New York\u2019s Italian heart still beats.<\/p>\n
With more than 2.6 million paesanos living in NYC and environs<\/a> \u2014 at last census, roughly 600,000 in the five boroughs \u2014 Italian-Americans are a vital part of city life and culture, a century after their ranks initially swelled to 17 percent of the city\u2019s total population. <\/p>\n Today, that number is down considerably, as the diaspora has dispersed to other parts of the country \u2014\u00a0to between five and six percent. <\/p>\n Celebrate Italian-American heritage this month by taking a bite out of the culture \u2014\u00a0like at Krispy Pizza, a staple on 13th Street in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n But even now, all over the Big Apple, or la Grande Mela, there remain blocks where you can hear the mother tongue, spot nonnas hollering for kids from their stoops, see guys in white tank tops showing off chest hair and cross necklaces, and catch entire families gathered for Sunday Mass \u2014 right before a neighbor invites you to pull up a lawn chair and stay a while.<\/p>\n Manhattan\u2019s Little Italy<\/a> and The Bronx\u2019s Arthur Avenue<\/a> are just the tip of the boot. With New York currently celebrating Italian American Heritage Month, not to mention Columbus Day and the annual parade on Fifth Avenue this Monday, it\u2019s the perfect time to dive into some of the under-the-radar outer-borough enclaves that are cooking up authentic Italian culture \u2014 right under your nose.<\/p>\n As these villas prove, the old country isn\u2019t going anywhere. It\u2019s right there in the bakeries, butcher shops, churches, coffee bars, gardens, and Sunday dinners.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s where to get a pizz-a the action this holiday weekend.<\/p>\n Bensonhurst, Brooklyn<\/p>\n From left, Lucas Lopez, Juliet Torres and Anita Morpus serve up a taste of the old country with fresh pasta at Pastosa Ravioli in Bensonhurst. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n Bensonhurst, a.k.a. \u201cBrooklyn\u2019s Little Italy,\u201d has changed significantly since immigrants first descended on Bay Parkway in the early 1900s. But don\u2019t tell the remaining old-timers that Italian \u201cBrook-a-leen\u201d is dead.<\/p>\n \u201cWalk down any side street in Bensonhurst, and you\u2019ll see the Italian-American presence right away,\u201d Nick Papa, 37, a fourth-generation Italian-American told The Post of his neighborhood\u2019s front yards, where Virgin Mary statues stand guard over manicured gardens.<\/p>\n Fuggedabout those \u201cfalse stories\u201d that Bensonhurst is \u201cover, gone, no longer a Little Italy,\u201d he insists \u2014\u00a0and for proof, head straight to 18th Avenue.<\/p>\n Sitting on 65th Street, Bensonhurst\u2019s Basilica of Regina Pacis dazzles with its soaring ceiling, colorful stained-glass windows and intricately detailed interiors. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n The Basilica of Regina Pacis, or \u201cQueen of Peace,\u201d was built as a votive shrine during World War II and elevated to the status of a minor basilica in 2012. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n There, the food writer said, stop at J&V Pizzeria<\/a>, Villabate Alba Bakery<\/a>, Lioni Italian Heroes<\/a> and Papa Pasquale<\/a>, before snacking on salciccia at the historic Lucy\u2019s Sausages<\/a>, whose recipes stretch back over a century.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget to stock up on handmade pasta and amore at the long-running Pastosa Ravioli <\/a>\u2014\u00a0less than two blocks away at the corner of New Utrecht Ave. and Bay Ridge Pkwy. <\/p>\n Cathy Coluccio Fazzolari, who grew up in the neighborhood, co-owns specialty importer and market D. Coluccio & Sons<\/a> on Bensonhurst\u2019s 60th Street. <\/p>\n Founded in 1978, Villabate Alba is a family-owned Sicilian pasticceria and bakery on 18th Avenue in Bensonhurst, known for its traditional Italian pastries and sweets. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n Bensonhurst\u2019s L&B Spumoni Gardens is beloved among locals for its signature upside-down Sicilian square pizza, layered with cheese beneath the sauce, and its homemade spumoni ice cream. David McGlynn<\/p>\n Her parents emigrated from Calabria in southern Italy, and opened shop in 1962 after realizing local greenhorns couldn\u2019t find proper comfort food. Decades later, Fazzolari still sees that line to the old country in the neighborhood \u2014 and on her store\u2019s shelves.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll always hear all the different dialects among our customers, the Sicilian dialect, the Neapolitan, the Calabrese,\u201d Fazzolari said of her customers \u2014\u00a0many making the trek back from the suburbs.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they want authentic tomatoes, cheeses and more, they say they need to come back to us,\u201d she told The Post.<\/p>\n Her local hit list for visitors to the area \u2014\u00a0the Basilica of Regina Pacis<\/a>, Faicco\u2019s Pork Store<\/a>, Villabate Alba, and L&B Spumoni Gardens. And the family market, of course.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re heading to Bensonhurst this weekend, don\u2019t miss the 44th Annual Columbus Day Parade<\/a> on Saturday, Oct. 10, hosted by the Federation of Italian American Organizations of Brooklyn. Mass begins at 10 a.m. at St. Athanasius Church (2154 61st St.), followed by the parade at 1 p.m. at 18th Avenue (Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard) and 61st Street.<\/p>\n Middle Village, Queens<\/p>\n The meat of the operation: Mario\u2019s Meat Market and Gourmet Deli owner Joe DiGangi, left, and longtime employee Artie Spinelli keep the old-school Italian deli tradition alive in Middle Village, Queens. @mariosmeatsanddeli\/instagram<\/p>\n For a low-key taste of Il Bel Paese in Gotham, head to Middle Village, Queens \u2014 where you can still hear Italian spoken in line at the mom-and-pop shops.<\/p>\n Joseph Pascale, 25, a Ridgewood local who frequents Middle Village for Italian specialty foods, says that\u2019s the main draw.<\/p>\n \u201cI love spending a day in Middle Village as I think it\u2019s one of the few New York City neighborhoods where you could actually hear the Italian language spoken by regular people in small businesses,\u201d Pascale said.<\/p>\n With fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza and live music on Fridays, Villa Erasmo brings a little taste of Italy to Middle Village. Villa Erasmo\/Facebook<\/p>\n He advises grabbing a table at Erasmo Ristorante<\/a> for pasta, then cruising Metropolitan Avenue\u2019s bakeries and delis, stopping at Colombo Fruit & Vegetable Market<\/a> to rub elbows with longtime Italian immigrants. Next, hit Mario\u2019s Meat Market<\/a> for veal cutlets, and grab Sicilian pastries at Joe\u2019s Bakery<\/a>.<\/p>\n He also points visitors toward St. John\u2019s Cemetery, where his Italian great-grandparents rest alongside mob royalty like John Gotti, Carlo Gambino, Charles \u2018Lucky\u2019 Luciano, and Vito Genovese.<\/p>\n Pascale notes that because Middle Village is tucked deep in Queens, it retains authentic neighborhood soul.<\/p>\n Villa Erasmo serves up Italian favorites like beef carpaccio (above), with a breezy outdoor patio and party-ready dining rooms that make it a go-to for everything from romantic date nights to big, family-style celebrations.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a tourist trap. You\u2019ll meet real working people and Italian immigrants in its stores and restaurants, which means a lot to me,\u201d the beverage-industry sales manager said.<\/p>\n The residential vibe adds to the charm: Pascale describes quiet blocks packed with single-family homes, driveways, and backyard gardens where locals still cultivate prize tomatoes and string beans.<\/p>\n When he made the move from Connecticut two years ago, Pascale was looking for a slice of home.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember thinking, \u2018I want to find the old-school Italians in New York,\u2019 and I can now say that I have.\u201d<\/p>\n Ridgewood, Queens<\/p>\n Tucked away on Woodward Avenue, Il Gigante Trattoria dishes out homestyle Central Italian fare inspired by Bologna and Florence, all in a cozy, no-frills setting that feels like a neighborhood favorite. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Ridgewood has changed hands \u2014 and nationalities \u2014 over the decades, but Tony Di Piazza, chairman of the Associazione Culturale Italiana di New York<\/a>, says its Italian-American flavor remains.<\/p>\n Di Piazza, who settled in Ridgewood after coming to the US from Palermo in 1966, remembers the neighborhood transitioning from German to Italian before becoming increasingly Eastern European and multicultural.<\/p>\n Today, Italian-American life thrives on and around Fresh Pond Road, where classic spots like Antica Trattoria<\/a> and Corato I<\/a> sit side-by-side with newcomers Rustico Taverna<\/a>, Arrigo\u2019s<\/a> and the nearby Il Gigante Trattoria.<\/a><\/p>\n In Italy, coffee is more than a caffeine fix \u2014 it\u2019s a daily ritual and a cornerstone of the country\u2019s social culture. You can get your own espresso fix here in Ridgewood at Il Gigante Trattoria. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Even a quick coffee run gets the full Italian treatment at Sofia Gourmet<\/a>, which slings panini, pastries, gelato, and imported goods.<\/p>\n One of Di Piazza\u2019s favorite hometown habits is classic and simple: espresso with a view.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a classic Italian tradition to hang around coffee bars,\u201d Di Piazza said, adding that he \u201cloves visiting\u201d European Coffee Bar<\/a> on Fresh Pond Road.<\/p>\n Howard Beach, Queens<\/p>\n A Howard Beach institution, Matteo\u2019s serves up old-school Italian-American charm alongside signature dishes like its calamari arrabbiata (above). The Cross Bay Boulevard favorite is also known for its family-style atmosphere and celebrity clientele. @matteoshowardbeach\/instagram<\/p>\n Di Piazza also logged nearly four decades in Howard Beach, raising his family there after moving in the 1970s.<\/p>\n The neighborhood \u201coffered a more suburban version of Italian-American New York, with one-family homes and a strong family-oriented community,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Howard Beach is one of the nicest New York City neighborhoods to live in and to raise a family in,\u201d Di Piazza said, \u201cand it feels like its Italian-American community is still there.\u201d<\/p>\n To eat like a local, he points to Bruno Ristorante<\/a> and Matteo\u2019s<\/a> \u2014 two old-school joints serving up hearty dishes straight out of Lo Stivale.<\/p>\n And Howard Beach sure knows how to throw a festa.<\/p>\n St. Helen Catholic Academy will host a fall street festival<\/a> on Sunday, Oct. 11, from noon to 4 p.m. at 83-09 157th Ave. <\/p>\n Expect Italian favorites like zeppoles and sausage and peppers, plus a fall market and a haunted house for a spooky-season twist.<\/p>\n Shoppers can also stock up on farm-fresh vegetables, pies, jam, apple cider and doughnuts, delivered straight from the farm that morning.<\/p>\n Dyker Heights, Brooklyn<\/p>\n A Dyker Heights favorite for nearly 60 years, family-run Krispy Pizza has built its reputation on a signature crispy, sturdy crust that won\u2019t flop \u2014 and deep roots in the neighborhood. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n Dyker Heights might be famous for its over-the-top Christmas lights<\/a>, but locals know it for a year-round tradition: unapologetic Italian-American life.<\/p>\n Anthony Ciccone, 40, was born and raised on these streets and says the culture runs deep, even as the hood diversifies.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see old-timers playing bocce at Dyker Park on the weekends, or during the week, because apparently retirement has its perks,\u201d Ciccone said.<\/p>\n Growing up, Italian families lived on every side of his house, and the local park was ground zero for basketball and stickball games.<\/p>\n In Dyker Heights, pizza is more than a neighborhood staple \u2014 it\u2019s a slice of Italian-American heritage, rooted in working-class history and the Neapolitan street food that conquered the world. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n \u201cI grew up around that place, and to this day, that smell of pizza can instantly bring you back to your childhood if you grew up in the neighborhood,\u201d the insurance agency owner said.<\/p>\n He added, \u201cYou know the roots are still there when you drive down a block in Dyker Heights or Bensonhurst during the summer and see an older man in a white tank top, garden hose in hand, hosing down a perfectly clean cement driveway because apparently the concrete needed to look \u2018clean.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Can\u2019t-miss neighborhood staples in Dyker Heights include Krispy Pizza<\/a>, Tasty Pastry Shoppe <\/a>and St. Bernadette\u2019s Church<\/a>, where Ciccone says he can \u201cstill feel like that 10-year-old kid about to sit down and eat a nice plate of baked clams.\u201d<\/p>\n Rosebank & Tottenville, Staten Island<\/p>\n Built in 1937 by a local Italian-American society, Staten Island\u2019s 30-foot Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto is a folk-art marvel decorated with seashells, beach stones and colorful glass. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post<\/p>\n Staten Island\u2019s Italian-American story stretches from historic immigrant neighborhoods to its sprawling South Shore communities, earning the borough its well-deserved nickname, Staten Italy \u2014 and Rosebank offers a front-row seat to that history.<\/p>\n Jenna Guarneri, 39, grew up in Tottenville after her family relocated from Brooklyn in the 1980s. Now, the PR firm CEO lives in nearby Shore Acres.<\/p>\n In Rosebank, she points to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto<\/a>, a hand-built shrine dating to 1937, as a local neighborhood treasure, along with the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum<\/a> to connect with the community\u2019s immigrant history.<\/p>\n Housed in a stately 1908 Gilded Age mansion on Staten Island, Casa Belvedere is home to The Italian Cultural Foundation, a hub for celebrating Italian heritage, culture and education. casa-belvedere.org<\/p>\n Tucked away on Amity Street in Staten Island\u2019s Rosebank neighborhood, the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Grotto is a 30-foot-tall, hand-built Catholic shrine that doubles as a striking work of art. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post<\/p>\n But the local Italian-American culture isn\u2019t just about relics.<\/p>\n Guarneri points to Mount Loretto\u2019s massive Columbus Day festival<\/a> \u2014 Staten Island\u2019s largest feast \u2014\u00a0coming up on Monday, alongside legendary dining spots like Don Cheech<\/a> and Basilio Inn<\/a>, which is over 100 years old.<\/p>\n The future of the neighborhood is bright, she said.<\/p>\n The Garibaldi-Meucci Museum occupies a Gothic Revival home dating to around 1840, once shared by telephone pioneer Antonio Meucci and Italian unification hero Giuseppe Garibaldi. Alamy Stock Photo<\/p>\n \u201cAs I watch my niece grow up in the same area I did, I can still see how deeply rooted Italian-American culture remains in Tottenville, Rosebank and elsewhere today,\u201d Guarneri explained.<\/p>\n