Little Italy Social History

Lieutenant Petrosino Square is a small triangular park defined by the convergence of Lafayette Street, Kenmare Street, and Cleveland Place. Once known as Kenmare Square, it was renamed in nineteen eighty-seven to honor Joseph Petrosino, a…

Lombardi’s, located at thirty-two Spring Street, is marked by a red-and-white checkerboard interior and a coal-fired brick oven. It is widely recognized as the first pizzeria in the United States, an identity built on the history of…

The Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral is enclosed by a two-century-old brick wall that stands as a deliberate, windowless barrier between the sidewalk and the church grounds. Located at the corner of Mott and Prince Streets, this…

The Mulberry Street Bar is recognized by its red-and-white tiled floor and original pressed tin ceilings that have remained in place since the establishment opened in nineteen oh eight. Originally named Mare Chiaro, the bar has operated on…

The Police Building at two hundred forty Centre Street is a massive, granite and limestone structure topped by a prominent copper dome. Designed by the architectural firm Hoppin and Koen and completed in nineteen oh nine, it served as the…

The Italian American Museum is recognizable by a modern storefront featuring custom-fabricated, perforated steel panels that create a distinct, angular transition between the sidewalk and the building facade. Located at the corner of…

Di Palo's Fine Foods is identifiable by the dark green awnings at the corner of Grand and Mott Streets, where wheels of Parmigiano often line the windows. Since nineteen twenty-five, this gastronomia has operated in Manhattan’s Little…

The Church of the Most Precious Blood on Baxter Street is distinguished by its Neapolitan Baroque interior and its role as the National Shrine of San Gennaro. Established in eighteen eighty-eight to serve the growing Italian immigrant…