A Sneak Peek Inside New York City’s Forthcoming Italian American Emporium

Entrance to the Italian American Emporium on Mulberry Street

Commissioned to do a few paintings, we were given a tour and walkthrough of the highly anticipated Italian American Emporium located in Manhattan’s historic Little Italy, on the corner of Grand and Mulberry Streets. Boasting “everything you need to be Italian,” the store will offer, among other things, a custom t-shirt bar, library, kitchenware and a wide range of imports from all over Southern Italy. Perhaps the most intriguing and ambitious aspect of the store will be its "oral history booth," where loquacious contributors can walk in and record their personal and family stories for posterity. The location will also house Red Sauce Studio, the swanky new state-of-the-art home of the widely popular Growing Up Italian and Italian American podcasts. Sharing the building with the Italian American Museum, this will assuredly be the hub of Italian Americana in New York City.

Looking forward to the soft opening in late May or early June, we wish our dear friend John and his partners much love and success in this exciting new venture.

Entrance to Red Sauce Studio on Grand Street

(L) Neon corner sign. (R) Antique cash register (just for show)

A side view of the ornate register

Owner, John Viola gave us a tour of the impressive facilities

The t-shirt bar

Sicilian carrettu themed display table

This uninstalled chandelier will be decorated with
Neapolitan cornetti and mano fico amulets

Ornate porcelain chandelier 

An old-fashion chandelier

(L) The AI interactive "oral history booth."
(R) Purely decorative antique cigarette machine

A look at the brands of cigarettes the machine once dispensed

An antique oven dominates the kitchenware section

John's old dining room table now serves as a display table

The register counter

Sabino, John and Rocco getting comfortable in their new home

Leather booth in Red Sauce Studio

Floor mat outside the studio

Floor mat beneath the t-shirt bar