Thank you Veniero's!

Veniero's Pasticceria has always been a huge supporter of our work documenting #momandpop stores and when we asked for his help in storing some of our lumber supplies for our upcoming sculptural art installation “Mom-and-Pops of the L.E.S.” Robert graciously gave us room in his building. (We live in a small studio and 12 foot lumber won’t even fit in our stairwell!) We can’t thank Robert and @venierospastry enough for their support. •

To help support our upcoming #momandpopsles installation please go to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1581279891/mom-and-pops-of-the-les-public-art-installation  

We really appreciate every donation! Veniero Pasticceria and Caffe was established in 1894 by Antonio Veniero and is the only family-run Italian 🇮🇹 #bakery left in the East Village. It retains much of its original interior including the hand-stamped metal ceiling, #vintage terrazzo floors and wood display cases and mirrors. Gracing the facade is a huge overhanging #neonsign from the 1940s. Robert Zerilli, the fourth-generation owner is so passionate about maintaining his family’s #neon sign that he spends thousands of dollars every year maintaining it. He told us “the guy who works on it told me that he can make a plastic facsimile for around $12,000 that looks just like it and is weatherproof and in the long run will save me 💰 money. But I told him that’s not cool. I want the old dirty broken-down looking sign. That’s what people love and I as long as I’m alive, I won’t put up a new sign.” Photo and full interview appear in our book “New York Nights”.