Nearly 100 years of tradition at Zingone Brothers on the Upper West Side
NEW YORK – At Zingone Brothers on the Upper West Side, groceries are a family trade that's stood the test of time.
"It's been working for 100 years, and we hope to make it another 100 after this," Nicholas Zingone, Jr. said.
He runs the neighborhood institution alongside his father, brother, and cousins.
Zingone Brothers began with his grandfather, who arrived in New York on a ship from Naples, Italy in 1920. After purchasing the building, he handed the business down to his sons.
"And then, our generation continued the tradition of the store," Nicholas's cousin Mary said.
For customers, Zingone Brothers is more than a place to find produce and hardware.
"We're a hub for information in the neighborhood. People come to ask what's going on," Nicholas's brother Ricardo said.
"I think it's like a local barber shop. People love to shop and just, kind of, shoot the breeze. And we're the type of people that, if you need anybody, like an electrician, plumber, or anything along that line, we know pretty much everybody," Mary's brother Dominic said.
Neighbors place so much trust in the Zingone family that they know just where to leave their spare house keys in case of emergency.
"We have a key box," Dominic said.
Above all, customers are treated like part of the family.
"We give not only the contact, the affection, but we give the love, and that's what keeps Zingone's going," Mary said.
Zingone Brothers
471 Columbus Ave
New York, NY 10024
(212) 877-7525