between the city's wealthy west and and working-class east was so hollow. it's a place that has always welcomed everyone some italians, too, have left their mark. 100 years ago, the streets were home to a network of italian businesses, feeding and employing the 13,000 italians who lived in this little italy. these brothers first open a grocery store here on old compton street in 1929. in those days, no british person, rich or poor would have stepped foot in a place like this to try low class italian food. just around the corner in 1926, an italian restaurant set out to change all this. by pretending it wasn't an italian restaurant at all.