UPDATE: MooPig Welcomes You to the History Page: CAPUTO'S on Harlem in Chicago

UPDATE: Report from Caputo's -- as we gather intel on the wherabouts of our nostalgic Senior Field Reporter, Ric Compostholestoy -- "Go ahead Ric...."

AUGUST 13, 2008: iPhone -- Noon 
It has changed, but then not really.
We're old man. That's all I really came away with.
You married a piece of Harlem Ave. so you're lucky to
wake up to a bit of that crazy/wonderful lifestyle.
MY kids were strangely but reservedly interested in
all my stories and in the places we stopped. 2 pounds
of Sweet ITalian sausage at Nottoli's, a conversation
in pure Italian with the barista at the old man's
coffee bar (with the "Mysterious Men's Back Room
behind the beaded curtain, of course"). Every Italian
thinks of himself as a stealthy Mafioso when he looks 
in the mirror..... such bull crap.
Lots of Albanian hot chicks doing all the waitressing
these days - over-the-top tight clothes and make-up,
hoping to parlay all that into am evening in a limo
and dinner at a fancy restaurant on the credit card of
some older slickster who is partners with his brother
in a cement-cast yard statue company over on Belmont.
Sleeping with the creep is an assumed but acceptable
given, but well worth the glorious moment in the
American Spotlight - "ah - if only those peasant
bitches back in Albania could see me now!!"
So, pal - Harlem Ave. continues and gradually change
in shades - but always the transitional step for
first-generation immigrants making good (mostly good).
A little of the old world and a little of the new. The
weak ones fall or go "back". The ones that move ahead
will need to forget some of the things that were
necessary on the streets of Harlem Ave.  Haven't we
all.

Rick
Richard Capotosto
Zeeland, Michigan

Our field correspondent, Capotosto, called in yesterday from Harlem Street in Chicago. He had two of three children with him in his Audi.

"We thought we sent you to Chicago to report on the gathering of "Phelps Phans" off Daley Center Plaza??"

Capotosto was yelling something about "...looking for a place to park; what do you want from Caputo's...? stinky cheese, some prosciutto, kale and canned tomatoes?"

The sound of air rushing by... "...we're at Caputo's on Harlem. I just wanted to check in before my phone conks out. Gina's taking pictures. We'll have something for you later."

Oh no, it always happens. We send in the senior correspondents, and they take themselves on their own tour of the town. We will probably be hearing him later from the Billy Goat Tavern.

No Matter. We sent another cub reporter to cover the Daley Center. We know what he is up to, and we do need some 'la bella Romana' canned tomatoes over here.

"This is a place I would go substantially out of my way for. [Caputo's] I remember around Christmas time I wanted to make Limoncello. They had huge, gorgeous, ripe, perfect lemons on sale for 12/$1. Are you kidding? This place is amazing. It's known for it's outstanding deli, but I’m not a fan of those cold meats..." Kelly C. 10/08/2007 5 star rating

So let's look into an International Collaborative Story, shall we?

This Story Begins HERE, Mola di Bari, Italia, and why not?
Angelo Caputo, our founder grew up in Mola Di Bari a seaside village of around 26,000 on Italy's Southeast coast, right at the top of the heel.


Mola, Italia, Summer 2005

The son of Natale and Caterina , Angelo enjoyed a comfortable childhood thanks in part to his fathers hard work , travels and many sacrifices. Prior to Angelo's birth his father had spent the better part of twenty-seven years working in the United States and saving money to invest back in Italy.

The Great Depression of the 1930s however, forced Natale to return to Italy where he started farming. He also opened a shop on his property for the sale of food stuffs. At the age of 18, Angelo got a touch of the wanderlust that his father had for life in America and decided that his future would be in the New World.

On his eighteenth birthday, he set out for Genoa where he hoped to get passage to the USA. Told that the only way to get passage was to bribe the officials he turned over most of what he had and awaited his future with excited anticipation.

After a month however, out of money and with no sea passage he was forced to return to Mola Di Bari disappointed but no less determined to someday get to America.

His luck soon changed however. Upon returning home, he found a letter waiting for him from his Uncle Sam in America. Actually, it was from the draft board and Angelo had been cordially invited to join up and serve his (new) country. It turns out that Angelo had been born in the US on one of his parent's many work visits to the States and his proud father had registered his birth with the local authorities so indeed, Angelo was born with dual US / Italian citizenship. He turned around and headed to the US Consulate in Naples where he was issued a US passport and from there was off to conquer the New World. Shortly after immigrating to Chicago where Angelo had family living, he did enlist in the Army and after basic training was posted as a cook at an American base in Frankfort Germany.

While on a furlough, Angelo returned home to Mola Di Bari to visit his parents. While home he also paid a visit to a beautiful young woman he had met at his parents' store as a teen. Her name was Romana Berlen and once Angelo saw her, he was certain that this was the girl he would marry. By September, the young couple was married and three months later when Angelo was 23 years old, his military obligation was complete. In the spring of 1957, they moved back to the US and settled down for their new life in America.

Their first store opened in 1958 in Elmwood Park, Illinois at the corner of Harlem & Wrightwood and was known as Caputo's New Farm Produce and Italian Specialties. It was truly a neighborhood fresh fruit and vegetable market where customers would arrive early each day waiting in line for the doors to open so that they could purchase a loaf of fresh Italian bread and the meat and produce that they would be serving that evening.

In 1986, Angelo and Romana took a trip back to Italy to visit family. While there, they met with a number of Italian food processors and manufacturers to make plans for a new line of imported Italian specialty foods.
Selecting the items to include in their product offering, picking the best supplier, and arranging transportation back to the Chicago area, were all pertinent steps; but before they could proceed, something very important had to be decided…The Caputo’s needed to come up with a brand name that would convey the excellent quality and true "down-home" Italian flavor of the products. It also had to be easy to remember.

The first store soon outgrew its four walls and in 1986 it was replaced by the current Elmwood Park store on Harlem Ave. (Caputo's; 2008)

(Please read the entire history HERE, retrieved today for discussing and digesting...)

Also: See Mont Clare Neighborhood, Chicago:

Mont Clare, Chicago

Beyond Mont Clare Shoe Repair & Cleaners, the Mont Clare neighborhood is rooted with Caputo’s Fresh Market, Grand Cyclery and Reuter’s Bakery. The 10-year old Circuit City and nearby Walgreens are still considered newcomers to these long-time merchants.

The store that holds Mont Clare Shoe Repair & Cleaners itself was originally a butcher shop in the early 1900’s. Then, the location became a tavern which created the two restrooms in the back. Next, Mont Clare Savings & Trust took over as the neighborhood bank until they outgrew the location. In 1938, Frank’s uncle came from Italy to begin the days of Mont Clare Shoe Repair & Cleaners.

Mont Clare is a tight neighborhood with an old school feel. Many folks drop off their shoes, shop on the block and catch up with Frank on the latest. At the same time, you might see someone with Wisconsin plates or a UPS driver at Mont Clare Shoe Repair. Customers come from far and wide to get this kind of specialized expertise.

If you’re too far for a personal visit to the Mont Clare neighborhood, you can still get a taste of the made-to-order service from Mont Clare Shoe Repair. Frank would be happy to discuss your challenge on the phone and arrange a pick-up and delivery service.