Little Italy, Manhattan
From Mulberry Bend's foul core to a five-block tourist veneer.
Little Italy is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, once defined by its Italian American population. The Italian-born population peaked around 1890 with nearly 10,000 residents, and the total Italian-American population peaked later, before residents began moving out to more spacious digs in Brooklyn and Queens. While East Harlem boasted a larger Italian population, Little Italy was described as perhaps the city's poorest Italian neighborhood. Today, the area is reduced to five blocks on Mulberry Street north of Canal St., functioning largely as a veneer of restaurants catering to tourists over a dense neighborhood shared by recent Chinese immigrants and young Americans. The history of this shrinking enclave is marked by the mass immigration from Italy during the 1880s, which created an influx of Italian immigrants leading to a commercial gathering of their dwelling and business.
- Historical Era
- Late 20th Century
- Cultural Context
- Italian-American Immigrant Experience
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The neighborhood originated at Mulberry Bend south of Canal, formerly part of the Five Points area described by Jacob Riis as "the foul core of New York's slums." By 1896, The New York Times characterized the residents not just as laborers and junkmen, but as a commercial colony including bankers, lawyers, and merchants. Ignazio "The Wolf" Lupo operated from late 1890s to the 1920s, followed by Paolo Antonio "Paul Kelly" Vaccarelli of the Five Points Gang in the early twentieth century. The Genovese crime family maintained a presence through figures like Michele "Big Mike" Miranda (1950s–1970s), Peter DeFeo (illegal lottery, 1960s–1970s), and Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello at Umberto's Clam House in the 1970s. John Gotti operated from the Ravenite Social Club in the mid-to-late 1980s. Bill Tonelli noted that while it was an insular Neapolitan village with its own language and customs, real-estate prices zoomed before 2004, making it tough for old-timers to hang on.
In Their Own Story
In 2001, the September 11 attacks cut off areas below Houston Street for the rest of the fall. The San Gennaro feast, scheduled for September 13, was postponed. Business from the Financial District dropped severely due to the closure of Park Row, which connected Chinatown and the Civic Center; consequently, residents in Little Italy and Chinatown suffered. Tonelli observed that these events "strangely enough, ended up motivating all these newfangled efforts to save what's left of the old neighborhood." By 2004, the area had transformed significantly: Tonelli stated, "Today, Little Italy is a veneer—50 or so restaurants and cafés catering to tourists," covering tenements shared by Chinese immigrants and young Americans. He added that one would spend a long time there before hearing anyone speak Italian, noting that if a speaker was found, they were likely a tourist from Milan. The only visible locals were often senior citizens loitering under awnings on Mulberry Street.
Reader's Guide
Visitors today find Little Italy bounded by Tribeca and Soho to the west, Chinatown to the south, the Bowery and Lower East Side to the east, and Nolita to the north. Historically, it stretched from Lafayette Street to the Bowery, Kenmare Street to the north, and Worth Street to the south. The Feast of San Gennaro began in 1926 as a one-day religious commemoration by immigrants from Naples; today it is an 11-day street fair along Mulberry Street. The Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition, is thought to have originated here in the late 1800s. E. Rossi & Company remains the historic neighborhood's oldest gift shop since 1910. Demographically, the 2000 census recorded 1,211 residents claiming Italian ancestry (8.25% of the area), while the 2010 U.S. Community Survey found none of the people living there were born in Italy and only 5% identified as Italian American. In 2010, Little Italy and Chinatown were listed together in a single historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Did You Know?
- The Italian-born population in Little Italy peaked around 1890 with nearly 10,000 residents, and the total Italian-American population peaked later.
- By 2010, the U.S. Community Survey found that a small number of people living in Little Italy were still born in Italy.
- The Feast of San Gennaro was postponed from its original start date in 2001 due to the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
- Bill Tonelli noted that East Harlem (Italian Harlem) had a larger Italian population than Little Italy ever did.
- In 2010, Little Italy and Chinatown were listed in a single historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Little Italy, Manhattan?
It is a historic neighborhood in Lower Manhattan that serves as a recurring setting for Martin Scorsese's exploration of Italian-American identity. Originally defined by its immigrant population, it now exists largely as a tourist destination on Mulberry Street.
What role does the location play in his films?
The area functions as a pressure cooker where neighborhood loyalty often conflicts with criminal ambition and moral decay. Scorsese uses this backdrop to ground stories like Mean Streets in authentic urban grit rather than fictionalized glamour.
How did the population change historically?
At its peak in 1910, the district held almost 10,000 Italians before residents moved to more spacious areas like Brooklyn and Queens. This demographic shift is reflected in the nostalgic tone of films depicting the community's decline.
Why is Little Italy important to Scorsese?
It represents a fading world from his childhood that anchors his narratives in specific cultural contexts regarding assimilation and Catholic guilt. The setting allows him to examine the complexities of growing up within a dense, insular immigrant enclave.
Does the modern neighborhood match its cinematic image?
No, the current five-block area functions mostly as a veneer of restaurants catering to visitors rather than a living community. This contrast emphasizes the loss of authentic culture that Scorsese frequently laments in his work.
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