GLORIOSO BROS. 60 YEARS ON BRADY STREET

Happy St. Valentine's Day, Milwaukee, and happy 60th birthday to Glorioso Bros. Co., the grocery store at 1020 E. Brady Street that opened February 14th, 1946, and is still in business today. Even more remarkable than the store's survival is the fact that three brothers -- Joe, Eddie and Ted Glorioso -- have been able to survive working with each other for six decades.
I am one of three brothers, none of whom could work together for more than six minutes, not to mention six decades. How do these brothers manage?
The answer is simple, Eddie said on Saturday as he worked behind the deli counter at the store. "We have our disagreements, we have our discussions, and then we forget all about it and go back to work."
I've been present for a few of the brothers' disagreements and discussions over the years, and my initial instinct was to run for cover behind a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, but sure enough, the disputes seem to be quickly resolved, particularly the English-language ones.
More complicated arguments, like "who taught you how to stack persimmons?" tend to be held in Sicilian, which adds a certain buoyancy and flair to the debate, while at the same time limiting audience participation in the matter at hand.
The (literally) jam-packed store is but one outpost of the Glorioso empire. The brothers also own a quite large building on E. Corcoran St. in the Historic Third Ward that houses their wholesale operation. The Brady Street store also carries a number of private label Glorioso items including spices and cheeses.
If you haven't been to Glorioso's, it's not because they're the new guys in town; it's a matter of "where have you been?"
The store claims to have the largest selection of canned seafood in Wisconsin, with enough varieties of sardines to bring tears to the eyes of even the most stoic of Norwegians. Among other items are some excellent hard-milled European soaps (a steal at $1); Sicilian preserves ($2.50); many varieties of olives and olive oils, along with such essentials as white truffle oil and aged Balsamic vinegar.
The Gloriosos stayed put even during Brady Street's declining days; it is safe to say that the street would never have enjoyed its rejuvenation without the support of the brothers who could have easily fought the Brady Street Business Improvement District proposals that were eventually enacted to revitalize the area.
Instead, their support led other property owners to realize the hidden value of Milwaukee's lower east side. If Brady Street were a mall (and thank goodness it is not), then Glorioso's would be its anchor tenant.

--Michael Horne