Filmmaker Carmelo Ignaccolo recently created this short documentary film titled The Demising Façade that speaks with Italo-Americans Ernesto Rossi and Michael Rella about their changing neighborhood of Little Italy.
Manhattan’s Little Italy used to be one of the most famous cultural enclave in New York City. Behind the gleaming façade of Italian visual markers, today the enclave has been struggling to preserve its authenticity as it grows into a tourist district. Meanwhile in Bronx, its emerging Little Italy continues to sustain its traditions by keeping the business humble and close to their root – family. Hence, when cultural authenticity has dispersed into new places, what should we do with the former one? Is preservation the only possible choice? What's the role of public authorities? In this video we took a journey to Little Italies and interviewed two Italo-Americans (Manhattan’s Ernesto Rossi and Bronx’s Michael Rella), who shared their opinions, suggestions and ... hopes.
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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