A true Italian heirloom tomato variety prized for its large, heart-shaped fruits that typically weigh 8-16 ounces, though specimens up to 2 pounds.  These deep red, oxheart-style tomatoes are meaty, firm yet juicy flesh with very few seeds, offering a robust, classic tomato flavor balanced by a hint of sweetness and low acidity.
 
Indeterminate vines with wispy, regular foliage grow tall and productive, maturing in 80-85 days with above-average yields that resist disease and drought well. It's versatile for fresh slicing, salads, sandwiches, juicing, salsas, or sauces, as the skins slip easily for processing.
 
"Gildo is meaty enough to use as a paste, peels very easily, so would make a good canner, and tasty enough that there is nothing left of the total of 2 1/2 lbs that was prepared for a supper for four. Slightly sweet, tomatoey, and full flavored." - Dan McMurray

HISTORY: Originally from Italy, seed was brought to the US in the 1950's by a gentleman named Gildo Pietroboni, who passed away in the mid-1990's. The seeds were passed from Mr. Pietroboni to his son, whose friend shared them with Ferp Necciai of Monongahela, Pennsylvania. Ferp Necciai sent some seeds to David Lemasters of Pennsylvania in 2009, and David shared a few of the original seeds with some tomato gardeners and SSE members.
 
When David Lemasters received the original Gildo Pietroboni seeds in 2009, they came with a handwritten note claiming the fruits regularly reached around 3 pounds. Later catalog descriptions and grower reports, however, scaled those expectations down dramatically—most listing fruits under 1 pound. In my own experience growing this variety for many seasons, the tomatoes have averaged just over 1 pound, with a good number pushing 1.5–2 pounds in ideal conditions, but I’ve never seen anything close to the legendary 3-pound giants described in that first note.
 
Sold as a single plant in a 3.5" pot.