Business Owners, Immigrants Behind South Philadelphia’s Italian Market Honored in Murals

As South Philadelphia's Ninth Street Market prepares to host its annual Italian Market Festival on May 17, new displays of public art will celebrate the legacy of the market's founders.

Three murals along South Ninth Street showcasing several personalities will be unveiled during the weekend of May 3 and 4. Individuals featured on the murals include Elizabeth "Betty Ann" Mongelluzzo, Joe and Danny DiBruno, and Carl Redel.

Mongelluzzo, who died in 2019, was a florist who worked at the market for 30 years and was known as "Aunt Betty Ann" or "Aunt Bet" to market regulars.

"I'm just happy that she's not forgotten. She lives in us, but she's not forgotten," said Cookie Ciliberti, Mongelluzzo's niece, in an interview with CBS News Philadelphia.

The DiBrunos founded DiBruno Brothers Specialty Foods in 1939. Redel was the founder of Carl's Vineland Farm Eggs. Redel was one of two family members who survived the Holocaust.

"It's just beautiful for the market. It shows the history of how many generations it took to build up this market," said Steve Redel, Carl's grandson and manager of the business, in a CBS News Philadelphia interview.

The murals are the work of the Our Mural Project. Founded in 2019 by Michelle Angela Ortiz, the organization tells the stories of the market's immigrant families through public art. 

"It's really important to utilize art as a way of representing these community stories, specifically the contributions of immigrant and migrant communities," Ortiz stated to CBS News Philadelphia.

In addition to the murals, Ortiz said she is also working to rehab the market's famous produce stands. She's replacing the wooden stands with weather-resistant ones and swapping worn-out awnings for hand-painted ones.