Because of a rent increase, Ernie and Margaret Rossi recently closed their E. Rossi & Co. Italian gift shop, which has been at the corner of Grand and Mulberry Sts. since 1936, and moved to another, much smaller space nearby. Above left, Margaret held a pair of shoes that belonged to Ernie’s grandfather — which Ernie plans to wear when he’s buried. At right, Ernie took down the shop’s shingle. Some in Little Italy are bemoaning the loss and shrinking of small mom-and-pop stores, although Mulberry St.’s restaurant business is still going strong. The owners of Da Nico restaurant down the block reportedly have a lease on the former Rossi gift shop space, where they plan to open a new restaurant. Da Nico itself is undergoing major renovations to increase its size.
