Bronx Little Italy is home to many businesses, some that have even been there for decades and others more than a century. Among them is Arthur Cantina Wine & Liquor, which recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary.
Located at 2380 Arthur Ave., the Cantina was founded in 2004 by Antonio Angrisani and his sons, John and Anthony. Antonio Angrisani who originally hailed from southern Italy, moved his family to Argentina, then ultimately up to New York City. His son, Anthony, who is now in charge of operating the store, grew up in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx and worked at other small businesses along Arthur Avenue.
Anthony Angrisani spoke with the Bronx Times about his journey to success.
“A family business is good and bad,” he said. “There are times you want to kill each other and other times it’s the best.”
Angrisani, 38, witnessed hard work firsthand from his uncle, mom and father. His uncle, Roger Alcocer, worked at Calandra Cheese Store on Arthur Avenue in the 90s, his dad was an electrician with Local 3 and his mom, Maria, worked in a school cafeteria.
“My idea was to become an electrician, but my dad and his boss talked me out of it,” Angrisani said.
His parents met each other in Argentina and in the late 70s immigrated to America. According to Angrisani, his family always wanted to own a business, but success did not happen overnight.
As a kid, Angrisani spent many weekends at Calandra learning how to make cheese. Stretching fresh mozzarella was a memorable experience, he said.
“Little by little, my uncle needed my help, and I started working there,” Angrisani said.
Alcocer left the country for a couple of years and Angrisani’s brother John purchased Calandra in 2001. In 2004, Alcocer returned to America, bought the store back and kept it in the family until 2013.
Angrisani loved working at Calandra, however, the long hours were tiring, he said. So, Angrisani and his brother decided to leave the food business.
John, who was a practicing lawyer and well known in the community, noticed the lack of liquor stores in the neighborhood. In 2004, he opened Arthur Cantina.
Angrisani worked there part time while he was a student at Mercy College and joined full time when he graduated with a business degree in 2012. However, things were not easy at first, he said. The store barely broke even during its first decade.
“We didn’t know anything about wine,” Angrisani said. “We had to figure out the liquor business from scratch.”
In 2014, he and his dad bought John out, allowing him to focus solely on law. Angrisani was determined to learn about the industry and succeed.
He did research, networked and went to high-end Italian restaurants to see what wine was popular. According to Angrisani, he did not want to be the typical liquor store with cheap wine or tequila, but instead a business that sold high-end wine.
After a few years, the business slowly became profitable. It felt good to not only be a boss and owner, but to know the Cantina was becoming a staple in the community.
“We have a lot of great customers that come into the shop,” Angrisani said. “You kind of feel like you are a part of their family.”
Every Saturday they host wine tastings from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., allowing patrons to explore new flavors while enjoying the camaraderie of fellow wine enthusiasts. In addition to their in-store experiences, Cantina has a podcast and blog, making it accessible for everyone to learn more about the world of wine and spirits.
Angrisani also took classes with the NYC Small Business Administration, which greatly helped him understand how to improve his business.
“If you constantly sharpen the sword, you will find you are capable of doing more and more,” he said.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cantina mostly sold wine, but the coronavirus gave Angrisani time to think about expanding the store’s menu and he began to add whiskey, bourbon and scotch.
Online sales jumped 67% once the pandemic arrived and it has been a huge boost for business since.
“We really didn’t make a lot of money until the pandemic,” he said.
However, those few years were also a dark time for the Angrisani family as Alcocer, John and his father all passed away. Angrisani has continued to work hard and honor the men who inspired him.
“My dad always said do the right thing,” he said. “My brother was such a force.”
Today, Angrisani lives in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, is married and has three boys. He hopes to pass the business onto his kids one day.
“I’m hoping to be here 100 plus years,” he said. “I’m happy with the freedoms that come with being your own boss and the problems that come with.”
