A Florida man is accused of posing as a popular pizzeria – once reviewed by Barstool Sports founder and pizza critic Dave Portnoy – to trick unsuspecting tourists into ordering undercooked and “fraudulently priced” food.
Jose Marti-Alvarez, 55, is accused of “falsely advertising” his business in hotels throughout Miami Springs as the popular Roman’s Pizzeria and tricking hungry customers into buying inedible food in order to cash in on the shop’s reputation, according to police.
Marti-Alvarez is said to be targeting hotels near Miami International Airport.
According to law enforcement, the alleged fraudster carried out the scam for several years and slowly weakened the reputation of Roman’s Pizzeria.
Customers filed complaints about the pizzeria with the Better Business Bureau and left negative reviews online.
Roman’s Pizzeria owner Jesus Roman said he has been dealing with the problem for years and first learned about the scam when angry customers contacted his business.
“Sometimes they show up at the store upset and ask, ‘Where’s the food?'” Roman told Local 10.
“We have to explain to them that it is not our fault.”
After complaints mounted, Roman – who has owned the pizzeria for over 40 years – said he filed a report with police.
Marti-Alvarez was arrested by police on Monday and taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
The alleged fraudster was charged with “organized fraud.”
According to police, the suspected pizza scammer also faces a charge of aggravated assault for allegedly hitting a hotel employee with his vehicle as he tried to flee the scene after being tranquilized in the parking lot.
Marti-Alvarez appeared in a Miami-Dade court on Monday and was ordered by Judge Mindy Glazer to avoid the Days Inn, the hotel where he struck the worker, according to Local 10.
After learning of Marti-Alvarez’s arrest, Roman had a stern message for the man who ruined his company’s reputation.
“If you’re going to do something, at least do it right,” he told Local 10.
Portnoy reviewed Roman’s Pizzeria in April 2022 and Brangave the shop’s cheese pizza a “solid 7.4.”
“The crust is the highlight of this pizza – super fresh, super light. Good crust,” said the Barstool Sports founder in his review.
The pizza fan described the slice as a “football pizza” that is perfect for a leisurely meal at kick-off on Sunday and that you can order “100 out of 100 times” without being disappointed.
“Pretty good stuff. The crust is probably a 7.8 to be honest,” said the pizza connoisseur in his final comment on the pizza.
