For over two decades, the vision of an Italian American Museum in New York City simmered in the mind of Joseph V. Scelsa, its founder. This Monday, that dream finally becomes a reality as the museum opened its doors at 151 Mulberry Street, right in the heart of Little Italy. “Every group should have their culture recognized and seen by the public at large,” Scelsa told The New York Post. “Italians have never had a museum.”
Scelsa’s passion for bringing Italian heritage to the forefront began in 1999 when he curated an Italian history exhibit for the New York Historical Society. The response was overwhelming, with 100,000 visitors making it one of the most popular shows in the institution’s history. This experience led Scelsa to a revelation: “I realized that you can reach more people in a museum than in the classroom,” he said.
For Scelsa, however, the journey to open the museum has been a long one, involving decades of fundraising and bureaucratic hurdles. The turning point came when Governor Kathy Hochul’s office stepped in with $1 million in state funding, making the long-awaited opening finally feasible.
“Museums have a hard time borrowing money,” Scelsa explained, adding that banks are often hesitant to finance such projects. He had started fundraising back in 2001, and in 2008, he finally purchased three buildings in Little Italy.
The properties, once owned by a family that ran Banca Stabile—a bank that closed in 1931—were in disrepair. “They were in terrible shape, so we had to build something new,” Scelsa said. By 2018, he partnered with a developer to create a new structure, with condominiums atop the 7,000-square-foot museum space below.
The museum’s permanent collection tells stories that reflect the experiences and contributions of Italian Americans. One standout exhibit honors Italian female garment workers, featuring a statue of a real-life seamstress who reunited with her likeness at 95 years old. Another display showcases the Sicilian puppet theaters that thrived in Little Italy, with 32 original puppets now housed in the museum. “This collection was coveted by Jim Henson and the Smithsonian,” Marie Palladino, the museum’s head of education, commented proudly.
The museum also features an exhibit on famed explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, who discovered New York Bay in the early 16th century. “It’s all about highlighting the contributions of Italians to American culture,” noted Scelsa, who has never lost sight of his mission. “I don’t consider this to be my legacy,” he said modestly. “In reality, anybody could have done this—as long as they had the tenacity of a dream.”
During Columbus Week (10/14 – 10/20), the museum is open Monday from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Thursday through Saturday from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and by appointment on Wednesday and Sunday. The museum is closed to the public on Tuesday.
After Columbus Week, the museum will be open Thursday through Saturday from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with appointments available on Wednesday and Sunday. It will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.
