‘Just when I thought I was out…’ NJ pizza maker dragged into movie rights drama

✅ Pizzeria The Doughfather received a cease-and-desist from Paramount Pictures

✅ It's logo pays too much homage to the owner's favorite movie

✅ The owner has started to change over the logo design

MONROE (Middlesex) — A pizza restaurant owner's attempt to pay homage to his favorite movie took an unexpected and potentially costly turn in the form of a cease-and-desist order from a Hollywood studio.

Max D'Amico is the owner of The Doughfather in Monroe and his favorite movie is "The Godfather." He has been using a logo that mimics the movie's distinctive logo along with lines from the film on posters and framed photos all around the restaurant. This week he heard from Paramount Pictures to stop using the logo.

His wife Dina came up with the name because she believes Max is the master of the dough.

"You're the 'Doughfather.' You're the king of all and I came up with it. At first he was hesitant, but I was like, 'No, that's who you are' and that's who he is," Dina D'Amico told New Jersey 101.5's Steve Trevelise during his show Thursday night.

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The Hollywood call that wasn’t a prank

The idea for the logo, complete with marionette strings and a silhouette of Max as Marlon Brando's character Vito Corleone, was a collaboration with their graphic designer. Then came the phone call from Paramount that Max and Dino told Trev they thought was a joke or a telemarketer call.

"They said that they called the but we never had anything. They were sending it to the wrong email. Then Dina actually picked up the phone, and she's like, 'what's going on?' And she gave the right email. She says 'tis thing is real.' So let's straighten it out right away," Max said.

A cease-and-desist letter followed, which Max says they've been trying to comply with. The logo has to change on the menus, the website, the restaurant, but they do get to keep the name. The D'Amico's had plans to open franchises and registered the name.

"In their defense, if somebody were to open up a Doughfather, I would get upset, but it's a pizzeria. I mean, it's not a movie," Max said.

As for a new logo, Dina said they have received a lot of suggestions from fans of the restaurant. They might even have a contest to pick the new logo.

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