On trendy Elizabeth Street in the Little Italy rechristened Nolita, two vintage meat store signs harken back to the days when Sicilian-owned businesses lined the streets and butchers did a good trade in live chickens and rabbits.
Albanese Meats & Poultry looks abandoned, while Moe’s Meat Market across the street has been transformed into gallery space.
The 1960s and 1970s-esque signs remain, just like this ghostly Italian bakery sign (over an antiques store) farther down the block.
Tags: Albanese Meats & Poultry, Elizabeth Street NYC, Little Italy in New York City, Little Italy shops, Meat Markets in New York City, Moe's Meat Market, Nolita street, old Little Italy store signs
Ephemeral New York 
March 6, 2017 at 2:15 pm |
Some of these Elizabeth Street signs may be original, like Albanese’s, but many on Elizabeth and Prince area are faux, installed for one of the Godfather movies. The store owners just left them up. I heard this about 20 years ago, and a close look seems to confirm it.
March 6, 2017 at 2:36 pm |
Wow, I had no idea. Thanks S.S.
March 6, 2017 at 8:11 pm |
I recall now that it was someone who lived on Elizabeth Street who told me that at the time, when I was commenting on the “old” signs.
So I took a closer look and you could see many lacked “authenticity”.
I haven’t looked in years.
I just google mapped the street and I see all the signs that had been still extant in the 90s have been removed. Probably the new stores took them down. There were about half a dozen.
I believe Albanese’s may be historical since the butcher shop has been there forever, but I have my doubt about “Moe’s Meat Market”.
Does anyone remember whether there really was a Moe’s that sold meat there?
March 6, 2017 at 7:48 pm |
In the Godfather movie the Olive Oil Company, where Brando is shot buying oranges, was on Mott Street.
March 7, 2017 at 1:44 am |
They used to slice veal for spidini as thin as paper. Mother & son!
March 7, 2017 at 5:46 pm |
Albanese is/was for real. I hope Mr. Albanese is still operating it. He was a few years back.
March 10, 2017 at 1:14 pm |
When Little Italy was…
March 10, 2017 at 1:16 pm |
Some research says Albanese was Moe….
March 19, 2017 at 12:10 pm |
The olive oil store in the Godfather was named Genco’s Olive Oil Company I believe. I have no idea if there is any connection to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Genco_Russo
December 11, 2017 at 6:47 am |
[…] whole section of Elizabeth Street is given up to the sale of stale fish at ten and fifteen cents a pound, and the crowd of Italians, […]