Pina Deli connects even more than an immigrant
community wanting to make better lives for themselves and their families. It connects
a community of food lovers – people who relish the diverse tastes and textures
of an international cuisine; people who recognize that respect is being shown
when prosciutto is cut and wrapped with tender care; people who carry this food
to their own kitchens to enliven age-old traditions.
Pina
and Domenico Buresti 1961-1969
Pina (Giuseppina) Cavicchia will always
remember the vow she made to herself when she turned to look back at the
remains of her home town of Lettopalena, as the bus climbed around treacherous
hair pin bends in the mountain road.
With her mother and younger sister, Pina was leaving
their bombed out village in the Abbruzzi region of Italy to board a ship in
Naples bound for Australia. An older sister was remaining in Lettopalena.
It was 1955.
‘Goodbye
Poverty,’ 14 year old Pina said to herself. ‘I am going to work so hard I will
never want for anything.’
And so she did.
Rare
photograph of the original fortress town of Lettopalena, perched on a ledge
above a deep ravine,
prior to its destruction in 1943
Houses
up to five storeys high make the best use of the building land available
Photograph
from paper by Dr Judith Galvin, courtesy of Cultural Collections,
University of
Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Pina remembers the makeshift home her family had
made in unused stone stables outside Lettapalena. The village had been
destroyed in November 1943 after two months of German occupation of the area. Soldiers
drove the people out family by family; then blew up each house.[1]
As a 4 year old, Pina remembers her own father’s return from the war,[2]
and later, sitting around the fireplace in the stables with her family and
neighbours, listening while they relived their harrowing experiences.
‘I always left my shoes on the chair near the
door,’ she tells me, ‘in case the enemy came.’
The young Pina loved school. In the afternoons,
she would have her head in a book as she kept an eye on five goats foraging for
fresh pasture on land her family owned some distance from home. It was a hard,
subsistence life; everything came from the land and everyone in the family had
to help.
Pina’s father had migrated 5 years earlier,
establishing himself with a job in the coke ovens of the BHP in Newcastle, New
South Wales, Australia.
Once in Newcastle, Pina completed her final
year of school, leaving at the age of 15. It must have been a difficult time to
change countries, I suggest – a teenager thrust into a new school, with no
English. How did she learn?
Pina thinks for a moment.
‘There were special English language classes,’
she says. ‘I learned about cricket from our teacher! But I think it was the sheer wanting.’
Pina’s first job was in a pickle factory in
Fern Street, Islington. From there she worked behind the counter in ‘the German
deli.’ The owners did not speak Italian, although many Italians came into the Hamilton
shop. When they could not find what they were looking for, the young Pina quietly
noted a business opportunity.
In an employment environment rich with jobs,
Pina worked in the Bond’s clothing factory, a fish and chip shop and Theo’s
Milk Bar in Hunter Street.
In May 1961, Pina married Dominico Buresti.
Dominico’s home was in the Marche region of
Italy. When the 16 year old boy decided he wanted to go to Australia, he visited
the Australian High Commission in Genoa. There, he was told to come back when
he was 17. Before the two months were up, he received a reminder call from a
keen official, and was soon on his way.
It was 1951.
At the Bonegilla Migrant Camp near Albury-Wodonga,
10,000 immigrants waited anxiously for promised work that failed to
materialise. After some tough short term jobs in Queensland, Domenico and a
couple of friends took a train to Newcastle, where he found a job in the blast
furnace at the BHP steelworks.
Dominico rented a room in a house owned by a
Polish family, saved hard, and was soon able to buy a four bedroom house in
Islington. He, too, became a landlord.
Intending to return to Italy, Domenico’s plans
changed when he met Pina at a friend’s wedding.
Domenico and Pina Buresti on their wedding day
in May, 1961
From the Buresti family collection, courtesy La
Nefa
Later
that same year, Mr Findlay, a real estate agent Pina had known through her job
at the fish and chip shop, contacted her.
‘I have
a little shop that might suit you,’ he told her.
On 21
September 1961, Domenico and Pina opened Pina’s Delicatessen at 148 Beaumont
Street, near the Wesley Church in Hamilton. The space had been a sandwich bar,
and Mr Findlay had seen its potential as a delicatessen immediately.
Then
began long days for Pina, working from 7 am to 10 pm, with Domenico doing home
deliveries after work at the BHP. ‘Many people didn’t have cars in those days,’
explained Pina.
Pina’s
Delicatessen quickly became popular - not just with the local Italians, but
with the whole international community in Hamilton and beyond. Although she was
just 20, Pina’s varied work experience and determination to succeed helped her
master the business.
Eight
years later, in 1969, Pina and Domenico were expecting their first child. The
long hours would no longer suit a young mother. It was time for change.
When
Pina looked for someone to take on the deli, she turned to ‘family’. Pina’s
Delicatessen was passed to her younger sister Gia and husband Franco Roncolato
in 1969.
In later
years, Pina would contribute substantially to her community. She taught
remedial reading as a volunteer to students at Newcastle High, and initiated
Italian classes for children at St Joseph’s Primary School, The Junction. In
1983, she worked with the Ethnic Communities Council to win a $50,496
government grant to set up a
Multicultural Neighbourhood Centre. The Centre was to focus on meeting the
needs of migrant women, especially those for whom English was their second
language.
A notice placed in the Italian Centre's publication 'Centero Italiano' in
September, 1966by Pina's Delicatessen, from the Buresti family collection
Giacinta Roncolato 1969 - 1975
Pina’s
younger sister Gia (Giacinta) had migrated to Australia in 1955 from
Lettopalena with Pina and their mother. By now the sisters also had a younger brother,
who had been born in Australia.
In the
afternoon when school was over for the day, Gia hurried to Pina’s Delicatessan
to give Pina some help. For Gia, it was ideal work experience.
Gia’s
first full time job after leaving school was in the office at Winn’s department
store in Newcastle. Then Gia married Franco Roncolato, who had come to
Australia at the age of 25, from the town of Cologna Veneta, in the Verona
region of Italy.
When the
young couple decided to take on Pina’s Delicatessen, Franco left his job in the
Bradford Cotton Mill at Kotara. Together Frank and Gia ran the deli for almost
7 years, continuing to operate the Bank of NSW agency.
Franco and Gia Roncolato outside Pina’s
Delicatessen at its original location,
148 Beaumont Street, Hamilton, c.1970
Photograph courtesy of Gia Roncolato
Gia says
of those years:
‘Even
though it was hard work, we enjoyed the deli because we met some really nice
people. Our customers were of different nationalities such as Italian, Greek,
Macedonian, Yugoslavian, and also Australian.
‘We sold
a great range of sliced meats and cheese, pasta which was all packed by hand –
not pre packed like it is today – and an extensive grocery line. Arnott’s
biscuits came in those big tins that so many people remember.
‘We also
sold the Italian Christmas cake Panettone, and Colomba the Easter cake,
imported from Italy. A small range of perfume was also imported.’
After
selling Pina’s Delicatessen to Elsa Terenzini, Gia and Franco went on to another
retail venture, very different from the first - an exclusive menswear shop in
the Picardi Centre at 54 Beaumont Street, Hamilton.
Elsa Terenzini 1975-1978
Elsa
Terenzini continued the Lettopalena connection, operating Pina’s Delicatessen
from 1975 until 1978. She migrated to Australia in 1957 at the age of 30,
marrying Remo Terenzini, also from Lettopalena. Sadly, Elsa passed away in
June, 2015.
Elsa's daughter Franca Clark remembers her mother being ambitious to do well, undertaking a range of different jobs before buying the deli.
Elsa's daughter Franca Clark remembers her mother being ambitious to do well, undertaking a range of different jobs before buying the deli.
Elsa ran
the business herself, with two or three different women helping in the shop. Franca
left school to work in Pina’s Delicatessen with her mother. ‘It was a small
shop, and I don’t remember her making many changes,’ Franca told me, ‘but she
enjoyed having a business.’
Angela Thodas and Teresa Rossetti 1978-1980
When Elsa
Terenzini sold Pina’s Delicatessen, it would become the domain of two sisters -
from Lettopalena.
Teresa Rossetti
(née Martinelli) came to Australia at the age of 22 in 1960 with her father and
brother. Her fiancé Renato Rossetti, mother, sister Angela and another brother
joined her the following year. Teresa worked in various jobs, including Oldhams,
a meat processing factory, before taking on Pina’s Delicatessen with Angela.
Angela Thodas
(née Martinelli) was just 6 years old when her family migrated to Australia.
Growing up in Mayfield, she worked as a secretary at the Royal Newcastle
Hospital.
Teresa’s
daughter Daniela Rossetti writes:
‘When
Pina’s Delicatessen came up for sale, Teresa and Angela were both excited about
the opportunity to go into partnership together. Running their own business was
exciting and hard work. During that time they ensured they had the freshest
deli meats. Nothing was frozen, and each week deli meats not sold were always
thrown out. They both enjoyed the change to retail, a very different role to
their previous work. One of the highlights of working there were the loyal
customers from both the Italian and Australian communities that they got to
know over the three years.’
At that
time, Teresa, who was much older than Angela, had three school age children,
the youngest being six. The sisters worked long hours and when Angela decided
to start a family, they made the decision to sell. Angela stayed on to help
with the handover to the next owners, and Teresa would return much later to
work for a couple of years with Robert Perisic.
'They both look back with fond memories of the shop and their customers', concludes Daniela.
'They both look back with fond memories of the shop and their customers', concludes Daniela.
In a
strengthening of the community ties that bind the Lettisi people from
Lettopalena, Teresa Rossetti is godmother to Gia Roncolato.
Pina and Tony D’Accione 1980-1991
The
fifth owners of Pina Deli were Pina and Tony D’Accione, both from Lettopalena.
Pina (Giuseppina)
Di Claudio emigrated in 1958 at the age of 16 with her mother Maria and
brother, Amedeo. Tony migrated alone at the age of 18, joining his brother and
sister in Newcastle. Travelling by plane in 1956, he remembers the language and
culture shock he felt as he found himself arriving in his new country so quickly.
It was
not easy for Tony to find a job initially. He worked for a season cane cutting
in Proserpine, sharing a tin shed with another worker in the stifling heat.
After returning to Newcastle, Tony secured a job, and in 1960, married Pina. Over the years, he worked
in a variety of industries.
Pina found
employment as a cleaner, rising in time to catch the 4.20 am bus to work,
dependent on her mother to help with the three children.
‘I did
this for 13 years,’ she tells me.
Tony
always wanted to ‘do something himself’ and having his own business seemed an
attractive idea. When Pina’s Delicatessen came up for sale in 1980, Tony was very keen to purchase. Even
though Pina was uncertain, they took the plunge. The deli would once more have someone
named ‘Pina’ behind the counter.
Angela
Thodas, one of the previous owners and also Tony’s god daughter, kept working
in the shop until Tony and Pina learned how everything was done.
‘From
the outside, it looks easy,’ Tony says. ‘But a deli is really hard, heavy work.
We had all the cured meats hanging in the shop, and in summer had to take them
down each evening and store them in the cool room.’
This is how Pina’s Delicatessen used to look
inside – Tony D’Accione c.1984
Photograph courtesy of the D’Accione family
collection
The
hours were long, too – they worked five days a week plus Saturdays until 1 pm,
with time spent cleaning the machines and the freezer after hours every day.
‘There’s a lot of cleaning up,’ says Tony. ‘I remember a Health Department
Inspector telling me once, “If everyone was like you, I wouldn’t have a job!”’
Competition
was strong among the four delicatessens in Hamilton, and Tony knew they had to
expand into larger, more modern premises. Plans to incorporate the space next
door ran into difficulties, and they looked further afield.
In June 1986,
Pina and Tony moved the deli to newly built premises at 48 Lindsay Street, on
the edge of the Hamilton Piazza. They would now be closer to the central part
of Beaumont Street. Still, everything had to be done from scratch – including a
new fit out, to meet the more stringent food authority regulations. It may have
been at this point that Pina’s Delicatessen became Pina Deli.
On
Thursday 29 December 1989, Hamilton was hit by an earthquake measuring 5.6 on
the Richter scale. Pina Deli lost large amounts of stock, but staff managed to
get the shop operating again within just three days. The new building had stood
up to the test well.
Pina and Tony D’Accione, late 1980s
Photograph courtesy of the D’Accione family
collection
For Tony
and Pina, running the small business was ‘a big challenge.’ By the time they
were ready to sell, they had firmly consolidated the reputation of Pina Deli
for quality and service. Tony’s outgoing personality and Pina’s generous
hospitality must have been a draw card for customers.
They
were free now to travel, visiting relations not seen for decades, as far away
as Argentina and Germany. Pina’s mother, too, needed her daughter’s care and attention.
Robert Perisic 1991–2001
When
Robert Perisic took over Pina Deli, he was the only man in the team. And he was
not from Lettopalena!
Robert’s
venture into the food industry began when his first career as an accountant
with an oil company ended and he found himself facing redundancy. He was
investigating various small business options, when Pina Deli came up for sale.
From his
job at Tighes Hill, Robert had been in the habit of slipping over to Hamilton
to buy a liverwurst roll for lunch at the delicatessen. The son of a Serbian
refugee father and a Macedonian mother, he had a taste for the international
foods sold at the deli.
Robert
and his wife Suzi, then a bank employee, inspected the deli and liked what they
saw. They bought it. At the time, they had one young son Michael and another,
Adrian, would be born during their time at Pina Deli.
New signage was installed by Pina Deli’s fifth
owner, Robert Perisic
48 Lindsay Street, Hamilton
Photographer: unknown
Loyal
staff stayed on under the new management – Adriana Palmieri, Anna Capotosto, Maria
Profili and even former owner Pina D’Accione. Suzi Perisic helped out after she
finished work at the bank, and she and Robert alternated on the Saturday
morning shift.
Suzi and Robert Perisic, Pina Deli, 1990s
‘We had all the smoked meats hanging
in the shop, just like Tony D’Accione did’
Photograph from the Perisic family
collection
‘It was like a family,’ says Robert, ‘and such fun. Always jokes, and laughter. I learned some Italian from the staff – especially how to curse! ‘
I
wondered what changes, if any, Robert made at Pina Deli?
‘It’s a
long time ago,’ says Robert, ‘and hard to remember. We had all the smoked meats
hanging in the shop, just like Tony A’ccione did, possibly even more.’
Television
cooking shows by people like Antonio Carluccio and Jamie Oliver were becoming
popular, and Robert noticed that customers would come in asking for a new
ingredient, or a piece of equipment that had been featured. He quickly learned
to anticipate these trends, and order in those items.
Pina
Deli began making its own fresh pasta, and also its own sausages.
‘Our
meats were sliced on the spot, and wrapped in paper, just like today,’ says
Robert. ‘The slices are laid out separately, not all squashed together in a
lump like the supermarkets. Customers appreciate that care and product
knowledge. And service is always with a smile.’
Robert
does remember a man who used to walk past the deli every morning, and pop his
head in the door to inhale the smells - the coffee being ground, the fresh
Italian bread and the smoked meats. ‘He never bought a thing!’
Pina
Deli supplied restaurants and Robert always tried to be responsive to their
needs, as well as to his customers. He would travel to Sydney every month to
check out different suppliers for new products, but mostly, customers liked to
see the same familiar faces behind the counter, and buy products they were
familiar with.
Robert
opened Liebchen’s Restaurant around the corner at 79 Beaumont Street, the site
of the present day Eurobar. Serving modern Australian cuisine with a cultural
twist, some dishes from this popular restaurant were packaged and retailed
through the deli.
For
Robert, the time to sell Pina Deli came when he wanted to focus on the other
businesses he had established. There was someone right there on the staff,
ready to accept the challenge.
Maria Profili 2001-2010
Maria
Profili emigrated from Puglia, Italy to Germany at the age of twelve. She
married there, moving to Australia with her boilermaker husband Paul Profili in
1977. With no family in Newcastle to provide support, Maria was a homemaker,
caring for her two sons, Andrew and Patrick. Later, she started painting,
becoming involved in schools as a volunteer art teacher.
Maria had
had some jobs involving food preparation, and knew of Pina Deli. Keen for a job
there, she approached Robert Perisic, but there was no opening available. Two
years later, Robert contacted Maria with a 2 day a week job.
Four
years later, in 2001, Robert was ready to sell.
Maria’s
son Andrew, a chef, had been trying to persuade Maria to join him in a café
venture. They decided, instead, to buy Pina Deli. At the last minute, Andrew decided
on a different direction, opening an Italian restaurant/coffee lounge Amici
close by. Maria was on her own.
Robert
and the staff, especially Adriana Palmieri, helped Maria become established.
Getting to know her suppliers, and dealing with them, was her first challenge.
When she
made home cooked dishes like soups or lentils for sale, they flew off the
counter. Pina Deli continued to offer
fresh and imported meats, cheeses, pastas, sauces and a diverse range of
coffee.
‘I love
this shop,’ Maria says. ‘When you walk in, it has such a good feel. Customers
and staff are like family – we get to know what our customers like. They love
the personal touch. We are all part of a community of food lovers.’
Maria Profili and staff, 2009
Back row from left: Glenda Taylor, Anna
Capotosto, Adriana Palmieri
Front row, from left: Pina D’Accione, Patrick
Profili, Maria Profili, Ilona van Raalte
Photograph courtesy of Maria Profili
Photograph courtesy of Maria Profili
After 9
years, Maria was becoming weary.
‘There
is no rest, no down time,’ she explains.
Supermarket
delis were challenging small shops like Pina Deli on price, even though they
could never better the quality and personal attention to detail bestowed by the
small shop.
After
advertising for sale without result, she was ready to close the doors. Then,
after one last advertisement, Deborah Brazel, a regular customer, stepped
forward.
Maria and
her husband continue their creative work. Maria’s paintings - beautiful still
life and landscapes – hang on the walls of homes in Newcastle. Paul creates wrought
iron structures. And still today, on the walls of Pina Deli, is a poster of the dry stone trulli houses with their distinctive cone shaped roofs, a reminder of Maria's Puglia origins.
Courtesy http://www.adventurouskate.com/the-stunning-trulli-of-alberobello-italy/
Deborah Brazel 2010 - 2015
Deborah
née Martinini was born in Rome, during her parents’ extended sojourn back to
Italy to meet her father’s family. Her mother was from Trieste, and her immigrant
parents had met and married in Newcastle.
After
leaving school, Deborah worked for various companies, merchandising in
supermarkets, ensuring their products were displayed in store.
With her
husband Darren Brazel, Deborah always kept a look out for an appealing business
opportunity. Their experience running a corner shop in Mount Hutton was useful
when Pina Deli came up for sale.
‘I was a
customer of Pina Deli,’ says Deborah. ‘It is such an icon. I thought it would
be a shame if it didn’t continue.’
When Deborah took over the shop, she was glad
to have continuity of staff, who helped her learn on the job. Deborah laughs
when she remembers the challenge of learning to slice meats – anchoring the
piece with her right hand, and catching the slices with her left.
Previous owner Maria Profili wanted to do two days
a week for a time, and Anna Capotosto would always help out when needed.
‘Adriana Palmieri stayed with us until a couple
of years ago – she was such a great asset,’ explains Deborah. ‘Then Carla
Brinkworth, who has been a friend of mine since we were just eight years old,
joined us.’
These days, the core staff are Deborah, Carla
and Simone, who is Deborah’s student daughter. Deborah’s son Ryan also worked
for a considerable time at Pina Deli. ‘That experience helped Ryan decide what
he really wanted to do – train as a chef,’ says Deborah.
While Deborah did not set out to make changes
for the sake of it, she did what she describes as ‘a general re-vamp.’ Most
importantly, she introduced a smart new colour scheme – the red, white and
green of the Italian flag for signage, name badges and aprons.
Some new lines have been introduced, along with
a coffee machine for customers who want a one stop shop. In winter Pina Deli offers
home made soups made by Carla, and if you have ever wondered where those
delicious pasta sauces come from, they are made by Deborah’s father, Ezio
Martinini.
Like the other owners, Deborah stresses the ‘family
feel’ of Pina Deli. ‘People feel welcomed when they walk in,’ she says. ‘ Staff
ask about family members when we know of them. There is a little girl who likes
to bring us flowers. That continuity is so important.’
In 2011, Pina Deli celebrated its 50th
anniversary, with special offers and promotions throughout the year. In 2014,
they even retailed copies of my book, ‘Hidden Hamilton.’
Like a
family – Deborah Brazel, Simone Brazel
and Carla Brinkworth, Pina
Deli, 2015
Helen Morgan, Nicole Eddington and Lori White 2015-2018
In September 2015, and after 55 years as Pina Deli, this little icon became Delikacies. The business is now owned by three women: Helen Morgan, Nicole Eddington and Lori White.
In September 2015, and after 55 years as Pina Deli, this little icon became Delikacies. The business is now owned by three women: Helen Morgan, Nicole Eddington and Lori White.
There are smart red café chairs and tables on the pavement,
and an inside nook so that customers can grab a coffee to go with a freshly
made sandwich or cake. A bright front window display entices customers in, as
does a new entrance from the plaza at the back. As well as old favourites there
are baskets of fresh produce and cheery sacks of beans, nuts and pulses.
Co-owner Helen is introducing specialities from her Croation
heritage, sausages like chevapi and csabai. A huge blackboard explains
everything. High on the eastern wall the faces of some of the former owners
watch what’s happening as the deli embarks on its new life.
As only deli in Hamilton, Delikacies continued the Pina Deli
tradition of offering customers from Hamilton and beyond unique products
and personal service.
We
owe so much to the families who embarked on the adventure of running Pina Deli,
worked unrelentingly for at least six days every week and met the challenges of
small business head-on. We owe gratitude to them all for bringing that sense of
family, of community, and their love of good food, to Hamilton.
New view from the inside –
Delikacies, 48 Lindsay Street, Hamilton, 2015
It closed in May, 2018 thus ending Hamilton's delicatessen tradition
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all who contributed information
and photographs to this story: Pina and Dominic Buresti, Gia Roncolato, Franca
Clark, Teresa and Daniela Rossetti, Pina and Tony D’Accione, Robert Perisic,
Maria Profili, Deborah Brazel and Helen Morgan. Thank you also to Carla Brinkworth and Elisa
Sandrone for helping me find the past owners of Pina Deli.
Related post about the Lettesi community and its connections with Hamilton:
[1] An accessible version of Dr Judith Galvin’s
1983 PhD thesis 'The Lettesi Story A Community in Search of Place' can be read
at https://uoncc.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/the-lettesi-story.pdf
[2] World War II
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