Maria and James Carrozza make Staten Island a little bit sweeter every day. This powerhouse husband-and-wife team owns and operates four of the borough’s most beloved bakeries: The Cake Chef, The Cake Chef’s Cookie Jar, Piece A Cake and Cookie Jar New Dorp.  

Maria and James were both born and raised in Brooklyn, where they first met. “Ironically, we met in a bakery,” recalled Maria. “He came in for an Italian ice, and I was working the counter. We kept seeing each other at different friends’ parties, and eventually we started dating.”