Cuisine Di Palo
Lou Di Palo’s great-grandfather, Savino, embarked on a journey in 1903 that changed his life and the lives of his family’s future generations. As Italians immigrated to the United States en masse between 1880 and 1920, Savino Di Palo left behind his family, his farm and all that he was accustomed to as a cheese-maker in the small mountain village of Montemelone in Basilicata, Italy. After settling in New York City’s Little Italy, he opened a latteria (dairy store) in 1910. In 1914 his family joined him. Working together with his children, Savino inspired them to preserve the traditions of his homeland in Italy. In 1925 Lou Di Palo’s grandmother (Savino’s daughter), Concetta, continued this tradition by opening up a latteria of her own with the support of her husband, Luigi. The latteria, called Di Palo’s, was located on the corner of Mott and Grand Streets, within a half block from her father’s shop. Always bustling with Italian immigrants, this small 400 square-foot store exclusively sold cheeses that were handmade by Luigi and Concetta and fresh milk ladled from large milk cans that were delivered daily from nearby farms. Over the years, Concetta and Luigi, along with their sons Michael and Savino, slowly increased their product line to include southern Italian cheeses such as Caciocavallo, Provolone and Pecorino Romano. Struggling through some of America’s most difficult times, the store survived the depression era, world wars and a changing community. In the 1960s immigration policies shifted, and Italian communities drastically diminished over the following 20 years. Lou Di Palo realized that the ‘footprint’ of Italian immigrants, which had been established in NYC’s Little Italy, needed to be preserved. When Di Palo’s father, Savino
(“Sam”), retired, Di Palo - along with his brother Salvatore and sister Marie - realized they needed to continue one of the greatest contributions that Italian immigrants made to the United States: the appreciation of traditional foods. Di Palo adopted a mission to rediscover what his greatgrandfather Savino DiPalo had left behind in Italy. He made frequent trips to his ancestral land to seek authentic tastes and select traditional products from its 20 regions. Di Palo adds a personal flavor to his cuisine; he explains, “I bring back to you the knowledge and history of these authentic flavors. I have made it my obligation not only to meet the producers but also to visit the farms during harvest times and see the animals and the land on which they graze in order to guarantee that these products are of the highest standards and quality.” And now Di Palo’s son Sam, the fifth generation of this family passionate about their work, has spent 4 years in Italy reclaiming his heritage. Sam Di Palo expanded their shop and created Enoteca Di Palo, a wine shop and wine gallery with a diverse selection of exceptional Italian wine. The shop displays “a rotation of different regional wines” from Italy’s 20 regions. Sam Di Palo, along side his father Lou, is now ensuring that the Di Palo family has come full circle to share the vision of his great-great-grandfather, Savino DiPalo. www.dipaloselects.com