His journey began at 16 at Pizzeria Carmenella, where he worked his way up from delivery boy to pizzaiolo, encouraged by his father who believed it was a trade that would always provide work. Over the years, he honed his skills across various pizzerias before launching into a deep exploration of doughs in 2013.

Together with Carlo Sammarco, he helped pioneer the now-famous “canotto” pizza, with its high crust, inspired by 1970s Vomero-style pizza. Though initially seen as a passing trend, this innovation laid the foundation for what is now called contemporary Neapolitan pizza.

His approach—focused on digestibility, fermentation, flour knowledge, and indirect methods like biga and poolish—remains at the core of his work.

In 2016, he opened his first pizzeria in Pozzuoli, later relocating to Bagnoli, Naples. His pizzas are known for being light, flavourful, and rooted in tradition. In 2024, Vitagliano was listed among The Best Pizza, highlighting his impact on the modern pizza landscape.