Members of the Amalfi team handing out pies includes (left to right): Brian Bogulski, Briar Pecsok, Xander Hurley, Max Marguleas, Anna Bilan-Vogelsang, Anthony Marguleas and Hessel Evelaar.
Anthony Marguleas and the Amalfi Estates staff hosted their seventh annual Thanksgiving Pie Day on November 21.
Marguleas had purchased more than 100 apple and pumpkin pies from Homeboy Bakery, and they were stacked on the table at the Amalfi office on Monument.
He and his staff were waiting by the door as numerous residents stopped by. “It is just great seeing so many friends, past clients and new clients coming into the office to socialize and give thanks,” said Marguleas, who is the founder of the real estate company.
The day before he had received word that Homeboy Bakery didn’t have power, and baking pies was questionable. Marguleas was not concerned, he knew that they would come through, and they did.
The pies were made from scratch and freshly baked in a small-batch kitchen in downtown Los Angeles. The dedicated staff proudly crafts each pie with a scrumptious, buttery crust and high-quality ingredients.
The Homeboy Bakery is a social enterprise division of Homeboy Industries, a community-based nonprofit organization that provides a second chance and safe space for young individuals who have been incarcerated or involved with gangs. An 18-month training certification program teaches participants essential skills and helps the youth rebuild their lives.
Prior to Homeboy, Marguleas had purchased pies from other bakeries, but “we realized that aligning with one of our six charity partners was a perfect fit since it benefited people trying to turn their lives around.”
Marguleas and his agents give 10 percent of their commissions to one of five charities: Make-A-Wish, SPCA-LA, the American Cancer Society, People Assisting the Homeless and Homeboy Industries.
In the past, Almalfi’s partnership with Homeboy resulted in funding to help pay for tattoo removal for 568 former gang members, to help them secure a job.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give,” Marguleas said.
A longtime Palisadian and realtor, Marguleas supports the Palisades Village Green with a $5,000 donation every year and, one year, stepped up and saved the Fourth of July parade with a $40,000-plus donation.
In May, Amalfi Estates, which was founded in Pacific Palisades in 1995, opened an office in Dallas. In 2022, The Wall Street Journal ranked the company, which was founded by Marguleas, as one of the top 10 teams in the nation.