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Manganaro’s Grosseria Italiana, commonly referred to as Manganaro’s, was an Italian market and deli on Ninth Avenue in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It opened in 1893 and operated for 119 years, helping to introduce the hero sandwich to Americans. The family closed the business and put the property up for sale in 2012.

The business was founded in 1893 by Ernest Petrucci as a wine and spirits store, Petrucci’s Wines & Brandies, that also sold groceries. Its location at 488 Ninth Avenue near 37th Street was on a stretch of the avenue that remained lined with exotic food stores for decades. After the enactment of Prohibition in the U.S. in 1919, Petrucci’s nephew James Manganaro, an immigrant from Naples, took over the store in the 1920s and changed the name; in 1927 he was able to buy the building. Manganaro may have invented the hero sandwich, and played a role in introducing it to Americans.

On his death in 1953, Manganaro’s passed to his brother Louis and sister Nina Manganaro Dell’Orto and their spouses; in 1955, with a publicity agent’s help, they invented the six-foot “Hero-Boy” sandwich, which was successful enough for one of Dell’Orto’s four sons to go on the original version of the TV quiz show I’ve Got a Secret, and for the family to open a sandwich shop next door at 492–494 Ninth Avenue the following year, while continuing to operate a deli and lunch counter in the rear of the grocery store.

In 1962, Louis Manganaro retired and two of his four nephews took over the grocery store and the other two the sandwich shop, Manganaro’s Hero-Boy, and the businesses were separated.

Sal Dell’Orto, who bought out his brother’s half ownership of the grocery store, and James Dell’Orto, who bought out his brother’s half ownership of the sandwich shop, fell out over rights to the “Manganaro’s Hero-Boy” name, trademarked by the sandwich shop in 1969, and advertising for party sandwich telephone hotlines, which led to two separate court cases. The business’ neon sign installed in the early 1930s, which became blinking in the 1960s, was turned off in 2000 so that Manganaro’s Hero-Boy could not benefit from it.The grocery store was repeatedly found at fault over the hotline and was ordered to pay damages to the sandwich shop, and the financial drain plus waning popularity, some of it due to the declining neighborhood, led to the decision to sell the building and close. This was first announced early in 2011, but the building was withdrawn from the market; the business then closed in late February 2012.

Anthony Bourdain featured the store, on the episode title “Disappering Manhattan” on No Reservations TV Show.

DeROBERTIS’S PASTICCERIA ITALIANA

1st Avenue NEW YORK NY

SINCE 1904

Photo – 1928

DeROBERTO’S PASTICCERIA ITALIANA

Year of Picture Unknown

 

LANZA’S

1st Avenue, New York NY

Lanza’s was an Italian restaurant in the East Village, Manhattan. It was opened in 1904 by Sicilian immigrant Michael Lanza in a tenement built in 1871. Lanza was rumored to have been a chef for Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. They closed in 2015. Eater reported it officially closed in 2017 after seizure by a marshal for non-payment of taxes. It is also said to have closed in 2016. The former restaurant’s murals, stained glass, and sign were retained by Joe and Pat’s, a pizzeria that opened at the location in 2018.

They were known to be a favorite of Lucky Luciano, Carmine “Lilo” Galante and Joseph “Socks” Lanza. 

LANZA’S

SINCE 1904

The DINING ROOM

Sadly, LANZA’S Closed in 2017

“STILL GOING STRONG”

JOHN’S of 12th STREET

CUCINA ITALIANA

Since 1908

Thankfully, JOHN’S is open (2024) and going as strong as ever, and will be around for many more years to come. 

Photo by Italian Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke

At one point in his long restaurant career, author Daniel Bellino worked as a waiter at JOHN’S for 7 years.

At the time, he worked as a cook in Italian Restaurants in New York. He worked 2 jobs for 7 years, cooking at various restaurants full-time, while working as a waiter / bartender at John’s for 3 nights a week.

JOHN’S of 12th STREET

SINCE 1908

Get a FINE ART PRINT of JOHN’S

From FineArtAmerica

SINATRA SAUCE

COOK & EAT LIKE FRANK

His FAVOriTE ITALIAN Recipes

AMAZON.com

VENIERO’S PASTICCERIA

SINCE 1894

VENEIRO’S

One of FRANK SINATRA’S Favorites

FRANK LOVED The REGINELLA COOKIES

RAO’S

And, “A Guy who knows a Guy”

EAST HARLEM

SINCE 1896

PJ CLARKE’S

Established 1884

3rd Avenue at 55th Street

NEW YORK NY

Get a FINE ATY PRINT of PJ CLARKE’S

From FineArtAmerica

The WHITE HOUSE TAVERN

Where DYLAN THOMAS Had His LAST DRINK

GREENWICH VILLAGE, NEW YORK

Get a FINE ART PRINT of The WHITE HORSE TAVERN

From FineArtAmerica

CARBONE

NOT One of The OLDEST RESTAURANTS NYC

But We LOVE The SIGN

And the Former OLD SCHOOL ITALIAN RESTAURANT THAT USED to Be HERE

ROCCO’S – OLD SCHOOL RED SAUCE JOINT

Get a FINE ART PRINT of “CARBONE” Sign

From FineArtAmerica

VENEIRO’S ITALIAN PASTRIES

Get a FINE ART PRINT of VENEIRO’S

From FineArtAmerica