The businesses and enterprises of Little Italy have always been evident, as those Italians who immigrated early on put together family businesses that would continue to thrive. One example is Ferrara’s Italian Bakery. Opening its doors in 1892, Enrico Scoppa and Antonio Ferrara worked to create an Italian epicenter of culture, where one could “relax, play a Neapolitan card game, or drink a cup or two of espresso.” Since 1892, the business has remained in the family, where the owners now are fifth generation workers. They work to maintain the culture that is so fleeting from the original Little Italy, importing fresh Italians goods and creating classic Italian desserts like the world-famous tiramisu. In speaking to the current manager John Capirchio, he says “he finds an appreciation for the tourism as it is what keeps the store in business” while still hoping to maintain the original culture that the Ferrara family wanted when creating the store. While many of the Italian residents and business owners such as Mr. Capirchio strongly value the intimate connection they have to their culture, they also express a desire to share what they love about it with others from different backgrounds. After all, this is why people make the journey to Little Italy. To appreciate a culture that is different than their own.
One shop owner, Ernesto Rossi from E. Rossi & Co, mentioned that he was “one of few original store owners left in Little Italy”. He mentioned how he has seen the changes over the years from primarily Italian to a more culturally diverse area, and says that “[he and his family] will be keeping the shop open until someone takes the keys out of [his] hands.” He had also noted the differences in the products in which he currently sells. When the store was primarily visited by Italian-Americans, pasta-makers were the big seller item. Now it is mostly Italian coffee makers that he sells to Italian and non-Italian folks alike, and the occasional novelty Italian item. These novelty items include Italian playing cards to Christmas tree ornaments for his Catholic visitors.
