L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano P ike Place Market is the heart and soul of Seattle. Founded more than 110 years ago, the site attracts millions of tourists and local res- idents every year. About 85 farm- ers have fruit and vegetable stalls; another 225 local artists sell their handcrafted products and artwork there. Today, nearly half of the farm- ers are from Laos or Cambodia, but a century ago, many of the produce sellers were Italian im- migrants. A handful of these businesses are in operation today, as second- or third-generation family members took over. This is the story of four of those Pike Place Market pioneers. Joe Desimone RITA CIPALLA Born in Italy, one of 13 chil- dren, she quit school after the third grade to work in the fields, learning everything she needed to know at an early age about planting, growing and harvesting crops. Pasqualina married and settled down in a small town near Naples but was widowed during World War II. Times were tough in post-war Italy and she worked odd jobs to support herself and her son. Eventually, she agreed to marry, sight unseen, the brother of a man she knew in Italy. Dominic Verdi was already living in America, and Pasqualina and her 9-year-old son Frank moved to the United States to be with him. Dominic became a truck farmer in south Seattle and the couple started selling their pro- duce at Pike Place Market. Pasqualina introduced certain herbs and vegetables popular in Italian cooking to Seattle con- sumers, such as sweet basil, fava beans and fennel. She treated everyone the same. "All of her customers were important," The Seattle Times reported in 1991. "A sale was a sale. So when Seattle's more-famous people went to her produce table, they got in line with everyone else." Pasqualina died in 1991 and her son Mike Verdi took over the family produce business with his wife Sue. Sosio's Fruit and Produce Sosio Manzo arrived in Seat- tle from the village of Serena, Italy, and started a 10-acre truck farm in South Park. He began selling his fruits and vegetables at Pike Place Market in 1943. Sosio did the farming, grow- ing lettuce, celery, spinach, radishes and onions, while his wife Lillian ran the market stall. Their five children helped out when they were old enough. After Sosio passed away, the business was taken over by sons Dan and Fred, who renamed it the Manzo Brothers. Later, Dan's son, Mark, went on to run Manzo Brothers, while his brother Dan Jr., opened a second stall that he called Sosio's Fruit and Produce to honor his grand- father. Today, Sosio's is owned by Mike Osborn and Alan Stott. Although not part of the Manzo family, Osborn has had a long career at the market. At 14, he started sweeping floors and cleaning up, then spent 15 years as a fishmonger before working 17 years at Sosio's, buying the business in 2011. Pike Place Market was built on the backs of these Italians and other immigrant groups. They ar- rived in Seattle without language skills or formal education and many did what they knew best – farming. The market continues to serve as a springboard for newcomers looking for a better future for their families. Giuseppe "Joe" Desimone, a native of Naples, immigrated to the United States in 1897 as a stowaway on a ship bound for New York, or so the story goes. Eventually, he made his way out west and started farming in South Park, just south of Seattle, where the draining of the Duwamish River created rich fertile land. A shrewd business- man, Desimone amassed a for- tune. When the market was under threat during the Great Depres- sion, he bought out share after share to keep it afloat. By 1941, Desimone went from selling his produce at Pike Place Market to owning it as president and ma- jority stockholder. Desimone retained ownership of Pike Place Market until his death in 1946 when his son took over. In 1974, the family sold the public market to the city of Seat- tle. The Desimone Bridge, which leads to a public plaza and view- ing deck, is a reminder of the family's long-standing ties to this important city landmark. DeLaurenti's As a bread deliveryman, Pete DeLaurenti met many small gro- cery store owners along his route. He thought it was a job he would enjoy, and in 1946, he got his chance. Pete bought a shop owned by his wife's mother, lo- cated on the market's lower level and renamed it Pete's Italian Grocery Store. From the start, the little grocery store was a gathering spot for the Italian community. Regulars came in of- ten, not just to purchase cheese or Italian meats, but to visit with friends and catch up on the latest news. In 1972, Pete's son Louie took over store management. Louie and his brother Marty had grown up in the grocery busi- ness. The two boys would stock the shelves after school and sweep the floors before closing up. When Louie took over the store, he renamed it DeLaurenti's and moved it to a more visible location at First and Pike, where it remains. He introduced pizza by the slice and offered take-out espresso – both novelties at the time. DeLaurenti turned the little grocery store into a gustatory powerhouse. His father Pete con- tinued coming to work most days until he was in his 80s. Although the DeLaurenti family no longer owns the specialty food shop, the family name was retained. Pasqualina Verdi For 36 years, Pasqualina Verdi was one of Pike Place Market's true originals. Hard- working and plain-spoken, the greengrocer built a devoted fol- lowing from the ground up. Often called the crown jewel of the Emerald City, Pike Place Market is home to 85 farmers and about 225 local artists and crafts people (Visit Seattle) Giuseppe "Joe" Desimone, an immigrant from Naples, was a pivotal force at Pike Place Market. The family continues to have a presence there three generations later Picturesque in any season, Pike Place Market owes its longevity to immigrants from many countries, including Italy, Japan and Germany (Visit Seattle) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY Italian pioneers helped Pike Place Market thrive

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