Amadeus

Amadeus

Deli Comedian, Charmingly Cheesy, Trained Physician

“I’m an old man but I work like a 20-year-old kid. It’s not easy, but with determination age isn’t a barrier. I do a minimum of 12 hours a day, every single day at the deli.”

“I started working when I was ten. I told my dad I wanted to feel like a man and not be dependent on him. My dad was concerned with what people would say if he allowed his young kid to do construction work, but I was determined, so he gave in. In the beginning, when I came home from work my hands would be bleeding from carrying heavy bricks. I would hide my hands so my mom couldn’t see them. I know me working was hard on her. But working made me feel so proud, like I was really accomplishing something by myself. This is what makes me happy. Just like today, with my workload, it’s something I take pride in, and that makes me happy. I’m a happy person.”

“What are we going to take from this life if we don’t try to be happy? If you are not happy, disease will afflict you and you’ll be a miserable person.”

“New Yorkers are always in a rush. Sometimes I’ll say ‘Ohh… I’m sure you are of Russian origin.’ They look at me and ask ‘What makes you think that?’ and I respond ‘Because you’re rushing me’ and then they start laughing. I love when I can lighten up someone’s day like that. I like to make jokes with my customers. New Yorkers are often stressed out, so I do what I can to put a smile on people’s faces.”

“When I see a person leaving the deli happy, trust me, it’s worth more than anything else. Then I’m eagerly waiting to see the next customer. If you work as much as I do, you have to fill the days with as much happiness as you can.”

“You have to know how to deal with crazy, drunk, loving, hungry New Yorkers. Working in the deli has given me the wisdom to maneuver and understand all of that. I have seen things in the deli that I haven’t seen other places during my 58 years of living. It can be a total circus in here. People are drunk, leave their credit cards - after a night shift we can be left with 20 credit cards. I’ve helped people who don’t know which city they’re in get in a cab, seen couples starting their foreplay behind the shelves.”

“I used to live in Italy. I had two cars, a big house and a job as a physician. It was a good life. One day I met this lady. She stopped me, but she didn’t speak Italian. She thought I was American, and asked me if I could please have a cup of coffee with her. So I joined her since I had two hours before I had to go to work. We had some coffee. Six months later we got married. She really wanted to move back to the United States. I had to give up everything and start from scratch in New York.”

“We got divorced and then later I married again to a different woman. She and I have a kid together, but we ended up getting divorced as well. Life can get complicated, and doesn’t always turn out the way you thought it would. So now I work in a deli, and share a studio apartment with three other guys.”

“It was a huge transition, but you have to adapt. Nothing is wrong with being a manager in a deli, but it is a big change for sure. It hurt me in the beginning, but I am happy now, I do my best to spread as much joy and happiness here, and because of that, I think my life is pretty good.”

Q&A

What neighborhood do you live in? I live in Bay Ridge in Brooklyn.

Best thing about living there? It feels like you are on 42nd street in Manhattan even though you are far out in Brooklyn. Like a mini-Manhattan, it has everything. It is a melting pot of people, Jewish, Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern.

Favorite neighborhood? Williamsburg. The people here are beautiful and the deli is my second home.

Favorite street to stroll? Little Italy, Mulberry Street.

Why? It reminds me of my youth. Little Italy was more authentic back in the day. You can still find some charm there today though.

Favorite restaurant? Balady foods in Bay Ridge. This restaurant has all kinds of international food and it’s cheap. You can have chicken, pizza, pasta.

Favorite bar? Baby’s All Right here in Williamsburg.

Hidden gem? I like the huge park at Shore Road in Bay Ridge. It’s a good place to clear your head.

How to be(come) a New Yorker? If you don’t love the city you cannot be a New Yorker. You need to love the people in it, you need to adapt to its culture, to the diversity.

Your New York soundtrack? Pavarotti Vincero. Vincero means I will win and indeed he won. It is such a powerful song.

“The city made me change because of all the different people I’ve had to interact with. You have to be sensitive and patient with the person in front of you. You have to love and respect them. That doesn’t mean you have to believe what they believe, but the city teaches you to be respectful. If you’re not ready to embrace and learn from all these immensely diverse people, then I’m sorry to tell you, you should not move to New York.”

5 THINGS THAT TELL A STORY ABOUT AMADEUS

GOLDEN GIFT “It’s a gold wallet I am going to give to my dad. He is 85 and just went through prostate surgery. He lives in Italy. I miss my parents, they are still my inspirations. They are my everything.”

BINOCULARS “A very lovely lady gave me these, they’re also a key chain. She used to be one of my customers at the deli, then she moved out of the area. It is very important to me. I look at it and remember my customers.”

PHYSICIAN SCRUBS “Once a month I make a visit to an old patient who is very dear to me. He has been my patient for more than 20 years. I miss being a physician. My life was always in the medical field until I started working at the deli.”

GLASSES “I‘ve had these glasses since I studied medicine in Italy. I rarely use them. They are still in good shape. I’m not going to lie to you, once in a while I put them on and take some selfies with them.”

WALLET “This was a gift from my co-worker. I have one son, Omar. He is now almost 18 years old. He lives with his mother, I haven’t seen him in six years. His name is imprinted on it, so it’s very dear to me.”