|
| Nearly
45 years ago, when coffee was something dark and thick slurped
from bottomless cups in all-nite |
| diners
and espresso was a bitter brew found mainly in ethnic restaurants,
Dominic P. Ammirati Sr. |
| decided
to begin importing commercial espresso machines from Italy.
The machines, he thought, would |
| complement
his thriving house-wares business, started by his Neapolitan
father near the family's east |
| Harlem,
NY, apartment. Dominic was 54 at the time, perhaps too old to
be considered a Turk or a visionary, |
| but
perhaps just the right age to anticipate a trend whose time
would soon come. |
| Determined
to bring the best espresso machine to the American market, Dominic
traveled to Milan, Italy |
|
and began a relationship with La Cimbali that continues today,
becoming the first person to bring the |
| renowned
manufacturer's machines to the United States. As legend tells,
Dominic carried the first machine |
back to America in his luggage before setting up Ammirati Imports,
a family business spanning three |
| generations,
to date, which now brings more than 300 La Cimbali espresso
machines from Italy into the |
|
United States for sale to cafes and restaurants nationwide annually. |
| But
in 1964, the market for commercial espresso machines was small
at best. "Little by little, it grew," said |
| Dominic
a few years ago, describing those first years. In the early
days, Dominic primarily sold the |
| machines
to restaurants and cafes in ethnic enclaves throughout Manhattan,
to French, Spanish, Italian |
| and
Jewish business owners who hoped to recreate the espresso experience
remembered from childhood |
| and
travel abroad. |
| But
with diligence, perseverance and determination, Dominic and
his son, Tommy Ammirati, built a business |
| importing
and selling espresso machines and coffee that eventually surpassed
and swallowed up the |
| original
housewares business. In the mid 1970s, the father-son team
also began roasting their own coffee |
|
and espresso called Cafe Ammi, with much success. But soon
the market that already seemed so good |
| would
explode into greatness. |
|
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, with a caffeinated surge,
a coffee craze took hold of the United States. |
| Cafes
began to crop up on nearly every city street corner. "Cappuccino,"
"ristretto," and "macchiato," |
| became
household words, as Americans learned about the delights of
coffee and the culture that surrounds it. |
| And
the Ammirati's, with 30 years of experience already under its
belt, were uniquely poised to bring the |
| best
in Italian espresso machines and coffee to an enthusiastic marketplace. |
| Today,
a third generation of Ammirati's raised amid the scent of roasting
coffee and the whirring of grinders |
| continues
to bring a highly respected blend of coffee products -- including
La Cimbali espresso machines, |
| Lavazza
premium coffees, Mighty Leaf fine teas and Fabbri 1905 flavored syrups |
|
among much else – to some of the most well-known cafes
and restaurants across the United States. |
| Dominic
Ammirati Sr., who passed away in June 2002 after a long illness,
felt blessed in his success. "I've done |
| almost
everything I've ever wanted to do," he said in an interview
in 1995, adding that what he'd like most to |
|
be remembered for is "having a good family." |
| His family, including grandsons Dominic Ammirati Jr., T.J. Tarateta, Michael Ammirati, and Joseph Ammirati today |
build upon the success that Dominic Sr. and his son Tommy created in the family's long history of importing and
|
distributing coffee, espresso machines, and related products. With a new showroom and warehouse in Pelham,
|
| NY, the next generation continues to bring the best in espresso to an American marketplace that continues to |
| embrace coffee with enthusiasm. |
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