Before moving from Williamsburg, I needed to interview one of my favorite neighbors.
“People enjoy a ball. A baseball, a football, a golf ball, a tennis ball.
I hope to have people enjoy my mozzarella ball”, says Georgie, whose wisdom
and thoughtful observations made my day.
Ask a NewYorker: How long have you lived in the neighborhood?
Georgiana: About 90 years.
Ask a NewYorker: In this building?
Georgiana: In this building about 80 years.
Ask a New Yorker: That’s a long time. So tell us about the history of
this deli/grocery?
Georgiana: I don’t know what you want me to tell you. What do you want
me to say?
Ask a New Yorker: What do you do here?
Georgiana: I make mozzarella. Alright, what else do you want me to say?
Ask a New Yorker: Tell us about the mozzarella?
Georgiana: I make mozzarella that I was taught by my grandfather and I think
mozzarella is a wonderful cheese because it has the nutrients of cow’s
milk and cow’s milk is nearest to mother’s milk. What else do you
want me to tell you?
Ask a New Yorker: What time do you wake up to start making mozzarella?
Georgiana: About three o’clock in the morning, alright. And stay in the
business until four thirty. Sometimes I have help, sometimes I don’t.
It’s really a one person business. I just do what I can do.
Ask a New Yorker: How far do people come to buy your mozzarella?
Georgiana: From all over. I have people coming from Israel; I have people coming
from Alaska. People come from all parts of the United States. I have people
even from the islands, the Bahamas, because of the quality of my cheese. I happen
to be one of the tops in making this cheese. I have the authenticity of cheese.
Ask a New Yorker: What’s your secret?
Georgiana: That I can not say. Because I hope some day to sell my business
and that will be my livelihood.
Ask a New Yorker: So are you looking to sell?
Georgiana: No. I won’t sell it. I doubt very much…I think they’ll
take me out in a casket before I sell it.
Ask a New Yorker: So you’ve seen lots of changes in the neighborhood?
Georgiana: We we’re very lucky here in this area. Beyond Grand Street,
which is a few blocks further, is a disaster. This area right here is kept because
of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She is the Patroness of our grand parents. They
walked bare footed from here to 116th street and left their blessings here for
us. This happened about seven or eight years ago. They still carry on the faith.
They still have a very big feast here. And some of the youngsters that were
taught to carry on the faith, danced. They call it Lucia which is the lily if
the saints which takes place on July 16th.
Ask a New Yorker: That’s beautiful.
Georgiana: I feel honored. I’m able to stay in the neighborhood and have
people still feel proud of me. They still come in and except my capability.
Ask a New Yorker: Do you have a motto?
Georgiana: Love thy neighbor. Be kind and considerate in my daily work and
be as helpful as I can to all and to love the poor. That’s it.
Ask a New Yorker: Do you go to Manhattan?
Georgiana: Oh, I used to. That was my family date with my husband. We went
to Manhattan every Thursday, rain or shine. I never went to Europe. But I went
to the best places in New York. I went to The Plaza, I went to the different
hotels. I went to the opera, the Metropolitan, for every Thursday Theatre. I
would go and meet my husband in New York, where he worked, as if I were to meet
him for the first time. I never lost that feeling.
Ask a New Yorker : That’s very fitting being tomorrow is Valentines Day…So
what did you think of the blizzard of 2006?
Georgiana: Oh this is a very simple snow storm. We use to have piles of snow
we use to call Man Mountains.
Ask a New Yorker: So what else?
Georgiana: They call me Georgie for short. I love Metropolitan Ave, being part
of it, makes it the greatest city in the world. New York gives you initiative.
It’s so fast around you. You look at the great buildings and they make
you feel so important that you’re able to accomplish something that you
set out for. You look around you and all those beautiful buildings and they
give you an incentive to say, “I came here to achieve something, they
give you the strength to achieve it”.
Ask a New Yorker: Georgie thank you so much. I’ll be coming back for
my favorite mozzarella. Any thing else you like to say?
Georgiana: That we can enjoy what our posterity has left us, have love and
understanding as neighbors, and have faith in the great God that made us.
Georgies, 597 Metropolitan Ave. L train to Lorimer Street.
