Ernie Rossi
Ernie Rossi is the proud 3rd-generation owner of E. Rossi & Co., a store which has been at the heart of Manhattan's Little Italy for over 100 years.
Ernesto Rossi (Ernie's grandfather) opened the shop in 1910 before handing it over to his son Luigi, who would eventually hand over to Ernie, who has worked there since he was a child and had always promised to his father that he would keep it alive.
Lifelong customers have come to purchase souvenirs, religious items, kitchen supplies and what feels like everything Italian under the sun. It's not just the products that attract them, though, it's Ernie, with his big heart and laugh, his stories, and his songs, which he sings and plays as customers shop.
E. Rossi & Co. started as a music store and publishing company, and was one of the biggest publishers of Italian and Neapolitan music in the country in the 1950s and 1960s. It seems only fitting, then, that Ernie continues to be connected to music. Two of his original songs, "Far' L'Amore Con Te" and "Dimmi Amore" were recorded by Jenna Esposito for her 2015 album "That's Amore: Songs From The Great Italian-American Songbook," and she is hoping to record more in the future.