'There's this and then there's the rest.' Easter shopping brings crowds to Arthur Avenue
Both customers and businesses say tradition is just as big a pull as the quality of food.
With Easter Sunday still a few days away, crowds have already begun to fill Arthur Avenue.
"I've got to follow my mother," said Dominic Gandiosi, who had come from Long Island to shop. "She comes here and this is what we got to do. It has to be here, it has to be on Arthur Avenue, it's not Easter."
Lines formed both inside and outside many food stores on the famous stretch.
"It is the busiest time," said Anthony Biancardi, the co-owner of Biancardi's Meats. "It's like Christmas. Christmas and Easter - about the same.'
Over at Madonia Bakery, clerk Sarah Pepa said that because of the volumes of some orders, "we have to turn people away, so it's getting a little bit crazy."
Despite the long distances some traveled, many, including Pat DiPietrantonio, who lives in Florida, said shopping on Arthur Avenue for the holidays has "been part of my life."
"There's this and then there's the rest," said New Jersey resident Vinny Schiraldi. "Why not just come here, bear the traffic, find a parking spot and get what you need?"
Most stores and customers said lamb was a must-get, with cheese, breads and pastry shops also seeing big lines.
"It's a little bit of nostalgia, going back to our roots," said Tom Tomij, who came from Connecticut with multiple members of his family.
"The people, the service, the what you get, the family feel, you can't beat that," agreed Schiraldi.
Business owners said they shared the feeling, looking forward to seeing familiar faces and making new friends year after year.
"Everyone that walks through that door, they might be a stranger, but by the time they leave, they're getting a Christmas card from us," said Jerome Raguso, the owner of Gino's Pastry Shop.
"People, they love a good product, but they love a product with a good story," added Carlo Carciotto, who has taken over Casa Della Mozzarella from his father, an immigrant who started it.
With many businesses also being passed down from generations, the current owners tell News 12 that spikes in business like the ones they get during the holidays are key to keeping their parents' and grandparents' dreams alive.
"There's good, there's bad, there's snowstorms in January and you do nothing, and the holidays, you try and make it up a little bit," said Biancardi.
