over the years, paying attention to the flavor and texture.
“Over the last several years, our customers were telling me that I had the best gluten-free pizza in the area. I focused on making a gluten-free pizza that opened new flavors and was exciting to eat, rather than being a concession for the palate,” Crucitt said.
Joe Mercurio said seeing his sister place first was a shock.
“I was very excited that Anna was able to pull that off. Outsiders don’t typically go to Italy and win, especially being female. I’m so proud of her,” Joe said.
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Mercurio’s is located at 1335 Freeport Road in O’Hara.