Alleva Dairy facts for kids

Alleva Dairy established in 1892 and located on Grand Street in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan is the oldest cheese shop in the United States.

The business was founded by Pino Alleva from Benevento, Italy. In 2014 the business was bought by the actor and onetime boxing manager John Ciarcia (aka Cha Cha and dubbed the unofficial mayor of Little Italy), a cousin of tbe Alleva family, and his wife Karen King. At one point Tony Danza, the actor, entertainer, and former boxer whom Cha Cha had once managed as a pugilist, was a partner in the shop.

In April 2022, it was reported that the store and its owner Karen King was more than $500,000 behind in rent because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to widespread coverage of the financial dilemma of the business and possible forthcoming closure.