Michael Pastore (1927-2014) and Vincent Pastore (1928-2017), 1980 June 2
Abstract
In this interview, the Pastore brothers discuss their Pastore Wholesale Store. They describe the day-to-day operations of the store, franchising and changing the business, and the impact of the Baltimore 1968 Riots on the store. Additionally, the brothers describe expanding the business over time, the start of the Pastore radio program, and their family legacy.
Dates
- 1980 June 2
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Biographical / Historical
Frank and Mary Pastore took over the store in 1935. Their sons Michael and Vincent Pastore grew up in their family business, starting to work in the store as early as five years old. They took over the business in 1960 and in 1965 Michael decided they could operate as both a retail store and a wholesale store. Vincent managed the retail side, and Michael the wholesale. In 1952 they were advertised on an Italian radio show, then they bought it and Vincent ran the show for 28 years. The Pastore brothers started opening multiple stores under their brand. In 1968 they lost $75,000 worth of products in the 1968 Baltimore Riots. In 1982 Michael bought the Sole de'Italia label from Joseph Vaccarino.
Extent
4 Items (70-minute audio recording, tape index, biography form, and one photograph. )
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Bibliography
The Baltimore Sun. "Vincent Rocco Pastore." Legacy.com. September 30, 2017. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/baltimoresun/name/vincent-pastore-obituary?id=12605107.
"Our History." Italian Wholesale Distributor Pastore: Five Generations of Tradition. 2005. http://www.pastorefood.com/about/history.php.
Scope and Contents
The Little Italy oral history collection oral history collection was established to better understand the lives of Italian immigrants who settled in Baltimore from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. This collection includes 16 audio recordings, numerous tape indexes, biographical material, and some additional articles and photographs depending on the interview. There is one full transcript for John Torrieri.
The individuals interviewed helped create Baltimore's Little Italy district into a thriving center of Italian culture. The oral histories focus on a variety of topics: initial American experiences, starting businesses in Little Italy, family life, Italian culture, the Depression, and World War II, among other topics.
The interviews were primarily conducted by Jean Vincenza-Scarpaci, known as "Vincenza," from 1979-1980, except for one recording done by Mary Thayer in 1973. Vincenza is a well-known immigration historian, in particular focusing on Italian American immigration in the United States. While teaching at Towson State University in the 1970s, Vincenza took an interest in the study of groceries and bakeries in Baltimore, Maryland, which led to the creation of this oral history collection. For more information on Vincenza's many works that could be helpful in contextualizing the interviews in this collection, please see the Bibliography.
Narrators of this collection include Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., Maryland's Delegate in the House of Representatives (1939-1947) and Mayor of Baltimore (1947-1959); Joseph Fava who created a successful macaroni brand; brothers Vincent and Michael Pastore who opened a number of groceries; Joe Vaccarino, who owned the Sole D'Italia brand, and a number of other Italian immigrants who settled in the Little Italy area.
Repository Details
Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750
specialcollections@mdhistory.org