Director: Laura Terruso
Unlike most Italian-Americans, Moe Albanese never left Little Italy. Born on Elizabeth Street in 1925, Moe grew up here and helped his parents run the small butcher shop “Albanese Meats.” Today, this shop is the last that remains of Elizabeth Street’s Italian-American history. At eighty-three years old Moe is the shop’s only employee. He trims meat to his customer’s specifications while recounting the history of the neighborhood and the people who lived there. The documentary THE LAST BUTCHER IN LITTLE ITALY uses Mr. Albanese’s oral history to tell the story of one of the first Italian enclaves in America and documents its changing landscape.
BIO
Laura Terruso is a writer, filmmaker and performer based in New York City. In 2005 she produced and directed a documentary film for The Asia Foundation. The film has since aired on Phillipines National Television and raised millions of dollars for The Grameen Bank, winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Her short comedy HIS NAME IS COSMO has screened at over 60 film festivals worldwide and has received numerous awards. Laura is the program coordinator for NYU’s Center for Media, Culture and History and the Center for Religion and Media. As a graduate student at New York University, her field of inquiry is History, Culture and New Media. She is the recipient of the 2007 “Culture and Heritage” grant from the National Italian American Foundation for THE LAST BUTCHER IN LITTLE ITALY. Laura holds a BA from NYU in Broadcast Journalism.
The story is told clearly, concisely and with an appreciation that even the thinnest slice of history is important in understanding the whole, in this case, the melting pot that is NYC.
This film inspires our memories when proprietors knew and cared about their customers. Unfortunately, we now live in a world with very little social interaction when we shop at our local supermarkets.
This story captures the flavor of Little Italy through Moe Albanese. We live in a world without people like Moe. We know we are poorer when we watch this film. Fantastic!!!
Remarkable. This film captures the essence of the the italian immigrant here in america, the struggles they had and the lives they lived. Simplicity of their lives soon to be forgotten.
It was nice to go to stores with people like Moe who would take time to talk to you and cared about you and your family. There aren’t to many Moes left in New York.
A good small story. I can almost smell the sausages and the photography is so clear You are thereray
Great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Made my day. Thanks Moe .
It is the bomb. Meat eaters enjoy.
I’M A VEGETARIAN NOT FOR ME !!!!
This beautiful little film brought back all the memories of when my dad had his travel agency/law office on Grand and Elizabeth so many years ago. Out biggest treat was going to the office with him and then going to a restaurant in the neighborhood where everyone knew everyone else. Moe’s wonderful banter brings all of that back to me. You captured it perfectly.
Thank you for this film. When my grandfather, Liborio Restivo, came to NYC from Villa Rosa, Sicily he settled on this block…..right above the butcher shop. I went to visit the block and speak with Moe two years ago. You did a great job in capturing Moe’s wonderful personality as well as the look and feel of the shop.
This short film strikes a chord with me because it relates to one side of family history (imigrants from Greece who ran flower stores in Brooklyn) which, while never captured with sound, site and motion; was explained to me time and again by parents and grandparents. The stroies were supported by still photos and topped off by my imagination. In your film, a somewhat similar story is brought to life by the man behind it. I like the way Moe and the story of his family’s enterpise gets juxtaposed with the contemporary, small commerce that has sprung up around him. His store being used by DiNiro for that Amex campaign offers testimony as to how this enduring shop is worth weaving into the context of that commercial work. Thankfully Moe had the sense to buy the building, because if he didn’t chances are we would not have had the opportunity to see this film.
My grandfather, Cavaliere Giuseppe Livoti,and later my mother, owned the building on Elizabeth Street and rented it for years to Moe’s mother who I believe was cutting meat into her 90s. I saw the store a few years ago and although surrounded by boutiques and more modern shops nothing in or outside it had changed. Too bad the basement bakeries on the street, that made the best Italian bread this side of Sicily, are gone. Lots of memories.
This film brings back good times shopping with my Nana. I still recall the wonderful smell in the bread shop.We would go from store to store and, I always got a treat from the owner some cheese and bread. It was a Great Day!
Long live Mom & Pop Shops!
Loved the film. good luck Laura,Great job Moe
I live on Elizabeth St. (since 1983) I always enjoy seeing things filmed on the block
Laura, This film gets better and better each time I watch it. I know I’m biased, but I just want you to know that my family thanks you for capturing my dad and giving us memories that will last forever.
How can you not love Uncle Moe ! I agree, it’s gets better each time cous.
To bad there aren’t more butchers like Moe! You can tell he really cares for his customers and really enjoys his work.
This is a good example of how we should all do business with each other. Honest down to earth caring about your fellow man.
What can I say? Moe’s the man!!
Loved it, can’t really put my finger on the kind of feeling there is to the whole thing but it kind of feels like home =P
Thank you so much. My grandmother and my father use to buy meat in that butcher shop in the 1960’s. What a precious memory.
Thank you for this lovely, bittersweet film. This brought back so many fond memories of growing up in NYC and shopping with my mom, who also didn’t know how to buy at a supermarket. If only it were still possible to shop this way today.
As an aside, I’m a vegetarian and it doesn’t diminish my enjoyment of this film, or of Moe, one bit!
Just to update everyone the owner of the building will not renew moe’s lease this year, and the store will be closing come January 1 2011. Take pictures while you can.
When i moved to NYC in 1987. Elizabeth St was my first residence, near Bleeker. If you needed any kind of fresh food it was right there on Elizabeth St. Butcher, Baker, Fresh fruits n’ vegetables,Etc. And the Albanese Meats was my favorite butcher shop and very colorful.
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