MIKES-DELI-THE-ORIGINAL-ARTHUR-AVENUE-ITALIAN-DELI MIKESDELIARTHURAVE A RTHURAV E NUE. C OM ARTHUR AVENUE RETAIL MARKET 2344 ARTHUR AVENUE BRONX, NY 0458 78.295.5033 FAX 78.933.5903 206 Design: Ken Lalli/Xenos Design Cover Photo: Vegar Abelsnes Printed in the USA I always pay a visit and get a sandwich at Mike s Deli. There is an endless array of cold cuts, marinated fish, olives, and even mozzarella. LIDIA BASTIANICH Absolutely one of his favorite Throwdowns. The homemade mozzarella was the secret ingredient that helped David win the Throwdown championship. BOBBY FLAY When I m going to make a special Italian meal for my family, I shop on Arthur Avenue. David Greco is a relic who is individually responsible for maintaining and promoting a lot of the character of the neighborhood. MARIO BATALI You need to try the Fresh Homemade Mozzarella from Mike s Deli. It is the best around. GIADA DE LAURENTIIS Don t take the eight-hour trip to Italy. Just take a shortcut to the Bronx and visit Mike s Deli. As a chef and a cook, it s a party. Mike s Deli is one of my favorite places to shop. EMERIL LAGASSE DAVID GRECO HAS BEEN FEATURED ON THE CRITICS AGREE GRECO S TRADIZIONE ITALIANA ART H U R AV EN U E.CO M MIKES-DELI-THE-ORIGINAL-ARTHUR-AVENUE-ITALIAN-DELI MIKESDELIARTHURAVE
SALUMERIA PUSHCART, CIRCA 938, PRIOR TO THE CREATION OF THE ARTHUR AVENUE RETAIL MARKET how it all started Our family history in the Belmont community started with our maternal grandparents who migrated from Naples to America in 99. Nonno Gennaro Capiello was from the heart of Naples and Maria, or Nonnabella as we called our grandmother, was from Nola (home of the Giglio Festival or Festival of the Dancing Towers). They originally settled in the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn. However, they were encouraged to move to the Bronx where it was considered to be country and l aria era piu fresca (the air was fresher) as our grandmother would say. Believe it or not, the Arthur Avenue Retail Market was originally a sheep meadow. MATERNAL UNCLES RALPH, VINCENT AND BUTCH CAPIELLO IN 95 MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS, MARIA AND GENNARO RED CAPIELLO IN 946 l aria era piu fresca JANUARY GENNAIO DECEMBER 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 FEBRUARY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 New Year s Day 2 Epiphany 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 International Holocaust Remembrance Day 28 29 30
did you know? Our grandfather, who was a butcher, carried his trade and in 922 opened his first shop on Arthur Avenue. Grandpa was successful and had a number of shops. The family lived in an apartment, where else but over one of the stores. Our grandparents were the original butchers in the new indoor market that Mayor LaGuardia built in 940. One sure reason for Grandpa Gennaro s success was Nonnabella. Nonnabella was as amazingly strong and determined as she was gentle and kind-hearted. Widowed at age 40, she ran the store with her sons, made lunch for all the workers each day and managed to raise five children. We ve been told that she would let the original pushcart vendors run electric heater cords into her store but had to limit them to only one at a time because of the fuses blowing. Through the years, some original pushcart families have also told us many wonderful stories, including her generosity in preparing bags of fresh meat and eggs that she would pass out on Saturday nights to especially needy families. On the day of her funeral, in 986, as the hearse drove down Arthur Avenue, we can remember the emotional reaction of shopkeepers who came out, with their hats held to their chest, in her honor. It was that day, that we realized she was not only very special to us, her grandchildren. Nonnabella s daughter Antoinetta took on the role of the family matriarch and is an anchor to this day. Nonni White, as her grandchildren affectionately call her, is an opera aficionado who can still hit a high C when singing Torná Surriento, a Neapolitan song composed by Ernesto De Curtis in 902. So popular, it has been recorded by countless artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Enrico Caruso and Frank Sinatra. English lyric versions include Take Me In Your Arms and Dean Martin, and Surrender by Elvis Presley. ANTOINETTE AND NONNABELLA IN 95 ANTOINETTE GRECO IN 947, AND TODAY (ABOVE) faith, family, friends, food, forever FEBRUARY FEBBRAIO Groundhog Day 2 3 4 5 6 Chinese New Year (Monkey) Shrove Tuesday Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday Abraham Lincoln s Birthday 7 8 9 0 2 3 Valentine s Day Presidents Day Antoinette Greco s Birthday 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 George Washington s Birthday 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 Leap Day NEXT MONTH ST. JOSEPH S FESTIVAL Friday, March 8 to Saturday, March 9, 206 Make your reservations at iamcnola.org JANUARY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 MARCH 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30
join us in nola The Italian-American Marching Club Saint Joseph s Festival brings Arthur Avenue to The Big Easy. David Greco prepares more than 500 pounds of Pasta con Sardi for this annual event in New Orleans. This meatless, gourmet recipe contains sardines, fennel, pine nuts, raisins and breadcrumbs, and is a staple of the south s version of Columbus Day. and for easter too! Bring home the taste of an authentic Italian Easter with our homemade Pizza Rustica. And don t forget to grab one of our massive chocolate eggs imported from Italy. DAVID GRECO AND THE GANG IN NEW ORLEANS IN 205 THE big easy sicilian-style MARCH MARZO FEBRUARY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 APRIL 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 Saint David s Day 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 Daylight Saving Time Begins Great Lent Begins (Orthodox) Saint Patrick s Day 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Palm Sunday First Day of Spring Purim Begins Good Friday Holy Saturday 20 2 22 23 25 26 Easter Sunday 27 28 29 30
a little known fact In 895, at the turn of the century, our paternal grandfather, Luigi, Greco began making trips to America from northern Calabria. He continued living between America and Italy, working in the bar and restaurant business for the next forty years. He became an American citizen, but never settled in America. His wife back in Calabria, Nonna Luisa, was busy raising six children on a farm and was not interested in leaving family or the beautiful Provincia di Cosenza. LUISA AND LUIGI GRECO AT THE TURN OF THE 20th CENTURY luigi greco COMES TO america APRIL APRILE MARCH 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 MAY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 April Fool s Day 2 3 4 Annunciation New York Yankees Home Opener 5 6 7 8 New York Mets Home Opener 9 Easter Sunday (Orthodox) Yom HaShoah Begins Tax Day 0 2 3 4 5 6 Passover Begins Earth Day 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 Good Friday (Orthodox) Arbor Day Holy Saturday (Orthodox) 30
the journey continues Fast-forward to 947, when at age 7, Michele, along with his twin brother, Giuseppe, leave Calabria and migrate to New York. They leave with only one hundred dollars each, their good looks, two new suits each and strong work ethics. Michele finds work in our grandfather Gennaro Capiello s grocery store on Arthur Avenue. MICHELE GRECO IN 947 MICHELE AND GUISEPPE GRECO, RIGHT, AND MICHELE TODAY (ABOVE/BELOW) wine, women AND mozzarella MAY MAGGIO Easter (Orthodox) Holocaust Remembrance Day Begins Ascension National Day of Prayer Cinco De Mayo 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mother s Day Michele Greco s 87th Birthday 8 9 0 2 3 4 Pentecost Armed Forces Day 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 Lag BaOmer Begins 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 Memorial Day 30 APRIL 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 S M T JUNE W T F S 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30
did you know? In addition to our imported specialità alimentari, which include Urbani truffles and sauces and i Gustosi chips, Mike s Deli has its own private label line Greco s Tradizione Italiana. The Greco s product line includes, but is not limited to, imported Italian handmade pasta cuts, authentic pasta sauces, a variety of imported extra virgin olive oils, flavored oils and vinegars. Visit us at the deli in person, or online at arthuravenue.com. DAVID GRECO WITH IMPORTED ITALIAN TRUFFLES greco s TRADIZIONE ITALIANA JUNE GIUGNO MAY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 JULY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 2 3 4 Shavuot Begins 5 6 7 8 9 0 Flag Day 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Father s Day First Day of Summer 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30
michele s next move After working for a few years in Gennaro Capiello s store, Michele falls in love and marries the bosses only daughter, the lovely Antoinetta or Donetta in 95. Michele decides it is best to do something on his own and ventures into the Arthur Avenue Retail Market where, with Michele s presence, the Market would never be the same. Michele and Antoinette start their own family, having four children. MICHELE AND ANTOINETTE GRECO IN 947 (TOP LEFT) AND MICHELE IN 962 (BOTTOM LEFT AND RIGHT) A belmont landmark IS born JULY LUGLIO S M T JUNE W T F S 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 AUGUST 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 2 Independence Day 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30
mangia bene vive bene! The Greco family s excellent reputation has been built by Michele s extraordinary hard work and commitment to freshness and quality, and has become nationally recognized. On any given day you will see fresh mozzarella being stretched and shaped into twists or rounds, hanging from dowels to dry, freshly-baked focaccia stacked in heaps at the counter. Or perhaps it will be a day when Michele, breaks into an aria in a strong clear voice that at once identifies him as a Puccini aficionado. MICHELE AND SON DAVID GRECO mike s deli IS DEDICATED TO tradition AUGUST AGOSTO 2 3 4 5 6 Tisha B Av Begins 7 8 9 0 2 3 Assumption 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 JULY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 SEPTEMBER 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30
like father, like son Michele s son David continues the family tradition started by his father more than seven decades ago and his grandparents almost 00 years ago. His creative talent mixes new ideas, authentic Italian cuisine, the family s culinary secrets and skills passed down from generations past. Like Pop always says chi mangia bene, vive bene. DAVID GRECO IN THE DELI HIS FATHER HAS MADE WORLD-FAMOUS THE third generation OF grecos SEPTEMBER SETTEMBRE AUGUST 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 OCTOBER 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 30 25 26 27 28 29 2 3 Labor Day 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Patriot Day Grandparents Day Constitution Day/ Citizenship Day 2 3 4 5 6 7 First Day of Autumn 8 9 20 2 22 23 Saint Michael s Day 25 26 27 28 29 30
proud to do our part The Greco family is honored to be a member of NIAF, The National Italian American Foundation, whose mission is to serve as a resource for the Italian American Community; to preserve the Italian American heritage and culture; to promote and inspire a positive image and legacy of Italian Americans; and to strengthen and empower ties between the United States and Italy. A major advocate in Washington, DC for nearly 5 million Italian Americans and Italian clubs, we can t be prouder of our association with NIAF. DAVID GRECO WAS THE GUEST CHEF AND WORKED WITH THE MARRIOTT TO HELP CREATE AND EXECUTE THE GALA MENU, WHICH INCLUDED GRECO S EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA AND HOMEMADE BURRATA. MADE IN THE BRONX, RIGHT TO THE TABLE IN DC! mike s deli IS DEDICATED TO italian culture OCTOBER OTTOBRE SEPTEMBER 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 NOVEMBER 2 3 4 5 THIS MONTH NIAF 4st ANNIVERSARY GALA 6 7 8 9 0 2 Join us in Washington, DC from Thursday, Ocober 3 to 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Sunday, October 6, 206. Details available at niaf.org 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 Rosh Hashanah Begins 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Columbus Day Yom Kippur Begins 9 0 2 3 4 5 Sukkot Begins 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 Shemini Atzeret Begins Simchat Torah Begins 23 30 Halloween 25 26 27 28 29
why cook? Greco s very own Arthur Avenue Caterers is the answer to all of your catering needs. Always maintaining meticulous high standards and old European reverence for food and quality, Arthur Avenue Caterers puts heart and soul into everything that leaves our kitchen. THE ultimate IN catering NOVEMBER NOVEMBRE OCTOBER 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 30 25 26 27 28 29 DECEMBER 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 All Saints Day All Souls Day 2 3 4 5 Daylight Saving Time Ends Election Day Veterans Day 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Thanksgiving Day 20 2 22 23 25 26 Advent 27 28 29 30
buon natale E felice anno nuovo DECEMBER DICEMBRE NOVEMBER 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 JANUARY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 20 2 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 2 3 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Immaculate Conception 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 2 3 4 5 6 7 First Day of Winter Christmas Eve Hanukkah Begins 8 9 20 2 22 23 Christmas Day Kwanzaa Begins New Year s Eve 25 26 27 28 29 30
LOOK WHO STOPPED BY WE COULD TELL YOU, BUT THAT WOULDN T BE ANY FUN WOULD IT? YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU MIGHT SEE ON YOUR NEXT VISIT.