Cavaliere’s Grocery Store
140 Wooster Street (former)
Founder, Angelo Cavaliere and sons Emiddio and Silvio, c. 1962. Courtesy New Haven Museum.
Angelo and Mary Cavaliere came to America from Amalfi in 1920. Angelo worked at Sargent’s until he bought a small neighborhood market from Mrs. Elvira Laudano in 1935. When his sons, Emiddio and Silvio returned from the war, they moved the market to 140 Wooster St. and expanded it. The store featured many imported delicacies from Italy: enormous cheeses, squash, pasta etc. One day a week they made their famous Italian sausage, hot or sweet. Customers came from all over the greater New Haven area to shop there. Cavaliere’s Grocery Store was one of the longest running businesses in New Haven (65 years) when they closed their doors in 1999. It was a mainstay on Wooster Street for all the essential necessities. Mr. Emiddio Cavaliere and his wife Ann still live in New Haven and still visit and enjoy the neighborhood, including Wooster Square events.
The photo was taken in November, 1962. The provolone cheese weighed more than 700 lbs. The company that produces that cheese is Auricchio and they are still known for producing the finest quality provolone cheese. These days that cheese retails for around $13.00 a pound so that piece in the photo would now be worth over $10,000.00.
Text source url and courtesy Angelo Cavaliere.
On the Wooster Square Tour
1 | Sally’s Pizza
3 | Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana
4 | Midolo’s Bakery
5 | Generoso Muro Macaroni Factory
9 | Society of Santa Maria Maddalena
10 | Maiorano’s Cheese Factory
11 | Carrano’s Market
13 | Shoninger’s & Chestnut St. Fire
13 | Slineyville Area
14 | Longobardi’s Funeral Home
15 | St. Andrew the Apostle Society
18 | St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, SIRS & Grammar School
19 | Columbus School aka Greene Street School
20 | Sacred Heart Academy
21 | Italian Consulate
22 | Congregation B’nai Scholom
23 | Winchester Davies Shirt Manufacturing Co.
27 | Luisa DeLauro Corner