One of six children, Louis (Lou) Mirabelli was born in Chicago. His parents, Enrico and Mariane (Mirabelli) Mirabelli, emigrated from Cosenza. The growing family moved from apartment to apartment in the vicinity of Taylor Street and Hermitage. “It seemed like every time the people would raise the rent, my father would say, ‘OK, let’s pick up our furniture and move someplace else’ … the old Italian custom,” Mirabelli says.

The Italian neighborhood was a haven for Mirabelli and his brothers, sisters and cousins. Kids played games in the street, and during the warmer months, their parents and paesani sat on the front stoops sharing coffee, cookies, watermelon or whatever they had.