I will try to help you. I ask the others in italian trying to get informations.
David vorrebbe venire in Italia, magari proprio a Napoli per lavorare con un pizzaiolo professionista per un mese e imparare così come si fa la vera pizza napoletana. Come lo si può aiutare? C'è qualcuno di Napoli o che fa la vera pizza napoletana che voglia insegnargli facendolo lavorare con sé?. Forse Andrea dalla California potrebbe indicargli qualche associazione o qualche sito Web in inglese per ottenere informazioni. Magari non c'è bisogno di venire in Italia e potrebbe imparare a fare la pizza napoletana in qualche ristorante italiano negli Stati Uniti. Mi pare una volta di essermi imbattuto in un sito sulla verace pizza napoletana che partiva proprio dagli Stati Uniti, ma non me lo ricordo.

Thanks Stefano

Hello, David.

Tell me meanwhile if you already work as pizzamaker, and if you want learn how to do the neapolitan pizza or italian pizza generally. Be careful, if you think that italian pizza is neapolitan pizza. Maybe neapolitan pizza is well-known in the U.S because many italians come from south Italy, but this is only a regional recipe, althought very good. It's difficoult to find a pizzamaker who want to learn his method. Neapolitan pizza recipe is not difficoult, in this forum you can find it, and if you want I can translate it. Learning this job means experience above all. There are in Italy many schools, where you can attend to a pizza course. Normally these are four-weeks courses, and cost 800-1000 euro. But you don't speak italian. Why don't you try to find an italian restaurant (pizzeria, how do you say in english? pizza parlour?) in New Jersey where you could learn how to do neapolitan pizza? You could come to Italy, find a pizzeria-owner who say you: "o.k, I lass you work with my pizzamaker for a month". Can you be sure that this pizzamaker learn you really how to do the neapolitan pizza? Many pizzamakers don't want reveal their secrets. I hope you understand my english, I must use my dictionary to write all this! I didn't understand if you are american or english. Ciao

Hi David,
My name is Andrea and I am living in San Diego, CA. If you are really interested in the real pizza napoletana you can contact Verace Pizza Napoletana Association. The internet site is http://www.verapizzanapoletana.org/vpn/index.html and you can ask all the information you need. The short course lasts 3 days. The cost is $1300 (US) for the course. The week long course costs $ 2,200 (US). You may train in the USA in Marina del Rey, CA (Los Angeles) or in Naples, Italy. Course costs do not include transportation or lodging costs. Probably if you will decide to go in Naples, you can have the chance to work for the rest of the month. Se ci sono pizzaiuoli napoletani disposti ad aiutarlo fatevi avanti.
Ciao a tutti
Andrea

Ciao Andrea and Stefano!Thanks for your quick response and helpful replies.I am an English man in New Jersey!I have learned a lot from this forum,but unfortunately 'Google' doesn't always translate so that you or I can understand!No I have never worked in a Pizzeria ,but I have worked in the kitchens of a Cruise ship many years ago.It was then that I had tasted the BEST Pizza while in Naples.I think that is because they are using an oven 'Col Legno" and do not put excessive amounts of cheese and tomatoes on the Pizza.I have found two Pizza makers in New York/NJ and have asked them to teach me,but they do not want to help (or share the 'Secrets'.I know it is very important to get experience with this type of oven,and learn how to use it as well as the nuances of the basic ingredients.I would like to train in Naples preferably as this would allow me to experience many different Pizzerias and thier interior design.I have heard of the Vera Pizza Napolitana School.Do you know of anyone who has taken this course,and if it really does prepare you to become a proffesional Pizza maker?I am extremely thankful for all your comments and assistance.Your English is very good I might say!Ciao.David

I think that 1300 dollars for a 3-days course is really too much! I attended a four-weeks pizza course (60 hours totally) for 800 euro three years ago in Rome. It was not about neapolitan pizza, but this isn't important for the costs. I used in this course an electrical oven, and maybe a course with a wood-oven (how do you  say in english? I don't mean a wood-made-oven, naturally!) costs more, but not so much! I think that David could find a pizza course in Naples for less money. David, don't think that after a pizza-course you can work as pizza maker! A course is very important to learn the basics, but then you must work with a pizza maker. I don't want discourage you, sorry, only I would want help you, without swindles. It's not harder to do a neapolitan pizza than another italian pizza! The costs must be the same! Finding a pizza course with a wood-oven (forno a legna), this is the real important question, and this can cost more, but not 1300 dollars. Maybe 1300 dollars in the U.S. is not too much money, but if the course is in Italy, then this is too much money! Another problem regards the language: how can you attend to a course in Naples if you don't speak italian? Maybe the association (of which Andrea talk about) keep courses in english in Naples?

Ciao Stefano.How did you continue after the four week course in Rome?$1300 is a lot of money for me at this moment and that is why I ask who has taken these courses and if they are for housewifes or prepare you for work in a pizzeria?I have been very lucky so far Stefano,you Italians are much more clever than we English!Almost all of my Italian friends speak English.(And love Bruce Springsteen!)So I hope that my luck will continue..........Ciao

Hi David,
I can tell you that in 3/5 days you can probably learn how to make pizza. After the course you will need a lot of practice, and making mistakes. In about 6/12 months, depending from your capacity, you should be independent. Obviously you can not be a professional pizza maker in less than 2/3 years. Be careful because a lot of people organize cooking classes and pizza classes expressly made for American people, and you can understand it from the price. A lot of American people spend $100/120 per night in a private apartment in Florence for bed and breakfast. Most of the people believe that American people are stupid. Some of them are but not all of them. If you want to learn how to make pizza, try to attend a regular pizza course, but first of all you have to learn Italian. If I go in Naples I can barely understand the Neapolitan accent, can you imagine if you only speak English?
Ciao
Andrea

I was working in a pizzeria when I began this course. The pizzeria owner taught me the basics, but I realized that I wasn't doing a good pizza. After I attended to this course, it was all better. These courses aren't for housewives, because they learn you all that a professional pizza maker must know to do his work well. You can learn the theory very well (paste, kind of flouers, bread-making chemistry:pizza is bread after all); they learn you to roll out with your hands or with a rolling-pin (the best pizza only with hands), to bake a pizza and so on. Afer you have attended a course, you must find a work as pizza maker helper. In this case, you must to be clever, watching the pizza maker, even if he doesn't want reveal his "secrets". These courses prepare you for work, but you cannot be indipendent immediatly, as Andrea said. My teacher in that school spoke english. I don't know if he is working in this school yet, but if you want, you can try to get in touch with him at this telephon number in Rome: (Italy +06+3203402 or 06+3222096 and ask for Tonino Vespa (this is his name).
www.atavolaconlochef.it/italia.htm (Tonino is this in photo)

Hi David,
If you are living in NJ, you can go to New York City and visit the most famous Pizzeria in USA, Lombardi’s Pizzeria owned by Joe Brescio in Little Italy. This is the link where you can find the address: http://diningguide.net/new_york/data/d100451.htm
Ciao
Andrea

Thanks ,that's a great help.I see on the website that they are developing a page in English,so maybe they plan to teach a course also in English?

Yes I have been there a couple of times Andrea.They use a Coal burning oven.The biggest competition to them is Johns on Bleeker St,or Patsys Under the Brooklyn Bridge.All are good but different again from Naples.The Pizza are big and intended to be shared,with a lot of topping.For a thin New York slice of pizza,I like Carmines on Bleeker St.There was an Italian from Naples who opened a place sometime ago,but had to close down.His family had a Pizzeria that is famous in Naples I think (Ciro's?)He had very good Pizza also,but I don't know where he went!

They teach actually a course in english, but not for pizzamaker, I think, only for cooking-course. But you can phone and speak with Tonino, I presume he would be glad to teach in english, he is canadian and italian citizen. If you want, I can call him to explain and lass me say when you could call him.