![Main fundraiser photo](https://images.gofundme.com/fM692Pxo-6aUEJ9lQ5t0Gd70518=/720x405/https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/49978758_1595963573989042_r.jpeg)
HELP SAVE THE OLDEST ITALIAN-AMERICAN GIFT SHOP
Donation protected
(There was a different GoFundMe page that was incorrect and not connected to Ernie -- this is the official page)
Ernie Rossi and his shop E.Rossi and Company (https://erossico.com) is a staple of New York. Located in the heart of Little Italy the shop has been in business for over 100 years, marking it the oldest of its kind.
Ernesto Rossi (Ernie's grandfather) opened the shop in 1910 before handing it over to his son Luigi, who would eventually hand over to Ernie, who has worked there since he was a child and had always promised to his father that he would keep it alive.
Lifelong customers have come to purchase souvenirs, religious items, kitchen supplies and what feels like everything Italian under the sun. It's not just the products though, it's Ernie, his big heart and laugh, his songs he will play and sing to you in the shop, his stories and so much more that are now facing it's toughest days trying to remain open.
Between high NYC rent and the lack of customers in the shop they are running out of options. As the New York Times recently wrote: "Mr. Rossi said he has tapped into savings and burned through retirement accounts to hold on to the store. He saw in-person business begin to decline in early March, and even large discounts could not lure customers back. He owes months of back rent and says he is worried it is only a matter of time before he has to close the shop.
“I feel so sorry for my husband,” said Margaret Rossi, Mr. Rossi’s wife of almost 50 years. “Every time he thinks of the store closing, tears come down his eyes.”
Help Ernie keep his store and this longstanding one of a kind mom-and-pop shop alive during this difficult time.
100 percent of the funds will go to keeping this business open.
https://erossico.com
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/nyregion/coronavirus-small-business-nyc.html
Ernie Rossi and his shop E.Rossi and Company (https://erossico.com) is a staple of New York. Located in the heart of Little Italy the shop has been in business for over 100 years, marking it the oldest of its kind.
Ernesto Rossi (Ernie's grandfather) opened the shop in 1910 before handing it over to his son Luigi, who would eventually hand over to Ernie, who has worked there since he was a child and had always promised to his father that he would keep it alive.
Lifelong customers have come to purchase souvenirs, religious items, kitchen supplies and what feels like everything Italian under the sun. It's not just the products though, it's Ernie, his big heart and laugh, his songs he will play and sing to you in the shop, his stories and so much more that are now facing it's toughest days trying to remain open.
Between high NYC rent and the lack of customers in the shop they are running out of options. As the New York Times recently wrote: "Mr. Rossi said he has tapped into savings and burned through retirement accounts to hold on to the store. He saw in-person business begin to decline in early March, and even large discounts could not lure customers back. He owes months of back rent and says he is worried it is only a matter of time before he has to close the shop.
“I feel so sorry for my husband,” said Margaret Rossi, Mr. Rossi’s wife of almost 50 years. “Every time he thinks of the store closing, tears come down his eyes.”
Help Ernie keep his store and this longstanding one of a kind mom-and-pop shop alive during this difficult time.
100 percent of the funds will go to keeping this business open.
https://erossico.com
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/27/nyregion/coronavirus-small-business-nyc.html
Organizer
Ernest Rossi
Organizer
New York, NY