Locals Only: A visit to Emily’s Pork Store and Gennaro ‘Jerry’ Aliperti

By Adrian Savino

One of the most iconic hit scenes in “The Sopranos” unfolds at Bamonte’s in East Williamsburg, a red-sauce cornerstone that’s been open since 1900. “Gerry the Hairdo,” an heir to the Lupertazzi Family donship, gets whacked by the order of Faustino Santoro. The dining room is dated but elegant, dark but welcoming, and perfectly encapsulates how many of the generational establishments in the Italian section have held off interior design updates as if they were cursed.

There seems to be a renewed sense of curiosity in this enclave that is typically grouped into “Williamsburg Proper,” or overlooked in favor of its neighbor to the north, Greenpoint. In the tail end of the nearly two-week-long Giglio Feast, which wrapped Sunday, Brooklyn Magazine paid a visit to another one of its legendary joints, an institution that has maintained a sense of history and culture that makes it a local favorite.

It’s 4 p.m. on a Tuesday in mid-July. Temperatures are in the low 90’s and humidity is through the roof. Gennaro “Jerry” Aliperti mans the counter at Emily’s Pork Store. Butcher store by design, and sandwich shop by default, it has been operating unchanged for nearly 50 years, since 1974. “I started working here on weekends when I was 13 and bought the place from my mother’s brother in 1989,” says Aliperti, only he pronounces it more like “mudda’s brudda.”

Italians flocked to Williamsburg as early as 1860 — and even more followed with the completion of the Williamsburg Bridge in 1903 — and have maintained a culture here that pays homage to roots in cities like Naples and Salerno. Their food is “simple, they’re cutting the mozz and the water is still running out of it,” says Aliperti, whose own family roots are in Saviano, a small section of Naples. He is intent on maintaining the store as it was left to him by his Uncle Frank and Aunt Emily.

“This fridge is still original, nothing has been changed. These yuppies come in here expecting something new; we keep it easy” Aliperti jokes. At 57, he himself is a bridge between his early customers, some of whom are now in their late 80s and early 90s, and the neighborhood’s newer inhabitants who are just turning on to the allure of his shop.

On this day, a long-time patron comes in to the shop at 426 Graham Avenue, says hello, and strolls into the walk-in fridge like it was his own kitchen, “Jerry I’m going to get a soder” he yells out, pulling a can of soda from the fridge. A new bar owner walks in asking if they can incorporate his meat and cheeses into their Bloody Mary, and a reporter from a local website calls requesting his time. Aliperti is equally gracious with all comers.

Beyond local civilians, Aliperti also supplies neighborhood standouts like Ace’s Pizza (try the large red), and work closely with Carmines, Two Boots, and, of course, Bamonte’s. On our way out, he offers us a San Bendetto Peach tea. “I just want my health long enough to enjoy it all,” he says. To which we can only say salute.

Going to Emily’s Pork Store for the first time? Start with these:
The pork sandwich: Sharp provolone, broccoli rabe, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, $12
The chicken cutlet: Fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, $12
Misc items: Lamb rings ($11.99 per pound); olives ($7.99 per pound); homemade soppressata and dried sausages, hot and sweet ($14.99 per pound)