Rossana Russo’s rich history in Little Italy dates back to when her parents, both Italian natives, settled on Grand Street and met on Mott St. at a long since gone Five and Dime, and became restaurant owners in the neighborhood in 1984. When they passed away–her mother Gaetana “Lunella” in 2019 and her father Antonio in 2020–she was faced with the decision of what to do with their restaurant Lunella at 173 Mulberry Street.

“At that moment, I was like, ‘They literally dedicated their life to this to give me a good life, so I’m going to take it over and make them proud’,” said Russo on Sept. 14, the first day of the Feast of San Gennaro, which runs until Sept. 24 in Little Italy. “This is what you do when you’re part of an Italian family.”