2. Mulberry Street used to be known as “Slaughter-house Street”
Mulberry Street is one of Lower Manhattan’s principal thoroughfares located between Baxter and Mott Street. Historically the street has long been associated with New York’s Italian-American community, running straight through the heart of what remains of Little Italy. Listed on maps as early as 1755, Mulberry Street’s bend was strategically placed to avoid the wetlands surrounding the Collect Pond — which has since become a local park. During the American Revolution, the street came to be known as “Slaughter-house Street” after the slaughterhouse owned by Nicholas Bayard. Located on the southwest corner of Mulberry and Bayard Streets, the slaughterhouse was ordered by the city to be moved to Corlear’s Hook in the summer of 1784.
Mulberry Street would also serve as one of the borders for Five Points, a neighborhood known for being a densely populated, disease-ridden, and crime-infested slum. In the Prohibition Era, the corner of Kenmare and Mulberry Street was known as the Curb Exchange given its position as the perfect spot to buy alcohol illegally. Additionally, many of Little Italy’s crime bosses would frequent Umberto’s Clam House, located at 132 Mulberry. The restaurant would become the scene of the murder of New York gangster Joe Gallo, who was shot five times hours after celebrating his 43rd birthday. Today, Mulberry Street houses a number of Italian restaurants including Caffé Palermo. Opened in 1973 by the Cannoli King, Baby John, Caffé Palermo has been visited by a number of celebrities, including Danny DeVito, Clint Eastwood, Henry Winkler, and Katie Holmes. Besides going through Little Italy, Mulberry Street also runs through the center of Little Australia, NoHo, and Chinatown.